Theatre

BU School of Theatre Announces Fall 2024 Season

From timeless plays, like Julius Caesar, and rarely produced musicals, like The Rink, to BU’s annual Fringe Festival celebrating and amplifying new works, BU School of Theatre’s fall 2024 season promises to entice and inspire audiences.

In November, Studio ONE transforms into ancient Rome with the timeless tragedy of Julius Caesar. For the first time in 40 years, the rarely produced musical, The Rink, will feature newly restored book and orchestrations at BU’s Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre. In December, the School of Theatre and BU Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, present Aurora Borealis: A Festival of Light and Dance. And this is just some of what’s to come this fall at BU School of Theatre!

SCHOOL OF THEATRE FALL 2024 SEASON

September 14-22, 2024
David Copeland Blackbox Theatre • CFA 354
College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave

The School of Theatre New Play Initiative presents public readings of new offerings to the world of theatre. Directed music stand/table readings of the play with a short rehearsal period. Each reading will include a short talk-back at the end with the playwright and the cast.

All tickets are free, general admission at the door.

September 22-28, 2024
Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre • 820 Commonwealth Ave

The School of Theatre New Play Initiative presents a series of Next Stage workshops, scenes, and plays. These Next Stage pieces will be directed by our Undergraduate Directors and will flower as the next step in the fruition of these new plays by BU students.

The nature of the presentation and the work is determined by the needs of the play. Curated by Kirsten Greenidge, this “on-its-feet” workshop or play experience focuses on different areas of the writing or specific parts of a project in the process of development.

All tickets are free, general admission at the door.

Manspread by Ava Laroche (CFA’25)

Sunday, September 22 • 5pm

Pyrrhic Victory by Alexa Connors (CFA’26, CAS’26)

Saturday, September 28 • 3pm

Llorona, or The Weeping Women by Gaby Tovar (CFA’25)

Saturday, September 28 • 7pm

October 4-6, 2024
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave

By S. Thomasin Barsotti
Directed by Taylor Stark (CFA’25)

Some time after a personal tragedy, Coye and Whit retreat to a lakeside cottage to rest and recover. There, what begins as a benign vacation morphs into a nightmare as they begin to obsess over strange entries in the cottage’s guestbook–entries that describe their emotional experiences; entries that detail their actual grief; and even entries that appear to have been written by them. As they begin to lose themselves in the narratives of the book and confuse their own stories with those they are reading, they are tossed into a whirlpool of the uncanny in which identities shatter, memories change, and the darkness of the past threatens to swallow the future. Before they can leave this place, they must confront how well they really know each other, and whether they will ever find each other again.

The Boston University Fringe Festival, is a collaboration between the College of Fine Arts School of Music: Opera Institute and School of Theatre. The festival’s mission is to produce new or rarely performed significant works in the opera and theatre repertoire, bringing performances and audiences together in unique theatrical settings. For over two decades, Fringe Festival at Boston University has celebrated and amplified new work, shown in spare and minimal productions.

• Friday, October 4 • 7:30pm
• Saturday, October 5 • 2pm & 7:30pm
• Sunday, October 6 • 2pm

General Admission: $20, free with BU ID at the box office 5 minutes before curtain, subject to availability

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October 11-13, 2024
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave

Co-produced with BU Opera Institute

Music by Nico Muhly
Libretto by Stephen Karam
Arranged by Nate Thatcher
Allison Voth • Music Director
Rose Freeman • Stage Director

Dark Sisters follows one woman’s dangerous attempt to escape her life as a member of the FLDS Church (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints), a sect that split from mainstream Mormonism in the early 20th Century largely because of the LDS Church’s renunciation of polygamy. The male founders of the Mormon faith (Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, chief among them) loom large in American history; Dark Sisters puts the women front and center. “Dark Sisters” (Chamber Version) is presented under license from G. Schirmer, Inc. o/b/o Chester Music Ltd./ St. Rose Music Publishing Co., copyright owners.

• Friday, October 11 • 7:30pm
• Saturday, October 12 • 2pm & 7:30pm
• Sunday, October 13 • 2pm

General Admission: $20, free with BU ID at the box office 5 minutes before curtain, subject to availability

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October 19-20, 2024
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave

Co-produced with BU Opera Institute

Opera in 1 Act composed by Jonathan Dove
Libretto by Gordon Honeycombe and Nick Dear
William Lumpkin • Conductor
Matthew Larson, Coach & Music Preparation
Claire Choquette • Stage Director

Siren Song is a bizarre, true story. A young sailor on HMS Ark Royal exchanges letters with a beautiful and successful model. Over time a romantic and passionate relationship develops, but a meeting proves increasingly difficult to arrange…

• Saturday, October 19 • 2pm & 7:30pm
• Sunday, October 20 • 2pm & 7:30pm

Presented under license by Peters Edition Limited, copyright owners. General Admission: $20, free with BU ID at the box office 5 minutes before curtain, subject to availability.

