Owens to stage production of Chekhov’s ‘Short Farces’
Written by John Dorsey | | news@toledofreepress.comLive theater is usually no laughing matter; even comedy can be serious business. Just ask the students and faculty at Owens Community College. Their upcoming production of the short farces of famed Russian playwright Anton Chekhov is sure to have you rolling in the aisles. The curtain is set to rise in the Mainstage Theatre on Nov. 15.
“Owens Community College’s Department for Fine and Performing Arts is excited to present such a unique theatrical production, which brings together several short plays filled with very different circumstances,” said Jeremy Meier, Owens assistant professor of fine and performing arts, in a news release. “Attendees of all ages will truly enjoy the characters as performed by the college’s students and community members and the many surprises that take place throughout the production.”
Sarah Wurzinger, John Sweney and Silvester Rodriguez perform a scene from Anton Chekhov’s “The Festivities.”
The production features Sarah Wurzinger, John Sweney, Silvester Rodriguez IV, Matthew Crawford, Melissa Shaffer, Tim Grindle, Rachel Ramlawi, Esteban Vega, Ashley Myatt, Devon Held and Jon Masters. Meier and Dave Nelms are directing.
“Short Farces by Anton Chekhov” details several different short comedies that begin with a relatively normal situation and build into a chaotic adventure of unique circumstances. Among the short comedies in the production are “The Bear,” “The Festivities” and “The Proposal.”
“I first got into Chekhov in college. His work is a major component of the theater classes that we teach here,” Meier said. “It is an amazing example of realism. There is universality to his work. He was writing in very uncertain times both economically and politically, which I think is what makes him so relatable in our current culture. We also chose to produce these pieces in part because they are shorter. We have to look at the talent that we have and be able to break up some of the larger speeches. His farces are really over the top and we can laugh at the indecision of these characters, their stresses and the hilarity of the situations. We are celebrating one of the true masters of writing.”
Show dates and times are Nov. 15-17 at 7:30 p.m. A matinee performance will also occur on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $12 for the general public and $8 for Owens students and employees. All seats are general admission. To purchase tickets, visit www.owens.edu/arts or contact the college’s box office.
For more information, call the Center for Fine and Performing Arts at (567) 661-2787 or 1-800-GO-OWENS, Ext. 2787.
