LOS ANGELES: The University of California—Los Angeles School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT) has announced its 2016-17 season, featuring a new play festival and seven productions.
“A compelling new season is coming to UCLA TFT,” said department of theatre chair Brian Kite in a statement. “The depth and artistry of our faculty, guest artists, and students is inspiring. From classic works to thrilling musicals to the inventive stories of our playwrights, it’s going to be a season that is certain to electrify audiences.”
The season will begin with the New Play Festival 2016 (Nov. 3-5), featuring a series of four plays written by MFA students.
Next will be Chekhov’s Three Sisters (Nov. 4-12), about a family longing to leave their provincial town to return to Moscow.
Following will be Our Country’s Good (Nov. 30-Dec. 3), by Timberlake Wertenbaker, about the issues of power and class midst the colonization of Australia. Monica Payne will direct.
The season will continue with Cendrillon (Feb. 17-26, 2017), presented in collaboration with Opera UCLA, UCLA Philharmonia, and the UCLA Herb Albert School of Music. The opera will feature music by Jules Massenet, a libretto by Henri Cain, and choreography by Kevin Williamson. Christopher Ocasek will conduct, and Peter Kazaras will direct. The opera, which will be performed in French with English subtitles, is a new take on the classic Cinderella tale.
Next will be Euripides’s Helen (March 9-18, 2017), a myth taking place in the aftermath of the Trojan War. Michael Hackett will direct.
Following will be Jose Rivera’s Sonnets for an Old Century, a collection of monologues about sunsets, lovemaking, and hallucinatory visions. Angela Lopez will direct.
Next up will be Aaron Posner’s Stupid F#@king Bird (April 21-29, 2017), a loose adaption of Chekhov’s The Seagull¸ which follows a young director and young actor who rage against an older generation of artists.
The mainstage season will conclude with Carrie the Musical (June 2-10, 2017), with a book by Lawrence D. Cohen, lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and music by Michael Gore, about an awkward teenager who uses her telekinetic powers to get revenge on the bullies at school. Lee Martino will choreograph, Dal Belzer will music direct, and Nick Degruccio will direct.
