CSUSB Theatre Announces its 2014-2015 Season of Plays

The Cal State San Bernardino Department of Theatre Arts’ 2014-2015 season will be one of Destiny, Defiance, and Desire – and it will have something for everyone, from the classics to modern, contemporary pieces. Just in time for Halloween, the CSUSB Theatre Arts Department kicks off its 2014-2015 season on Oct. 30 with “Grimm Tales,” a family-friendly event for children of all ages. This intimate Black Box performance explores the colorful world of the Brothers Grimm, with fresh takes on characters such as Snow White, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin and more. Adapted for the stage by CSUSB lecturer Carol Damgen, “Grimm Tales” will bring a few spooky thrills and chills to keep you on the edge of your seat. “Grimm Tales” will run from Oct. 30-Nov. 2, and is a bonus show, not a part of the regular season. “The Three Musketeers” opens on Nov. 14. Written by Ken Ludwig, the play is adapted from the classic 19th century novel by Alexander Dumas and directed by Tom Provenzano. The performance follows young d’Artangnan as he begins his quest to become a Musketeer. He quickly befriends the legendary Three Musketeers – Athos, Porthos and Aramis – and they set out on an adventure to free King Louis XIII from the influence of the evil Cardinal Richelieu and the conniving Milady. But much to d’Artangnan’s dismay, his younger sister tags along and joins in on the adventure. This epic, family-friendly play is wrought with adventure and intrigue. With nine performances in the round from Nov. 14-23, “The Three Musketeers” will have audiences shouting: “All for one, and one for all!” On Jan. 23, 2015, the university will present “Black Butterfly, Jaguar Girl, Piñata Woman and Other Superhero Girls, Like Me” by Luis Alfaro, directed by Johanna Smith. “Black Butterfly” explores the complicated world of five girls growing up in East L.A. The play is based on their writing from the seventh grade through high school, expertly put together into a series of poems, monologues, music and dramatic scenes filled with adolescent angst, humor, American slang, Spanish and Spanglish. With moments that are both gleeful and gloomy, “Black Butterfly” will take you on a trip through the teenage psyche. This special event performance will run three days only, Jan. 23- 25, with a matinee showing at 2 p.m., and a performance at 7 p.m. each day. From March 13-22, the Theatre Arts Department chair Terry Donovan Smith will direct “The Family of Mann,” by Theresa Rebeck. “It’s a Mann’s world” is a fact that Belinda quickly realizes when she scores her dream job as the writer of an upcoming sitcom starring Hollywood royalty. But once the pressures of working in an ego-driven, testosterone-filled writers’ room sets in, reality shifts, and the truth behind the “City of Angels” begins to reveal itself to her. Or … it could be that she’s just losing her mind. This production features language and themes of an adult nature, and is not intended for young audiences. In June, the CSUSB main stage season wraps up with the musical “Once on this Island,” by Lynn Ahrens, with music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. It is based on “My Love, My love” by Rosa Guy. “Once on this Island” is the musical love story of two island people brought together and torn apart by fortune and destiny. Ti Moune, a peasant girl, rescues and falls in love with Daniel, a wealthy boy from the other side of the island. When she returns with Daniel to his family, the gods who rule the island lead Ti Moune on a journey that tests the power of her love against the forces of prejudice and hatred. “Once on this Island” will run for nine performances from June 5-14. Individual and season tickets can be purchased from the CSUSB Theatre Arts Box Office, by phone at (909) 537-5884, or online at theatre.csusb.edu. Subscriptions range from $20 to $50, with individual tickets at $6 for students and children under 17; $12 for faculty, staff, seniors and military; $15 for adults. Performances take place in the Ronald E. Barnes Theatre on the CSUSB campus. Parking at CSUSB is $5, but is available for free with a 2014-2015 theatre arts season subscription.