Programs take on political satire, cruel intentions, tragedies of the heart and a whirlwind of dance

CLEVELAND (Wednesday, June 3, 2015) – Cleveland State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance, a Resident Company of Playhouse Square, announces its 2015-16 season, its fourth full season in the Allen Theatre complex.

Most regular shows run Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are available by calling 216.241.6000, visiting playhousesquare.org, or at the State Theatre Ticket Office, located at 1519 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland.

Dance begins the season with GroundWorks DanceTheater, running October 16-17 on the Allen Theatre Mainstage. As the resident professional dance company of the CSU Department of Theatre and Dance, GroundWorks returns under the artistic direction of David Shimotakahara.

The Theatre season opens Nov. 5-15 in the Helen Rosenfeld Lewis Bialosky Lab Theatre with Ubu Roi, written by French symbolist writer Alfred Jarry and directed by Dr. Michael Mauldin. An excessive political caricature, Ubu Roi ranks as one of most original and powerful burlesques of all time and deals with the cruelty of despots and the stupidity of the human condition. The character Ubu Roi is actually based on one of Jarry’s schoolteachers.

The second Theatre offering is Dangerous Liaisons (Les Liaisons Dangereuses), presented February 25 through March 6 in the Outcalt Theatre. This tale of seduction is set among the aristocrats of France before the French Revolution. Written by Christopher Hampton and directed by Russ Borski, this classic drama of morality and decadent sexuality is played as an ultimate game of manipulation with tragic results. The Royal Shakespeare Company's stunning production was met with acclaim in Stratford, London and on Broadway. The film version starred Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer.

The Dance Program returns to the Allen Theatre Mainstage with its popular annual CSU Spring Dance Concert, March 25-26. Featuring CSU Dance Company, faculty, staff, musicians and guest artists, this repertory concert, directed by Lynn Deering, includes an eclectic evening of contemporary and traditional choreography.

Running April 7-17 in the Helen Rosenfeld Lewis Bialosky Lab Theatre, the final Theatre production of the season is Federico Garc??a Lorca’s passionate tragedy Blood Wedding. Told through a magical and poetic lens, The Mother has lost all of her menfolk in feuds with the Felix family, except for her youngest son, The Bridegroom. She arranges a wedding with The Bride, who is loved by young, already-married Leonardo Felix. Felix and The Bride run away to be guided by The Beggar Woman (Death) and The Moon (A Young Woodcutter). Directed by Holly Holsinger, this tale of desire, love and rebellion erupts into an explosive end.