Fulton ASIDES
We are excited to offer a new pre-show program called ASIDES.
These 20-minute presentations will feature scholars from various fields of study who will share insights about the current mainstage production (about 10 minutes of a talk followed by a 10-minute question and answer session). The programs will take place in the Fulton's second floor lobby and begin one-half hour before the evening's performance.
These events are free of charge to the public.
Sunset Boulevard
Wednesday, March 28 at 7 p.m.
Hollywood Switcheroo: Sunset Boulevard and the "Has-been" Theme on Screen and Stage.
A short discussion of the challenges of adapting a classic movie into a stage production, and the relevance to both Hollywood and Broadway of the "Has-been/Comeback" tragedy as an archetype.
Presented by Dr. Kevin Pry, Associate Professor of English at Lebanon Valley College
August: Osage County
Wednesday, Map 9 at 7 p.m.
Family's Feud Onstage
From Oedipus in Ancient Greek Drama, to Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill, to the musical Gypsy, dramatists have been peeling back and exposing the raw layers of dysfunction within the family unit. Playwright Tracy Letts brings the quintessence of the Family Feud to the Fulton Stage.
In a brisk "ASIDES" discussion, the presenters will identify some of August: Osage County's parallels with other great dramas, and they will point out some of the themes to follow through this provocative play. Incest, addiction, intervention, love, hate and jealousy are woven into the fabric of the play's Weston family. What can we learn? What can we share? What do we abhor? And what should we observe in ourselves?
Presented by Millersville University Faculty Members, Dr. Dominic T. Ording, (Assistant Professor, English) and Mr. Victor Capecce (Assistant Professor, Communication & Theatre)
Miss Saigon
Wednesday, June 20 at 7 p.m.
ASIAN ECHOES: OUR FASCINATION WITH THE ORIENT AND CROSS-CULTURAL DIFERENCE
Schoenberg and Boublil's Miss Saigon is adapted from Puccini's famous opera, "Madame Butterfly," but this is just one in a long line of musical adaptations reflecting Western fascination with the Orient. Throughout operatic and musical theater history, there have been many productions which showcase the exotic elements of Asian culture as well as the strong attraction for, and the difficulties of, cross-cultural relationships. This ASIDES presentation will highlight some famous shows which explore this idea (such as Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific and The King And I to Verdi's "Aida" to operetta, such as Lehar's "The Land of Smiles" and Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado") while also exploring the more exotic elements of Miss Saigon itself.
Presented by Sarah Daughtrey, D.M., Assistant Professor of Music, Elizabethtown College
