The Mansfield community was in for a treat with Thursday night’s opening performance of “The Fantastiks” by The Ohio State University at Mansfield theatre department. Based on Edmond Rostand’s long-running play “Les Romanesques,” audiences could expect to enjoy the timeless, universal story and the collaborative effort of the theatre department at OSU-M, driven by Theatre Professor Dr. Joseph Fahey.
Mansfield is not the first community to benefit from Fahey’s theatre experience and collaborative spirit.
“It was my intent when I became a faculty member [at OSU] to continue the work of bridging the gap between the college and community theatre that I started in Cleveland,” Fahey said. “I had developed collaborative efforts within the artistic community in Cleveland and I wanted to continue that effort here.”
Fahey’s efforts are playing off.
“We have many willing partners in the community, including the Mansfield Playhouse, an art gallery, the Children’s Theatre Foundation and others,” Fahey said.
The collaboration benefits the college, its community partners and audiences alike.
“We’ve seen positive responses on both sides,” Fahey said “Students get the chance to work with accomplished local artists, and it’s a great educational opportunity for them. The performance is enhanced by that.”
Educational enhancement is only one perk students get from the collaborative efforts.
“[Collaborating] gives the students the chance to work in difference spaces, and the space determines different aspects of the production,” Fahey said. “In college theatre, you don’t get to experience so many spaces or settings. The actors and technical crews also learn to understand how audiences affect their work.”
OSU’s collaboration with community theatre and arts also exposes the campus in general to higher quality works.
“Our campus audience also benefits from seeing people they recognize [from around the Mansfield theatre scene]. These actors bring a maturity to roles, too,” Fahey said.
The collaborative efforts extend to the Richland County residents.
“In the community, for example at the Renaissance Theatre, we reach a new audience that might not come to the college to see a show, and we keep them as an audience in future productions.”
Theatre-goers can take advantage of the collaborative work of Fahey and his students this weekend.
“Tickets [for “The Fantastiks” cost less than the price of a movie,” Fahey said. “The most expensive ticket is $6.00.”
To purchase tickets, call the OSU ticket line at 419-755-4045 or purchase tickets 45 minutes before the show at Founders Auditorium on the OSU Mansfield campus. For less than it costs to see a movie, or for a dollar more than a fancy latte, Mansfield residents can treat themselves to the longest-running show of its kind, which began its run in New York in the late 1950s.
Fahey believes everyone can identify with “The Fantastiks.”
“I think it’s lasted so long because it’s a love story with a comic twist,” Fahey said. “It teaches you to appreciate what you have and to understand the different ways that people can find value in each other. It has a really good lesson.”
Another can’t-miss, interesting, collaborative feature this play offers: on-stage musical elements. The musical director piano and harp play critical roles in the story.
“They lend themselves to the comic and poignant moments of the play,” Fahey said.
“I had developed collaborative efforts within the artistic community in Cleveland and I wanted to continue that effort here,” said Dr. Joseph Fahey.
