The Arizona Repertory Theatre, housed within the School of Theatre, Film and Television, presents a varied slate of offerings this semester at the UA for those more inclined toward the dramatic arts.
The first offering of the season, which starts this weekend, called “The Voice of the Prairie.” A folk play set between 1895 and 1923, it highlights radio at the turn of the century.
The Daily Wildcat picks out three other programs on the schedule, all of which are likely to please theater nuts over the next several months.
“Hay Fever,” a comedy involving eccentric family members, situational drama between strange characters and imaginary reactions to impossible happenings, highlights the comedic offerings of the theater. First produced in 1925, this one’s an oldie, but with so much self-centered dialogue and ridiculous behavior, “Hay Fever” promises to jump the multigenerational gap and bring a laugh or several with it.
One of Shakespeare’s less popular but still significant plays, “Julius Caesar,” shows in the Marroney Theatre from February to March. “Julius Caesar” focuses on the story of the eponymous character’s pursuit of power, as well as the drama surrounding everyone in his world. A political thriller at heart, it wins bonus points for being one of the more understandable examples of iambic pentameter as well as spawning one of the most recognizable lines of betrayal ever: “Et tu, Brute?” If you’ve never seen Shakespeare at work, you owe it to yourself to take the day off and go see “Julius Caesar.”
If you’re a sucker for heartwarming stories about half-creature, half-person abominations trying to carve their own place in an increasingly complicated world, “Bat Boy: The Musical” begs you to visit in April. Ripped straight from the headlines of 1992 issues of “The Weekly World News.” The musical tells the tale of a literal “Bat Boy” trying to find love and acceptance. Adult themes and violence are present, so avoid bringing the little ones, but if you’re looking for a good mixture of drama and laughs to ease the tension, “Bat Boy” reigns over them all (or at least Arizona Repertory Theatre’s offerings for the semester).
