Alma College Theatre Presents "The Good Doctor"
The final theatre production of the 2008-09 season at Alma College offers students an opportunity to explore and grow as actors while offering an entertaining and lively show for the audience.
“The Good Doctor is a teaching show,” says director Ashley Swatzke. “The students are playing two-to-four characters each, allowing them to try out things they wouldn’t normally do.”
Alma College Theatre presents The Good Doctor by Neil Simon at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 2 through Saturday, April 4 and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 5 in the Remick Heritage Center’s Strosacker Theatre. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 62 and up, and free for Alma College staff, students and youth 18 and under. Seating is reserved. Call (989) 463-7304 for ticket information.
The Good Doctor is sure to amuse audiences as the cast switches between roles and scenes in a series of short sketches, says Swatzke. The scenes offer a look at 19th century Russia that was first captured by Anton Chekhov for magazines.
“The longest scene runs about 20 minutes in the two-hour show,” says Swatzke. “Combined with a non traditional plot line, the show will be similar in style to the one-act plays that the students put on in the fall. The scenes in The Good Doctor, however, are tied together in the telling of the characters’ unfortunate circumstances through humor.”
Much of the story is told through lighting and costumes used to convey a specific time or place, says Swatzke.
The production’s simple set adds to the effect of the story, allowing students working behind the scenes to become an integral part of the storytelling process. Ruth Nardecchia, a senior lighting designer, and Suset Bebelagua, a freshman in costume design, are just two of the students whose back stage work brightens the stage.
“Working on this production has helped students both expand their knowledge of their medium and bring it into the artistic realm,” she says. “The show has been a great learning experience for all involved.”
-svb-
Posted: Mon, March 30th, 2009 at 10:25AM
