MANSFIELD — Live theatre is returning to the Ohio State University’s Mansfield campus for the first time since the shutdowns of March 2020.
The program featured virtual shows, including pre-recorded and live-streamed productions, last school year.
“This is the first time that we’ll all be back together again and we plan to stay that way for the whole year,” said Joseph Fahey, associate professor and director of theatre.
The campus recently announced its 2021-2022 lineup, which includes three ticketed shows and two free performances.
Fahey said the theater is looking forward to providing live performances once again, as well as a more intimate experience for cast and crew.
“To work with students and community artists again in a kind of visceral, physical way, to actually work with actors on stage, to give students and other local folks a feeling of sort of community and connection again — that’s really huge for us and we’re very excited to be doing that,” he said.
The season will feature an eclectic mix of free and ticketed performances.
“In terms of the show selections, we really tried to pick some shows that offered a mix of everything,” Fahey said. “Some are very issues-focused, some are simply laugh-out-loud comic in their nature.”
Additional selections include works by local artists and the reimagining of timeless classics.
September: The Guys by Anne Nelson
The theatre will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with its season opener, a staged reading of “The Guys” by Anne Nelson.
“The Guys” tells the the story of Joan, an editor, and Nick, a fire captain who lost most of his men in the attack. Less than two weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, Joan receives an unexpected call from Nick, who is looking for a writer to help him with the eulogies for his men.
The play is based on a true story. The performance is free to the public on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. in Founders Auditorium. Donations will be accepted for local first responders.
“It’s very poignant and I think it’s very reflective,” Fahey said. “I think the tone is just right for recognizing this anniversary.”
“The Guys” will feature OSU faculty member and former reporter Darlene Slack as Joan and theater regular Drew Traxler as Nick.
Weather permitting, the performance will be held outside so actors and audience members can go mask-free.
October: Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind by Greg Allen
Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind (30 plays in 60 minutes) opened in 1988 and remains the longest-running production in Chicago history.
The show incorporates improv, sketch comedy and audience participation as actors perform a series of two-minute plays in a random order by audience request.
“When they come in, (audience members) get a program with the titles of the shows but nothing else and across the stage is a clothesline with all the numbers of the shows,” Fahey explained. “The audience calls out the number that they want to see performed next and then the actors pull that number off the clothesline and perform it.”
“It’s a very unusual piece for us to do, but it seems like a good fit for this time and we want to have some fun,” he added. “We want to celebrate having audiences back in the seats with us again.”
The show will take place Oct. 8, 9 and 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m. Weather permitting, the performance will be held outside so actors and audience members can go mask-free.
November: De Luxe by Louis Bromfield and John Gearon
The campus theatre will host its second free performance on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. with a staged reading of De Luxe by Louis Bromfield and John Gearon.
The play is presented with the Malabar Farm Foundation in recognition of the 125th anniversary of Louis Bromfield’s birth and the 65th anniversary of his death. No tickets are needed, but donations will be accepted for the Malabar Farm Foundation.
“It’s about a kind of social elite and they’re struggling to come to terms with the change of the economy and the change of their place in the world,” Fahey said. “It also follows a veteran who is pretty jaded about his life after the war.”
The show ran on Broadway for a couple of weeks in 1935, but was not considered a success. Fahey said he hopes the resurrection of the work will allow the audience to enjoy a piece that’s been under-appreciated in the past.
February: The Healing Project by Tiger Bradley
The Healing Project is written by Mansfield native Henry “Tiger” Bradley III. Bradley, an administrator of New Community Temple and youth pastor for 20 years, has written several plays, including The Hurt and The Healed, to help people discover the root cause of their problems.
The Healing Project will be performed Feb. 25, 26 and 28 at 7:20 p.m. and Feb. 27 at 2:30 p.m.
Auditions will take place Jan. 18 and 19 at 6 p.m. in Founders Auditorium.
March and April: Antigone by Sophocles
OSU Mansfield will wrap up its season with an abridgment and adaptation of Antigone, a Greek tragedy with a timeless message.
After the death of her brothers during a civil war, Antigone discovers that her uncle, the king, decreed one brother to be a traitor. The designation means that her brother will not receive a proper burial and thus would not have rest in the afterlife.
Unable to accept her brother’s post-mortem fate, Antigone takes matters into her own hands.
“I think through their story and Sophocles sort of telling of this moral dilemma, a kind of lesson for us that even people that we don’t agree with deserve a certain level of dignity and respect,” Fahey said.
Antigone runs Mar. 31, April 1 and 2 at 7:30 p.m. and April 3 at 2:30 p.m.
Auditions will be Jan. 18 and Jan. 19 in Founders Auditorium.
General information
Auditions as well as production roles are open to students, staff and community members. Production include sound, lights, construction and backstage crew.
Tickets are $8 for general admission and $6 for students, faculty, staff and seniors. Tickets are available by calling 419-755-4045, visiting www.ticketmaster.com or at the onsite box office in Founders Auditorium in the 45 minutes prior to each show.
All shows are held at the campus theater inside Founders Auditorium, attached to Ovalwood Hall.
For more information, contact Fahey at fahey.9@osu.edu or 419-755-4275.
