UTD Theatre announces 2008-2009 season

by Shawn Parikh

UTD Theatre Production Ensemble performs pretty experimental pieces that challenges audiences to see performance in a new light. As we saw last year, UTD had R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) and MONKEY: The Quest to the West. This next year proves no different as they are presenting a film adaptation, a theater festival, and a Greek classic:

• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari from November 13 -22. Adapted and directed by Thomas Riccio. This is an adaptation of the play from the influential 1920 Expressionistic German film classic regarded by many as the first horror movie ever made, written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. In a small village, Francis and his friend Alan visit a carnival where they meet Dr. Caligari and the somnambulist Cesare, who can supposedly divine the future. His curiosity piqued by the large number of murders around town, Alan asks Cesare how long he has to live. Cesare tells him he will die at dawn. When this prophecy comes true, Francis and his girlfriend Jane start investigating Dr. Caligari and Cesare. During their research, they learn “Caligari” is the director of an insane asylum, obsessed with the story of a medieval Dr. Caligari, who used a somnambulist to murder people as a traveling act, however not everything is as it seems.
• “Oh Yeah…” New Works Festival from February 20 - 21. The First Annual “Oh Yeah…” New Works Festival will spotlight on our talented student artists. Designed to develop innovative performance work ranging from acting and directing, playwriting, and animation, to film and video making, this festival will be packed with exciting and vibrant work.
• Lysistrata from April 16 - 25. Are women the weakest sex? Does their soft skin and feminine form decide their fate in life? Love can make a fool of you, but desire can drive you crazy. This Greek classic by Aristophanes was the first to promote “make love, not war.”