The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh theatre department is celebrating live performance with a wide variety of on-stage experiences in the upcoming season, New Horizons.
Productions planned for the coming year in the Theatre Arts Center include the classic American musical Grease; a performance reading of a new play from UW Oshkosh theatre professor Richard Kalinoski titled My Genius of Humanity; the whimsical play with music and improvisation Peter and the StarCatcher; and the comedy The (One-Act) Play That Goes Wrong.
Season tickets go on sale Sept. 6 and individual show tickets on Oct. 4. Tickets can be purchased at uwosh.edu/theatre/productions.
Jane Purse-Wiedenhoeft, artistic director, chair and theatre professor, said the theme of New Horizons represents all that is ahead this season after two years complicated by the pandemic.
“After the struggle of the past two years, where we succeeded in offering a full slate of theatrical productions, we are looking to the future as bright and full of possibilities,” she said.
Richard Kalinoski
Kalinoski said his new play My Genius of Humanity centers on an Armenian-American family living in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Inspired by the misbegotten journey of well-intentioned Armenian-Americans following World War II, the story examines the struggle of the Davidian family as they voluntarily emigrate to Soviet dominated Armenia in search of the perceived comfort of their ancestral home. The play reveals what “home” means to family and what family must do to remake home.
Purse-Wiedenhoeft said there is nothing like having the in-person experience of a live theatrical performance—it engages students and audiences in creative and critical thinking through the “live laboratory” that is stage production.
“In these times of seeking ways to reconnect with each other, theatre is and always has been a leading force in connecting people and ideas,” she said. “Theatre can be a fabulous distraction from our daily struggles and offers us a chance to escape those struggles and simply have some fun.”
After the regular season of shows, UWO theatre will participate in World Premiere Wisconsin, a state-wide festival celebrating new plays and musicals. More information will be announced in the coming months.
For more information on the season or to purchase tickets, visit the theatre department website or contact boxoffice@uwosh.edu.
Season at a glance
- Grease: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3, 4, 5 and 2 p.m. Nov. 6; high school matinee at 10 a.m. Nov. 4
- My Genius of Humanity: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 2 p.m. Dec. 11
- Peter and the Star Catcher: 7:30 p.m. March 9, 10, 11 and 2 p.m. March 12
- The (One-Act) Play That Goes Wrong: 7:30 p.m. April 27, 28, 29 and 2 p.m. April 30
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