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2005-06 Season

Big Love
by Charles L. Mee
directed by Gray Simons
October 20-30, 2005
Laurie Theater

Iconoclastic playwright Charles L. Mee confronts the nature of love and equality in this philosophical comedy with a decidedly physical edge. A contemporary adaptation of Aeschylus' The Suppliant Women, "Big Love" pits men against women in a wild romp where animal instincts come face-to-face with society's strict demand for marital order.

The Two Orphans
World premiere musical by Theresa Rebeck, M.A.'83, M.F.A.'86, Ph.D. '89
Music by Kim D. Sherman and Lyrics by Theresa Rebeck and John Sheehy, M.F.A. '89
Directed by Dennis Garnhum
December 1-11, 2005
Mainstage Theater

Adapted from the 19th century melodrama of the same title, The Two Orphans traces the story of two African American sisters who struggle with survival in a hostile world in the aftermath of the Civil War and their recent liberation from slavery. The atmosphere of Reconstruction New Orleans is evoked by a rich variety of music drawn from the traditional songs as well as the original musical melodies and rhythms of the American south.

Made possible with generous support from the Robin, Barbara and Malcolm L. Sherman Endowment for the Performing Arts.

The Suicide - A Comedy
by Nikolai Erdman, in a new translation and adaptation by Brandeis Russian literature Professor David Powelstock
Directed by Dmitry Troyanovsky
February 9-19, 2006
Laurie Theater

An unemployed man contemplates suicide but is besieged by spokespeople of discontented groups, from butchers to intellectuals, who want to turn his suicide into a gesture on their behalf. This brilliant Soviet-era satire is a classic of the Russian theater.

Things Beyond Our Control
by Jesse Kellerman, M.F.A. '03
Directed by Palu Melone
March 16- 26, 2006 Laurie Theater

Lives intersect in strange and unpredictable ways in this award winning drama (Princess Grace Foundation Playwriting Award) by Brandeis alumnus Jesse Kellerman. On a rainy night, a man on a bike is struck by a taxi cab and so begins a startling chain of events that transforms the lives of seven strangers.

The Bacchae
By Euripides
Adapted and directed by Eric Hill, chair, theater arts department
Original music by Grammy-nominated composer David Rakowski, Brandeis University faculty member
April 27-May 7, 2006

Outdoors/Laurie Theater
When cultural conservatism meets the inevitability of change, human affairs go out of control in this primal play from the ancient Greek theater. Adapted and directed by Eric Hill, this production of Euripides’ classic confrontation the between human and divine authority features original musical score by Brandeis Music Professor David Rakowski. Performed outdoors adjacent to the Spingold Center.

Presented in cooperation with the Classics and Music departments. Made possible through generous support from Ann '56 and Clive Cummis and the Poses Foundation.