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November 15-17, 2024
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Grant Sorenson (CFA’25)

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare is a timeless tragedy set in ancient Rome, revolving around the conspiracy and assassination of the titular character, Julius Caesar, by a group of senators led by Brutus and Cassius. The play delves into themes of power, betrayal, ambition, and the consequences of political intrigue. Following Caesar’s death, Rome is plunged into chaos as the conspirators grapple with their actions and their aftermath. Mark Antony, Caesar’s loyal friend, delivers a stirring funeral oration that ignites civil war, leading to further tragedy and the demise of many of the play’s central characters. Julius Caesar is renowned for its compelling characters, intricate plot, and profound exploration of human nature and the complexities of leadership.

• Friday, November 15 • 7:30pm
• Saturday, November 16 • 2pm & 7:30pm
• Sunday, November 17 • 2pm

General Admission: $20, free with BU ID at the box office 5 minutes before curtain, subject to availability

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November 16-17, 2024
“Jewels 1” Julian Ethel Leilani Miller Studio Theatre • CFA 352
College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave

By Joy Wilkinson
Directed by Sarah Shin

London, 1869 Four very different Victorian women are drawn into the dark underground world of female boxing by the eccentric Professor Sharp. Controlled by men and constrained by corsets, each finds an unexpected freedom in the boxing ring. As their lives begin to intertwine, their journey takes us through grand drawing rooms, bustling theatres and rowdy Southwark pubs, where the women fight inequality as well as each other. But with the final showdown approaching, only one can become the Lady Boxing Champion of the World. An epic tale of passion, politics and pugilism.

All tickets are free, general admission at the door.

November 22-December 8, 2024
Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre • 820 Commonwealth Ave

Book by Terrence McNally
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Directed by Gregg Wiggans (CFA’25)

This innovative musical is set in a sort of Coney Island of the mind, on the ragged fringe of the New York show-biz world. Anna Antonelli’s roller rink is about to be demolished, and with it Anna’s sour memories of her Lothario of a husband and her painfully shy daughter Angel. The rink becomes an arena in which mother and daughter examine their past, present and future. Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera originated the roles of Angel and Anna on Broadway.

• Friday, November 22 • 7:30pm
• Saturday, November 23 • 7:30pm
• Sunday, November 24 • 2pm
• Thursday, December 5 • 7:30pm
• Friday, December 6 • 7:30pm
• Saturday, December 7 • 2pm & 7:30pm
• Sunday, December 8 • 2pm

General Admission: $20, free with BU ID at the box office 5 minutes before curtain, subject to availability

purchase tickets

November 24-26, 2024
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave

By Caryl Churchill
Directed by Carla Mirabel Rodriguez

The Skriker by Caryl Churchill is a dark and surreal play that blends elements of folklore, mythology, and contemporary urban life. The story follows an ancient and malevolent fairy creature known as the Skriker, who takes on various guises as she haunts two young women named Lily and Josie. The Skriker’s motives are mysterious and sinister as she manipulates and torments the women, weaving a web of deception and chaos around them. Set in a modern, dystopian world, the play explores themes of ecological collapse, psychological trauma, and the erosion of human connection in an increasingly fragmented society. Through its poetic language and eerie atmosphere, The Skriker immerses the audience in a haunting and hallucinatory experience that challenges conventional notions of reality and identity.

All tickets are free, general admission at the door.

December 7-8, 2024
David Copeland Blackbox Theatre • CFA 354
College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave

Facilitated by Patrese McClain

This projects emerges out of the artistic collaboration in the Acting 3 class, and helps to introduce the Sophomore Acting Majors to a rehearsal and performance process.

All tickets are free, general admission at the door.

December 8-10, 2024
Studio ONE • College of Fine Arts, 855 Commonwealth Ave

By David Hirson
Directed by Clay Hopper

La Bête by David Hirson is a comedic play set in 17th-century France, known for its witty dialogue and satirical portrayal of artistic rivalry and intellectual pretension. The story revolves around the clash between two characters: Elomire, a respected playwright and leader of a prestigious theater troupe, and Valere, a crude and bombastic street performer who is appointed by the royal court to join Elomire’s company. The play explores themes of artistic integrity, the clash between high and low culture, and the nature of creativity. Through a series of hilarious and thought-provoking exchanges, La Bête challenges the audience to consider the value of tradition, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence in the arts.

All tickets are free, general admission at the door.

December 2024
Boston University Dance Theatre
Fitness & Recreation Center • 915 Commonwealth Ave

In collaboration with the BU Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance

Artistic Co-Directors: Yo-El Cassell and Micki Taylor-Pinney

Aurora Borealis: A Festival of Light and Dance is a vibrant exploration of the relationship between light and form with a focus on collaboration and experimentation, featuring multiple dance and movement pieces.

All tickets are free, general admission at the door.