MANSFIELD — The Ohio State University at Mansfield’s theatre season starts with a free outdoor event in September to celebrate the 250th birthday of Johnny Appleseed.
After that opening, the mainstage shows will include a romantic comedy in October, a provocative social issues drama in November, and one of the most beloved plays of all time in March.
Meet Johnny Appleseed
Meet Johnny Appleseed will be offered for one night only in partnership with the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library and the Children’s Theatre Foundation.
Join us as we celebrate the 250th birthday of John Chapman with a special performance by Hank Fincken, who will portray the beloved American, born on Sept. 26, 1774.
This family-friendly event is being offered Wednesday. Sept. 25, 6 p.m. at the lovely Grant and Mary Milliron Research Wetlands and Classroom behind Riedl Hall (rain location will be the Conard Recital Hall only a few feet away). Feel free to bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and a picnic dinner.
Check, Please
Then, the first mainstage show of the season is Check, Please by Jonathan Rand. In this romantic comedy, two people hope for the best but suffer through the worst: blind dates with a kleptomaniac, a pirate, an EXTREME thrill-seeker, an obsessive sports fan, a mime, and many even more outrageous suitors.
Are they doomed to eternal dating nightmares, or can they find true love? This production is a blend of the best scenes from Jonathan Rand’s three-play trilogy.
It was a crowd favorite when first performed on our campus in the Summer of 2017, so we’ve brought it back for a second go. This is one show that is guaranteed to make you laugh.
Performance times and dates for Check, Please are Friday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 6 at 2:30 p.m., and Monday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. This play is produced by arrangement with the playwright.
Machinal
The second mainstage show is Machinal by Sophie Treadwell. In this play a young woman finds herself suffocating in a modernized, mechanized, and dehumanized society. What will she do? What would you do?
This provocative social issues drama from the 1920s was inspired by the true story of Ruth Snyder. Playwright Sophie Treadwell was the journalist assigned to cover Snyder’s sensational murder trial.
Treadwell takes us into the mind of the young woman to share a story of oppression, murder, and competing visions of justice.
This groundbreaking play was hailed by the Independent as “Gripping … doesn’t loosen its hold on the senses until its shattering climax,” and by Time Out New York as “Stingingly fresh and provocative.”
The New York Times also recognized Machinal as a work of “rare and disturbing beauty.”
Performance times and dates for Machinal are Friday Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday Nov. 2 at 2:30 p.m., Sunday Nov. 3 at 2:30 p.m., and Monday Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Auditions
Auditions for Check, Please and Machinal are open to all and will be held Monday Aug. 26 and Tuesday Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. in Founders Auditorium.
Our final mainstage show of the 2024-2025 season is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
Our Theatre Program will present this timeless classic in cooperation with the new Mansfield Shakespeare Company.
Romeo and Juliet tells the story of the hot and violent streets of Verona where two families have been feuding for years.
The moment when two of their own see each other across a crowded room begins a romance that has moved, inspired, and enthralled us for centuries.
This crisp, fast-moving abridgement uses only the words of Shakespeare’s original, but pares down the text to move us forward at an intense pace toward the play’s wrenching conclusion.
Performance times and dates are Friday February 28 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday March 1 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday March 2 at 2:30 p.m., and Monday March 3 at 7:30 p.m. Auditions for Romeo and Juliet are open to all and will be held Monday, Jan. 13 and Tuesday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. in Founders Auditorium.
“We have an incredible set of collaborative relationships with local partners,” stated Joseph Fahey, Professor of Theatre.
“These partnerships, combined with support from our Friends of the Theatre, enable the campus to broaden its offerings and present a unique range of high-quality yet affordable shows to the community —we would not be able to launch such a season without this backing.”
Tickets for all mainstage shows are $10 and $6 and can be purchased at 419 755-4045 or mansfieldtheatre@osu.edu.
You can also purchase tickets at the on-site box office in Founders Auditorium in the 45 minutes before each show.
If you have questions about auditions or anything related to these shows or the campus theater program, please contact Joseph Fahey at fahey.9@osu.edu or 419 755-4276.