The Theatre Department’s production season enables students to participate in a broad and deep range of diverse projects – from experimental workshops to highly developed productions. In addition to faculty and guest-directed projects, the department is committed to presenting productions created by students who conceive, write, propose for production, stage manage and direct their work.
- Two main-Stage Productions in the Modern Theatre: a faculty or guest artist directs a classic, contemporary or new play.
- Fall & Spring Showcases: student directed, written and designed one-act plays
- The Spotlight Series: experimental student works-in-progress focus on devised, ensemble and innovative work.
- The April Production: a student written & directed full-length production, alternating with a faculty-directed production.
Additional Opportunities for student involvement
Every year the department generates special projects. For example
- PlayDay: readings of new student-written plays
- Musical Theatre in the Modern: performances of songs by living composers rotate with staged readings of classic musicals
- one state, two state/red state, blue state: a new American musical that asks “Is it still possible to climb the ‘empathy wall’ and reclaim what unites us before we're irreversibly torn apart?”
- Juvenilia: Founding Artistic Director Wesley Savick leads students, alumni and guest professional artists in developing original, urgent and timely new work. In 2019, the Theatre Department collaborated with the National Theatre of Allston to present Ubu Roar, a new adaptation of the play that launched theatre’s Modernist over 120 years ago
- Boston Music Theatre Project (BMTP): From 1987-2014, Founding Artistic Director Marilyn Plotkins developed new musicals of exceptional promise with professionals and students. BMTP remains an important link for our students to dynamic musical theatre artists writing today.
- Professional productions: the Theatre Department collaborate with guest resident companies in the Modern.For example, the Theatre Department collaborated with The Poets’ Theatre in June 2017 to produce One Nation, Indeterminable, a festival of new work written, directed and performed by Suffolk students, alumni and professional guest artists.
“Writing and directing “Re-Evaluationland”, my Senior Honors Project, was challenging, inspiring, and fulfilling. I explored and collaborated with peers in an independent and decisive way. That experience exemplified the Theatre Department’s professional preparation. I came out of that project confident, capable, and eager to create more opportunities for myself. “
Raya Malcolm
- Raya Malcolm '16
Our 2019-2020 Production Season
September 19-21 & 26-28, 2019 Ubu Roar
- Modern Theatre, 525 Washington Street
- Translated and adapted by Brenda Withers from Alfred Jarry’s King Ubu
- Directed by Wesley Savick, Music by Joey Del ’18. Produced by Juvenilia, the department’s professional production initiative for students and alumni with the National Theatre of Allston.
Fall Spotlight performances
- Sullivan Studio Theatre, Sawyer Building, 11th floor
- new student work in development
- 5pm followed by community pizza party.
- October 4:The Experiment by Will Grubb ‘21, directed by Anastasia Bolkwadze ‘21
- Lucifer: "I'm worn out by this ^#%$* job! I'll give my POWERS to that teenager in the cornfield....and enjoy myself."
- November 1: Night Shift written & directed by Nick Cenci ‘19
- A bored night watchman notices an unexpected - unwelcome – occurrence in the video monitor.
- December 6: Doughboy written & directed by Justin Peavey ‘20
- A courtroom drama inspired by a 1920s murder trial.
October 10-13, 2019 Fall Showcase
- Sullivan Studio Theatre, Sawyer Building, 11th floor
- A festival of student-written and directed one-act plays
- Area 51 written & directed by Courtney Langlais ‘20
- Intrepid podcasters venture into the desert to investigate the disappearance of young woman.
- Genre TBD written & directed by Kaleigh Ryan ‘20
- Pushed, pulled – people identify themselves in certain ways. Results are complicated.
- In the Shadows written & directed by Gabriella Quigley ‘19
- Mourning family members search for their love for one another.
November 21-24, 2019 The Seven Deadly Sins
- Modern Theatre, 525 Washington Street
- By Thornton Wilder, directed by Wesley Savick and guest alumni directors. The World Premiere of Wilder’s entire series of one-act plays in The Seven Deadly Sins
February 5-9, 2020 Spring Showcase
- Sullivan Studio Theatre, Sawyer Building, 11th floor
- a festival of student-written and directed one-act plays
- Little Dog written & directed by Olivia Florek ‘21
- Even when self-discovery arrives, it can be hard to admit what we must.
- Flicker written & directed by Ma’chel Martin ‘20
- Forest sounds and a campfire enable two friends to speak honestly - finally.
- Rodéo written & directed by Micaleen Rodgers ‘20
- Dancing, singing, juggling, pickle-eating cowboys cheer up their rodeo bull-rider friend who has been thrown off too many times.
Spring Spotlight performances
- Sullivan Studio Theatre, Sawyer Building, 11th floor
- 5pm followed by community pizza party.
- February 14: Here Comes the Moon written & directed by Alice Byrne ‘20
- …celebrating the life and music of Beatle George Harrison and his struggle with cancer.
- March 20: A Lunatic’s Guide to Dating Narcissists by Grace Rizzuto, directed by Ryan Stack
- Getting close to people is difficult. Wanna know who to stay away from?
- April 10: The Lover by Harold Pinter, directed by Stephanie Coyle ‘20
- An untrusting, unhappy, untruthful (married) couple let it all out.
April 2-5, 2020 Violet
- Modern Theatre, 525 Washington Street
- Music by Jeanine Tesori, libretto by Brian Crawley. Based on the short story "The Ugliest Pilgrim" by Doris Betts. Directed by Guest Artist Maurice Emmanuel Parent.
April 15-18, 2020 Seminar
- Sullivan Studio Theatre, Sawyer Building, 11th floor
- By Theresa Rebeck, directed by Laura Shink
- A writing seminar goes awfully awry.
