Recent Productions
Learn more about recent productions from the Department of Theatre Arts at Earlham below:
| Fall 2022 | Loves Labours Lost |
| Spring 2022 | Persephone UNCUT |
| Fall 2021 | Tipping the Velvet |
| Spring 2021 | Rotten Illusions Samuel Beckett Shorts |
| Fall 2020 | Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play |
| Spring 2020 | The Book of Will |
| Fall 2019 | Company |
| Spring 2019 | Women Playing Hamlet The Misadventures of Martin Hathaway |
| Fall 2018 | Much Ado About Nothing |
| Spring 2018 | The Importance of Being Earnest Macbeth |
Tipping the Velvet
By Sarah Waters
Adapted by Laura Wade
Fall 2021
Victorian Drag Kings and Lesbians take center stage in the misadventures of Nancy Astley, an oyster girl who falls in love with a male impersonator. When the affair ends badly Nan is left alone in the big city to discover who she really is and how she wants to live her life. This sexually explicit adaptation of the novel reveals Nancy’s story through an interactive music hall setting that incorporates audience sing-alongs, interpretive dance, puppets, and social commentary.
ROTTEN ILLUSIONS
By Brianna Miller
Spring 2021
The premiere production of senior Brianna Miller’s award-winning play, Rotten Illusions, is a story about love, accountability, and second chances. The dark comedy tells the tale of an aspiring law student, his brother (an aspiring magician), and the magician’s assistant who has spent multiple lifetimes searching for her goddess girlfriend. As circumstances lead to questions about whether magic exists, this unlikely trio works together to avoid a doomed fate and realize that, if something as far-fetched as reincarnation is real, maybe redemption can be too.
Samuel Beckett Shorts
By Samuel Beckett
Spring 2021
In these absurd times, Samuel Beckett’s plays seem more relevant than ever. This thirty-minute collection of minimalist plays is about the times we live in. The times before us. The times after us. Our personal relationships and our interconnectedness with the rest of the world. The beauty of these short plays is that they can mean just about whatever you want them to. Join us for an evening full of questions, laughter, and maybe even an answer or two.
MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY
By Anne Washburn
Fall 2020
In the wake of a nuclear apocalypse, six acquaintances bond around the campfire as they recall the “Cape Feare” episode of The Simpsons. This storytelling appears to be a form of escapism but proves to be a way of survival seven years later when the same group has formed a theatre troupe, producing live versions of Simpsons reruns to make a living in their tumultuous environment. 75 years after this, a future post-apocalyptic society retells the “Cape Feare” episode, which has now become an operatic hero’s journey that echoes the anecdotes and hopes of past generations. Anne Washburn’s dark comedy begs the question: How do we move forward?
THE BOOK OF WILL
By Lauren Gunderson
Spring 2020
After the death of their friend and mentor, William Shakespeare, actors Henry Condell and John Heminges are determined to compile the First Folio. With the help of their families and unlikely friendships, they fight to preserve the words that shaped their lives. THE BOOK OF WILL is a true story of love, loss, and legacy.
COMPANY
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by George Furth
Fall 2019
It’s Bobby’s 35th birthday and she has so much to wish for–if she could just make one. With expectations higher than the Empire State Building and a sea of married friends wondering when she will finally decide to settle down, Bobby feels more lost than ever. In a city as large and diverse as New York, there must be someone, anyone, who Bobby would want to share her life with…right? This 1970’s Sondheim musical delves into the complexities of relationships, societal expectations, and self-worth.Located in the Athletic and Wellness Center, the Solomon Climbing Wall was constructed in memory of Ethan Solomon in 1999. It is an Eldorado Walls design and includes sculpted holds and faces, bolted lead climbs and a natural crack climb. Each semester 10-14 climbs of varying difficulty are set, ranging from beginner to advanced.
WOMEN PLAYING HAMLET
By William Missouri Downs
Spring 2019
Hamlet is a challenging role for any actor, but when Jessica is cast in a New York production, it sends her into an existential tailspin. It doesn’t help that everyone tells her she’s too young for the role. And too female. The play follows Jessica as the figures out how to act through “to be or not to be” and as she figures out herself.
THE MISADVENTURES OF MARTIN HATHAWAY
Adapted by Lynne Perkins Socey from the novel by Kathryn Clare Glen
Spring 2019 and Tour to 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Scotland
The play The Misadventures of Martin Hathaway is an adaptation of local author Katy Glen’s novel: The Misadventures of Martin Hathaway. The story follows Martin, a very average man, who falls through a portal that transports him to a very not-average place. There he meets the crew of the A.S. Nephthys including the gentle and caring medic Melody, the intelligent and sarcastic second in command Basil, and the kick-butt caption Daisy Macnamara. While Martin looks for a way home, he is brought along on new adventures with the crew and discovers that home may not be so far after all.
To learn more about the development of The Misadventures of Martin Hathaway, check out their website!
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
By William Shakespeare
Fall 2018
When Don Pedro’s newly victorious war band arrives at Leonata’s home, there’s cause for celebration. But a masquerade ball quickly turns into a wedding and then a funeral. The Bard’s witty comedy explores betrayal, deceit, confusion, and comradery, turning each over its knuckles like a trick coin.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
By Oscar Wilde
Spring 2018
To avoid various social responsibilities, Jack Worthing has invented an irresponsible younger brother named Earnest. The story follows Jack as his two sides begin to get him into trouble, as Earnest is well loved, but has never existed. Will he learn the importance of being Earnest?
MACBETH
By William Shakespeare
Spring 2018
A twist on the Shakespeare classic play following the loyal Macbeth as he discovers his downfall of greed and ambition after hearing a prophecy about gaining power. Instead of a man, Macbeth is a woman, the Lieutenant Mayor of a small southern town, and dreaming of taking over the mayorship when Mayor Duncan decides to run for Governor. Through mystical interference from a trio of witches you watch her life fall apart before her very eyes.