Ever crave the spotlight or just looking for a chance to get involved on campus? Here is your big chance; this year Sonoma State’s Theater and Dance Department will be featuring the famous musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” the inspiring play, “Blur,” the interdisciplinary Fall Dance Concert and the spine-chilling play, “Ghost Sonata.”
“The Fall Dance Concert will highlight an interdisciplinary project that brings together students and faculty from across disciplines [Theater Arts, Engineering and Biology] to explore soundscapes of SSU’s Nature Preserves,” said Fall Dance Concert Director Kristen Daley.
Most of the production was previously cast in May 2013 with dances choreographed by Daley and Christine Cali including an original music score by Jesse Olsen Bay. This project, known as “The Soundscape Project” was funded by Green Music Center Academic Integration Fund and the Community Foundation of Sonoma County.
The last day for casting was Monday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. where Bay Area Chorographers, Risa Jaroslow and Rogelio Lopez hosted an audition which was open to SSU students only.
“Blur,” written by Melanie Marnich and Directed by Jennifer King, will have auditions beginning on Aug. 27 and again on Aug. 29.
It tells the inspiring story of Dot Di Prima, a girl living with her mother who is diagnosed with a terrible disease causing her to slowly lose her eyesight. In this contemporary piece, Dot’s vision loss inhibits her from her usual day-to-day life causing Dot to adapt to a life of relying on one’s heart rather than eyesight.
“I am most excited about exploring and illuminating Dot’s evolving worldview with the SSU cast and creative team,” said King.
“Ghost Sonata,” was written by famous playwright August Strindberg and will be directed by Judy Navas.
“The show comes complete with vampires and mummies, Ghost Sonata is a mind-blowing masterpiece of modern theater perfect for the Halloween Season,” said Jodie Ellis, public relations and marketing coordinator for the department of theater and dance.
Auditions for this chilling production will take place Aug. 27 and 29 and the show opens on Halloween, including a fun costume contest for the actors and audience members.
“The effects will be a translucent ‘Tim-Burton-like’ phantom world,” said Ellis.
Navas is ecstatic to be directing such a thrilling play. She explained being overjoyed to supply the modern special effect that this play, written in the 1900’s, has always asked for.
“It started the entire trend in movies and theater that are non-realistic in nature,” said Navas.
“Fiddler on the Roof” features music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein. Musical direction will be done by Lynne Morrow and Stage Direction by Adrian Elfenbaum.
“This season is the 50th anniversary of Fiddler on the Roof and we’re excited to present this beloved show and its beautiful music,” said Morrow.
This early twentieth century musical tells the story of a Jewish man, Tevye, living in the small town of Anatevka with his wife and five daughters. Tevye, a stubborn dairyman, hopes to instill Jewish traditionalism into his daughter’s lives while struggling to marry them off to the perfect Jewish gentleman.
Although, his daughters are convinced to prove to their father that love and family come above tradition, introducing Teyve to a new age filled with changing social customs. Meanwhile, the family and the whole town of Anatevka face the harsh Jewish prejudices from Czarist, Russia. “Fiddler on the Roof” will be opening on Feb. 6 and runs to Feb. 16.
“The themes, falling in love, creating new families, thriving against adversity and adapting to a changing world are all relevant to our contemporary times,” said Morrow.
Cast members should be prepared to enroll in three units for fall and spring semester for rehearsal purposes. Theater majors casted in “Fiddler on the Roof” will be given a permission code to enroll in THAR 340 and music majors casted will enroll in MUSIC 340.
Actors casted in “Ghost Sonata” and “Blur” will enroll in THAR 302 and dancers in the Fall Dance Concert will enroll in THAR 301.
So come out, audition and embrace your inner dancer and thespian. For more information about audition and sign ups visit the department website.
