CSU Announces 2023-2024 Theatre & Dance Season

The lineup features a mix of offerings

CLEVELAND, OH (July 31, 2023) – The Cleveland State University Department of Theatre and Dance will enter its 12th full season as a resident company of Playhouse Square with a lineup of musical puppets, powerful women, introspective comedy, and a variety of dance.

Dance begins the season with performances by GROUNDWORKS DANCETHEATER, running October 13 - 14, 2023 on the Allen Theatre Mainstage. As the resident professional dance company of the CSU Department of Theatre and Dance, GROUNDWORKS DANCETHEATER returns under the artistic direction of David Shimotakahara.

The theatre season opens this Fall on the Allen Theatre Mainstage with the irreverent puppet musical, AVENUE Q. Playing on the Allen Theatre mainstage November 2 - 12, 2023, this Winner of the Tony "Triple Crown" for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, AVENUE Q is part flesh, part felt and packed with heart.

The laugh-out-loud musical tells the timeless story of a recent college grad named Princeton, who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. He soon discovers that, although the residents seem nice, it's clear that this is not your ordinary neighborhood. Together, Princeton and his new-found friends struggle to find jobs, dates and their ever-elusive purpose in life.

Although the show addresses humorous adult issues, AVENUE Q is similar to a beloved children's show; a place where puppets are friends, Monsters are good and life lessons are learned. Music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and book by Jeff Whitty. Directed by Russ Borski. Suggested for ages 16+ due to mature themes.

The second Fall theatre production is the CSU DEVISED THEATRE WORKSHOP PRODUCTION*. Featuring work by our Fall 2023 Devised Theatre Workshop class, students will present an original piece created during the semester culminating in their final performances on November 30 - December 2, 2023. The show will take place in our intimate Black Box Theatre in the 13^th Street Building (CSU Arts Campus) and is led by instructor Toby Vera Bercovici.

The first show of the Spring semester is a celebration of women with ANCESTRA, an original production created by Theatre and Dance Department Chair Holly Holsinger and Chris Seibert. Running on the Outcalt Theatre Stage February 22 - March 3, 2024, ANCESTRA is inspired by the 1853 National Women’s Rights Convention. The production weaves a historical account of the pioneers for women’s rights with the intimate biography of a contemporary journalism student who writes about reproductive healthcare. When Cora’s methods take an unconventional turn, she is plunged into a crisis through which past and present begin to converge, illuminating a long history of silencing women through intimidation and violence. A sister production of ANCESTRA will perform at Oberlin College in early February 2024.

The season continues with Annie Baker’s THE ALIENS, running April 4 - 14, 2024 in The Helen Rosenfeld Lewis Bialosky Lab Theatre. We meet two angry young men behind a coffee shop who talk music and Bukowski until a lonely high school student arrives and they decide to teach him everything they know. The story is a seemingly quiet study rooted in alienation, and a powerful observation of a lost generation. The play is set in Vermont, as are three of Baker's other plays, Body Awareness, Circle Mirror Transformation, and Nocturama. THE ALIENS premiered Off-Broadway in 2010 and won the Obie Award for Best New American Play, with Baker's Circle Mirror Transformation. Directed by Toby Vera Bercovici.

Featuring the CSU Dance Company, faculty, staff, musicians and guest artists, the CSU Dance Program returns with its popular annual CSU SPRING DANCE CONCERT April 19 - 21, 2024 on the Allen Theatre mainstage. Led by new CSU Director of Dance Michele Ainza, this year’s concert celebrates dance and promises to be a production to remember!

American Sign Language (ASL) Supported Performances

The following designated theatre performances will be presented with American Sign Language support, with ASL interpreters signing in tandem with the live production. $5 tickets for this show are also available using Discount Code “ASL” when ordering.

• Thursday, November 9, 2023 – AVENUE Q
• Thursday, February 29, 2024 - ANCESTRA
• Thursday, April 11, 2024 – THE ALIENS

Ticketing

General show times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 PM, and Sundays at 2:00 PM. On sale August 1, 2023, $5-$20 tickets are available by calling 216.241.6000, visiting playhousesquare.org, or at the State Theatre Ticket Office, located at 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115. Tickets are also available 60 minutes prior to performances at the Allen Theatre Complex. Visit our website at www.csuohio.edu/theatredance for more information.

*CSU DEVISED THEATRE WORKSHOP PRODUCTION ticketing and other information for the CSU Black Box Theatre (CSU Arts Campus) will be available in October at www.csuohio.edu/theatredance.

About Cleveland State University

Founded in 1964, Cleveland State University is a public research institution that provides a dynamic setting for Engaged Learning. With 17,000-plus students, ten colleges and schools and more than 175 academic programs, CSU was again chosen for 2019 as one of America’s best universities by U.S. News & World Report. Find more information at www.csuohio.edu.

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