Collin College announces theatre lineup for 20th anniversary season

by John P. Meyer

Collin College students have been putting on plays for 19 years; some of the student participants have gone on to achieve successful careers in performance media such as television, film, radio and (of course) theater. For instance, Collin College alumnus Michael Urie brought home a Golden Globe for his acting talents in the hit TV series Ugly Betty.

This 20th anniversary season, five plays will be presented starting with Flaming Guns of the Purple Sage (Oct. 11-21), described as a "shoot-'em-up satire." Next (Oct. 16-21) comes columbinus (yes, the title refers to the Columbine High School student shooting), a "haunting docu-drama." The runs of both Flaming Guns and columbinus constitute regional premiere events.

My Three Angels plays from Nov. 29-Dec. 9. This one's a "comedy classic," based on a bit of French merriment called La Cuisine Des Anges, in the native Frenchy tongue. (Which is probably pronounced "La Coo Dee Ahn", if it's anything like the way the names of French-Canadian hockey players are pronounced. You know: "Roy" (Wah), "Satan" (Sha-TAN), etc.)

Spring ushers in a performance of Li'l Abner (suggested by the Al Capp comic strip), running from Feb. 28 - March 9, 2008; and the season closes with Blithe Spirit (April 24 - May 4).

All performances will take place at what used to be known as the Quad C Theatre, a venue that has now been designated the Collin Theatre Center. According to Brad Baker, chair of theatre at Collin College, this constitutes "the start of a new era of theatre in Plano." (Dang, if giving something a new moniker is all it takes to kick off a new era, I'm gonna change my name to... say... "George.") Baker emphasizes the growth that the program has experienced over its two-decade run: "We've grown in terms of numbers of performances, students and faculty and in terms of public perception... Today we are one of the leading theatres in the DFW Metroplex..."

Plus, it adds a certain cachet if you spell "theater" like "theatre," I've always found.

More details about the individual plays are available here; and by calling 972-881-5809 you can talk to a nice person in the Box Office.

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