Colorado State University’s theatre program will kick off the 2015 spring season with its second annual Freshman Showcase Project Feb. 13, 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre at the University Center for the Arts, located at 1400 Remington St.
This year’s project, Parodies and Pairs O’ Boxes, is a compilation of five short plays from well-known contemporary playwrights.
The all-freshman production, designed to both poke fun at and serve as an homage to recent CSU theatre productions, boasts a purposefully simplistic set designed for audience members to add in their own imaginations during the performance.
“This is a way for our 17 first-year theatre students to solidify themselves in our program,” said CSU Professor Laura Jones, director of the project. “They get to work on something that is completely theirs.”
This production includes parodies of recent CSU productions, including A Year With Frog and Toad, The Glass Menagerie and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: Abridged. With this eclectic mashup, Jones said the production will likely appeal to all kinds of people who want to come out and enjoy a unique theatrical experience.
“These shows are relevant even to those who haven’t seen the CSU productions,” said Jones. “These are classic comedic situations that anyone who is immersed in popular culture will understand and connect with.”
About Laura Jones
Laura Jones is a graduate of Northwestern University who received a master’s degree from the University of Illinois and a doctorate from the University of Denver. Jones teaches acting, directing and theatre history; the primary focus of her research is 20th-century performance theory and criticism. She has a special interest in works by and about women. Jones’ three decades of directorial credits have ranged from Shakespeare to Arthur Miller and Moliere to Neil Simon.
Free tickets
Admission is free, but tickets are recommended due to limited seating. Tickets are available at the University Center for the Arts ticket office in the UCA lobby Monday through Friday, 3:30–5:30 p.m. and 60 minutes prior to performances, by phone at 970-491-ARTS (2787), or online. Youth tickets must be reserved in person at the ticket office.
