STORY BY ADAM ROGAN
“The American Plan”
“The American Plan” is a story set in the mid 20th century about mental illness, love, family and finding ‘The American Plan,’ whatever that may be.
The play is not only the first show of the spring semester but also the only show in Drake’s Spring Theater Season that is entirely student-run.
Abigail Diamond is a senior directing major, and will direct “The American Plan.”
“It’s a student director, all student actors and all of the designers for lights, sound, costumes are students. So that’s really exciting for Drake to have something that’s completely student designed and produced,” Diamond said. “Also the actors are really great and they’re doing really good work. I’m excited to see where we are when we get to showing the show to everyone.”
Not only is Diamond excited to work with the cast and crew of this production, but she is also enthusiastic about the play itself.
“I think what’s great about this show is the story that’s being told and the language that’s being used to tell it. Richard Greenberg is a brilliant playwright in my opinion and he really knows how to create dialogue that sounds natural and really sounds like someone speaking, not necessarily something that’s contrived,” she said.
“The American Plan” opens Feb. 26 and runs until March 1 in Studio 55 of the Harmon Fine Arts Center.
“A Flea In Her Ear”
The oldest of the plays for the season, “A Flea In Her Ear” is a farce written during the French restoration in 1907 by playwright Georges Feydeau.
Centering on the character of Raymondé, played by senior musical theater major Kaylee Ferguson, it follows the events of Raymondé trying to catch her husband in a moment of infidelity, while also ending up becoming adulterous. Comedy ensues.
“It’s definitely very naughty and very sexual and fun,” Ferguson said.
The cast hopes to leave the audience crying in their seats from laughter as the characters’ actions only worsen their own situations and better the hilarity of the production.
The location and set of the play also has an important role in the show.
“It takes place in what was called the beautiful period of Paris, France, which means that everything will be very aesthetically pleasing,” Ferguson said.
“A Flea In Her Ear” will be onstage over the first weekend of April in the David Ives Performing Arts Hall.
“A Man Of No Importance”
A Man of No Importance which premiered off-Broadway in 2002, will be the final performance from the Drake Theatre Department of the season. It has the most contemporary script and is the only musical on the calendar. It will run April 30 until May 3 in Studio 55 of the Harmon Fine Arts Center.
Andrew Nyberg will star in the show as Alfie, alongside Adam Jedlicka, who plays Robbie, Alfie’s love interest.
“I think the cast is fantastic and I’m very excited to work with everyone,” Jedlicka said. “But I’m really excited for the message that the story brings. The main theme of the show is that you can’t really love who you love until you embrace who you are and then you’re able to go out and find someone. I think that’s really important.”
A Man of No Importance aims to fall in the ‘You’ll laugh, you’ll cry’ category, which seems intentional, as it is the final performance before finals week sets in.
