Old Lyric sets summer schedule
The Old Lyric Repertory Company, a program of Utah State University, begins its 41st season of theatrical performances, Thursday, June 14, at the Caine Lyric Theatre in downtown Logan. The season’s opening production is “Cash on Delivery,” directed by OLRC founder W. Vosco Call. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m.
The OLRC was ranked second in “Salt Lake” magazine’s April 2007 article “25 things we love about northern Utah” for its rotation of four plays of various genres.
This season, the OLRC will present “Cash on Delivery,” “Member of the Wedding,” “The Spitfire Grill” and “Picnic.”
“These plays represent real people in poignant situations,” said Colin Johnson, producer and artistic director for the company. “They are plays full of humor and humanity.”
Kris Bushman, OLRC’s stage manager, said the season promises to be exciting thanks to the many guest directors and company members.
“We bring people from all over the nation so Cache Valley can see a different quality of performance without leaving the valley,” she said. “This year’s 62 company members come from places that include Milwaukee, Kentucky and Idaho.”
The plays included this season move in a slightly different direction from previous years, Johnson said.
“The season includes plays where characters are working through conflicts that are a little more substantial,” he said. “Even so, they are entertaining and humorous – they celebrate the human spirit.”
“Cash on Delivery,” the season opener, is by Michael Cooney and is a revival of one of the OLRC’s most popular farces ever. The production includes two company members from the original 1999 season cast. The play features a besotted government inspector, a befuddled undertaker, a comatose hospital porter, a bewildered counselor and a hysterical girlfriend, who encounter accidents of coincidence and near misses. Misrepresentations are created, leading to so many lies it is impossible to sort truth from fiction.
“This makes for hilarious entertainment with laugh upon laugh, as characters try to extract themselves from the chaos,” Johnson said.
“Member of the Wedding” is by Carson McCullers, a regional writer associated with the genre identified as “Southern Gothic.” The play is directed by Terence Goodman. Originating from a 1946 novel, the play is about a young tomboy, Frankie Addams, growing up in a world of Southern racial tension at the end of WWII. The play has been described as “one of the most beautiful plays ever to appear on the Broadway stage.”
“The Spitfire Grill,” a musical with lyrics by Fred Alley and music by James Valcq, is directed by Sheri Williams Pannell. Based on a popular independent film, the play is about Percy, a young woman with a difficult past, who moves to a small Wisconsin town to start her life over. Hannah, the proprietor for the grill, takes Percy in against her better judgment. Percy and her co-worker, Shelby, devise a plan to raffle off the old establishment, which is met with resistance but reaps a surprise benefit. Lurking outside the restaurant is a mysterious visitor with secrets of a hidden past.
The director said the music is beautiful.
“The lyrics are so honest and so descriptive,” she said. “‘The Spitfire Grill’ is a story about what can happen to a community through the infusion of unconditional love.”
“Picnic” will be directed by Patrick Sims. Written by William Inge, it is the winner of the 1953 Pulitzer Prize Award for Drama and is a certified classic of the American stage. The play takes place in a small Kansas town where the mother, Flo Owens, is alarmed by the temptations for her daughters, Madge and Millie, when the magnetic Hal Carter comes to town Labor Day weekend. The neighborhood – filled with maturing daughters, spinster schoolteachers and female boarding houses – is disrupted.
The OLRC described “Picnic” as a play about the pain and exhilaration of taking risks. It offers a look at an age of sock hops, hot rods and a traditional “Father Knows Best” family structure.
The OLRC’s evening curtain time is 7:30 p.m., and matinees begin at 2:30 p.m. Tickets for the 2007 season go on sale May 14. Tickets can be purchased at the Caine Lyric Theatre box office, 28 W. Center, Logan, or by phone, (435) 752-1500. Ticket prices range from $8-$18. Group rates and services can be arranged.
In addition to its four main productions, the OLRC will feature two additional shows, including “Shakespeare and Love,” an evening of popular scenes from Shakespeare depicting the past, present and future of loving relationships. The complete production is presented by the Eccles OLRC Apprentice Program, composed of eight high-school-age theater apprentices. The production plays Monday, July 23, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre, located in the Chase Fine Arts Center on the USU campus. Ticket prices for the production are $5 for adults and $3 for children, and can be purchased at the Caine Lyric box office. This production is free to patrons who purchase a Flex-Pass subscription. The Apprentice showcase is made possible by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.
“10 Perfect” is another addition to this year’s season and is a one-man show written and performed by Patrick Sims, director for “Picnic.” The work documents a powerful and true story of African-American heritage.
“It’s a part of history that we don’t really talk about, but need to,” said Sims.
“10 Perfect” will be performed July 9 and 16.
Sims said he is excited to get back into repertory work, where things are more condensed and allow space to focus.
Flex-Passes are available for the 2007 season through June 16. A Flex-Pass provides four full-price tickets for the price of three and admission to the Apprentice Production. The pass provides a 33 percent discount from individually purchased full-price tickets. Flex-Passes range from $24-$54.
Discount tickets are available to USU students with a valid ID. USU students can arrive at the box office 15 minutes prior to curtain and receive half off one student-priced ticket.
Additionally, patrons age 63 and over can receive two-for-one pricing on tickets for Tuesday and Wednesday performances. This offer is not available with other offers or season subscriptions.
USU’s OLRC is supported by grants from the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation, George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at USU, Cache County Council, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Anne Kennedy Roskelley Memorial Endowment.
Utah State University makes the Caine Lyric Theatre available for rental at reasonable rates to Cache Valley community organizations, thanks, in part, to support from the City of Logan.
The OLRC partners with a number of Cache Valley businesses, including Café Ibis, Le Nonne Italian Restaurant, Aggie Ice Cream, Utah Public Radio, Cache Radio Group, Thinker Creative and the Cache Valley Center for the Arts.
For OLRC ticket information, contact Amber LaBau at (435) 752-1500. For general inquiries, contact Jeremy Gordon at (435) 797-1500 or go to www.usu.edu/lyric. The OLRC mailing address is 4035 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4035, or call (435) 797-3046. The Caine Lyric Theatre’s box office is located at 28 W. Center, Logan.