The Sesaon That Was...

2005-2006 was an exciting year in Mansfield.  The Theatre program came under new direction as Joseph Fahey left Case Western Reserve University to come back to OSU and replace the retiring Larry Evans.  The department opened its season with Neil’s Simon’s The Good Doctor.   English professor and playwright Ralph Hunt played the Chekhov-inspired title character to a spirited reception, and the theatre program sponsored short story writing contests for college and high school students that garnered over 170 participants.

The winter offerings included three student-developed works presented in three weeks.  First was William Mastrosimone’s one-act play about school violence, Bang Bang You’re Dead!, directed by education student Cindy Logan.  Second was a staged reading of two short plays confronting domestic violence: Howard Korder’s Girls’ Talk and Dolores by Edward Allan Baker.  These readings and two post show discussions were developed in conjunction with the Richland County Domestic Violence Coalition.  Third was an original musical, Melancholia, written by Mansfield playwright Kristina Elyse Butke and directed by education student Ian Ernsberger.  All three offerings were staged in an intimate, temporary thrust arrangement on the Founders Auditorium stage, advancing the goal of developing a separate small studio theatre space for student-centered and non-traditional work. 

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum closed out the season.  Dr. David Tovey of the Department of Music continued his collaboration with our theatre program, the production reunitied a few members of the last OSU-Mansfield cast of Forum from the 1990s, and the show brought together a talented group of college and high school students as well.  If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact Joseph Fahey at 419 755-4276 or fahey.9@osu.edu.

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