Upcoming theatre productions feature comedies, musicals
March 17, 2018
Student theatre groups Acting Out and NU Stage Musical Theatre Company, or NU Stage, will each present two productions in the following weeks. The performances are free for NU students and vary in price for members of the public.
“Seven Deadly Sins” — Revue by NU Stage
NU Stage chose a grave theme for their revue this year with the production “Seven Deadly Sins.” Revues combine singing, dancing and music under one theme, so the show overall has little or no plot. Each of the cardinal sins — greed, lust, wrath, gluttony, sloth, envy and pride — will be portrayed through an arrangement of musical numbers.
“Usually our revues are a little bit more light-hearted, not really heavy [and] issue-hitting,” said Sebastian Hymson, president of NU Stage and a third-year bioengineering major. “But ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ deals with a lot of what is wrong with humanity and maybe the things we don’t like talking as much about.”
Hymson said the audience will hear a mix of both familiar songs from shows such as “Wicked,” “Cabaret” and “High School Musical,” in addition to songs from lesser-known productions like “35mm.”
Unlike the mainstage performance, NU Stage’s revue shows accept everyone who auditions. Tierney Banco, a third-year media and screen studies and theatre combined major and the show’s director, said this year’s show includes 76 cast members and additional technical crew members, musicians, set designers, choreographers and music directors.
“We didn’t expect to have so many people,” Banco said. “This is the largest cast an NU Stage show has ever had. We were really kind of surprised when we had as many people as we did.”
While Banco directs the entire show, guest directors are each responsible for one musical number. Banco, who started out as a guest director herself, said she’s excited about the increase in involvement. The opportunity to guest direct also provides experience for cast members who may want to direct in the future. Banco also said that while she does work with the guest directors to help achieve their goals and visions, she tries to give them as much independence as possible and that they are free to do most of the decision making.
“It’s been a really interesting experience,” Banco said. “I’ve really enjoyed working on this show and can’t wait to see it come together.”
Shows take place at 8 p.m. March 23 and 24 in Blackman Auditorium. Tickets are free for students on the myNortheastern portal and $10 for general admission.
“Pippin” — Mainstage by NU Stage
NU Stage’s mainstage production this year is “Pippin,” a popular show written in 1972 by Roger O. Hirson. The musical follows a young man, Pippin, in his pursuit of a fulfilling life, said director Scott Bottner, a fourth-year business administration major.
“It’s the story of [Pippin] trying to search for happiness — trying to search for a purpose in life,” Bottner said. “It kind of shows all the different aspects of life that Pippin tries, to get [himself] to be happy but to no avail.”
Bottner said the 26-person cast is on the larger side for a mainstage performance compared to the usual 20-23. He estimates that around 40 people auditioned for the mainstage show his first year with NU Stage; this year over 70 people came out to auditions.
“Narrowing it down was really difficult and we saw so many crazy talented people,” Bottner said. “I really think people are going to be blown away by the talent that they’re going to see.”
Past adaptations by NU Stage like “Heathers: The Musical,” “American Idiot,” and “Godspell” attracted large crowds because of their popularity, said Hymson. He expects around 500 to 600 people to attend the “Pippin” shows.
Bottner also said this year’s production will feature acrobatics and exciting choreography. Since the lead is a former gymnast, the production team was able to create a more dynamic show.
With two American Sign Language (ASL) majors in the cast, Bottner hopes to incorporate their skills into the show.
“‘Pippin’ isn’t so much plot driven, it’s supposed to be a spectacular event,” Hymson said. “The whole point is being extraordinary in excess and the pursuit for a life that isn’t ordinary.”
“Pippin” will be performed in Blackman Auditorium at 8 p.m. April 13 and 15. Tickets are free for students through the myNortheastern portal and $10 for general admission.
“Hard Candy” — One-Act by Acting Out
“Hard Candy” is a comedy by Jonathan Rand. Through a series of interviews, the production showcases how applicants will do anything to land a job.
Acting Out president KC Hut, a third-year behavioral neuroscience major, said the show and directors are a young group. “Hard Candy” will be directed by two first-year students.
“Acting Out functions as both a theatre group and a means of activism, differentiating it from some of the other theatre groups on campus,” said Ishaan Lohia, one of the directors and a first-year physics and math double major.
Lohia also said their shows always include an activism component, where the cast and crew discuss themes of the play with the audience at the end of the performance.
Hut said the group has performed plays that look at hard topics like mental illness and sexual abuse.
“Acting Out is obviously a theatre group, but we are more than that in that we try and promote activism through theatre,” she said. “We generally focus on things that we feel are really relevant.”
Hut said that the group participates in volunteer work by fundraising and building awareness for issues such as domestic abuse and mental health, which were themes in last semester’s mainstage production “A Streetcar Named Desire.”
Hut said this year’s show is a bit lighter. Though the play’s themes might not be as heavy, highlighted concepts like professionalism and workplace stress are important and relevant to Northeastern students involved in the co-op program.
Acting Out will present two shows of “Hard Candy” at 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at AfterHours in Curry Student Center. No tickets are required.
“The Directed” — Mainstage by Acting Out
Acting Out’s mainstage performance features a student-written play, “The Directed.” Jamie Ryan, a first-year media and screen studies major; Aidan Bradley, a second-year electrical engineering major; and Laura Acosta, a third-year history major, co-wrote the play — about a play.
The play focuses on a group of high schoolers producing an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Hut said the themes of Hamlet are woven into the story, which includes many dynamic characters.
“It is an incredible show,” Hut said. “It was written by an incredible writing team and there’s an incredible directorial team working on it as well. I’m so proud of everyone involved.”
Acting Out will perform the show April 6 to April 8 in Behrakis Center with free admission for students. General admission information will be posted approximately two weeks before the show.
Samuel Kim contributed to this article.
Correction: This article was updated on March 19 at 9:58 p.m. to include the correct location of Acting Out’s performance “The Directed.”
