By Dayshza Lino, Staff Reporter
A clever Filipina and two white dudes stumbling over themselves to prove how open-minded they are. A woman who wakes up every morning with her memory erased. Some of the greatest hits in the history of the Toro dance program. Not to mention a sock puppet and the re-opening of the University Theatre in December.
That’s what is in store this fall from the CSUDH Theater and Dance Department, with two plays and one dance performance that combine hilarious entertainment and thought-provoking subject matter.
“Asuncion”: Coming to the Edison Theatre this October is a play by Academy-Award nominated actor Jesse Eisenburg. It follows Edgar, a would-be journalist and Vinny, his former African studies teacher, as they find themselves in an awkward situation when they meet their new Filipina roommate, Asuncion.
Both try to one-up each other in proving just how open-minded they are to their new Filipina arrival. However, in the end, it’s Asuncion who sheds light on Edgar and Vinny’s rather shallow and somewhat spurious behavior and helps them realize that being authentic and genuine is key to breaking cultural barriers.
This cautionary tale of cultural enrichment is directed by Naomi Buckley, who says it “…deals with how young people view politics today.”
Edison Theatre: Oct. 11-19, 8 p.m.; Oct. 12-13, 18 & 20, 2 p.m. $13-$18.
Fuddy Meers: In November, David Lindsay-Abaire’s 1999 play gets the spotlight. It centers around Claire, who deals with a rare form of psychogenic amnesia that erases her memory whenever she falls asleep. She awakens every morning not knowing who she is, or who her family members are. She is kept together by her husband, Richard, described as a rather plain and unremarkable fellow, her pot-smoking 17-year-old son, Kenny, and her mother Gertie, who only speaks gibberish due to a stroke.
Hijinks ensue when a limping, lisping man abducts Claire and convinces her that Richard is planning to kill her. The rest of the show is full of colorful characters, wacky predicaments and a sock puppet. Yes, a sock puppet. The play is directed by Brian Stevens who calls it, “a rainbow of eccentric and funny characters,” and one in which audience members will “…appreciate the unpredictable and unexpected.”
Bill DeLuca of the CSUDH Theater Department also calls it a “humorous” and “farcical” look at a dysfunctional family.
Edison Theatre: Nov. 8-9, 13-15, 8 p.m; Nov. 10, 15-17, 2 p.m. $13-$18.
Renovations: This is a dance concert featuring reconstructed and elevated versions of the CSUDH Dance Department’s finest choreography. Directed and choreographed by Doris Ressl, the concert comes after months of reconstruction and refurbishment in the University Theatre. According to Professor Ressl, “Renovation” will feature reconstructed pieces of choreography from the department’s best dance concerts in honor of the University Theatre undergoing renovations.
Choreography by Amy Allen, Marco A. Carreon, Sarah Cashmore, Jeff Hendrix and Kenneth Walker will be featured, along with guest choreographers Erin Laundry and Dale Merrill.
University Theatre, Dec. 5, 8 p.m.; Dec., 6, 2 & 8 p.m.; Dec. 7, 2 p.m. $13-$18.
