The CSU Theatre and Dance program takes on modern choreography, possession, angels and marsupials

CLEVELAND, OH (May 16, 2014) – Cleveland State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance, a Resident Company of PlayhouseSquare, announces its 2014-2015 season, its third full season in the Allen Theatre complex. The works chosen reflect the strong breadth of talent and diversity of subject matter represented by the Department.

Most regular shows run Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for Theatre and Dance productions by calling the PlayhouseSquare Box Office at 216-241-6000, visiting online at www.playhousesquare.org, or buying in person at the State Theatre Ticket Office, located at 1519 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115.

To begin the season, Dance makes its way onto the stage with GroundWorks DanceTheater. As the resident professional dance company of the CSU Department of Theatre and Dance, GroundWorks DanceTheater returns to the Allen Theatre under the artistic direction of David Shimotakahara.

The Theatre season opens with the haunting thriller, The Dybbuk. Written by S. Ansky and directed by Dr. Michael Mauldin, The Dybbuk tells the terrifying tale of a young bride possessed by a dybbuk —a malicious possessing spirit, believed to be the dislocated soul of a person  taken before their time— on the eve of her wedding. This production is dedicated to the memory of our friend, Reuben Silver, a Cleveland theater legend and one of the founders of the CSU Dramatic Arts program.

The second theatre offering is Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches. Directed by Russ Borski, this epic drama of America in the 1980s focuses on the stories of two troubled couples, one gay, one straight. Their stories become intertwined and the tale turns into what the New York Times has called "A vast, miraculous play.... provocative, witty and deeply upsetting.... a searching and radical rethinking of American political drama."- Frank Rich.

The Dance Program returns in the spring with its popular Spring Dance Concert. Featuring CSU Dance Company, faculty, staff, musicians and guest artists, this repertory concert includes an eclectic evening of contemporary choreography.

The final theatre production of the season is Tale of a West Texas Marsupial Girl, written by Lisa D’Amour. Directed by Holly Holsinger, with music and story consultation by Sxip Shirey, this Plays for Young Audiences piece is a musical that explores the themes of acceptance and “fitting in.” This girl is approximately 95-percent girl and about 5-percent marsupial. In other words, she’s got a pouch. It might seem that a built-in pocket would come in handy, but it doesn’t always work that way.

October 24 – 25, 2014
GroundWorks Dance Theater
Allen Theatre Mainstage
Artistic Director David Shimotakahara

November 6 – 16, 2014
The Dybbuk
Allen Theatre Mainstage
Directed by Dr. Michael Mauldin
Written by S. Ansky

February 26 – March 8, 2015
Angels in America Part 1: Millennium Approaches
Outcalt Theatre
Directed by Russ Borski
Written by Tony Kushner

March 26 – 28, 2015
CSU Spring Dance Concert 2015
Outcalt Theatre
Directed by Lynn Deering

April 16 – 26, 2015
Tale of a West Texas Marsupial Girl
The Helen Rosenfeld Lewis Bialosky Lab Theatre
Directed by Holly Holsinger
Written by Lisa D’Amour

Most regular shows run Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased for Theatre and Dance productions by calling the PlayhouseSquare Ticket Office at 216-241-6000, visiting online at www.playhousesquare.org, or buying in person at the State Theatre Ticket Office, located at 1519 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115.