What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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MARCH 6-12, 2022 WHAT'S UP! 3 COVER STORY What's New At T2? Season 17 has comedies, classics and one (mostly) true tale APRIL WALLACE NWA Democrat-Gazette A rtistic director and TheatreSquared co-founder Bob Ford says he's always a bit emotional at the end of a production, but perhaps even more so now that the theater has made it through the long hiatus of in-person events. As opening night of "The Mountaintop," TheatreSquared's ninth show back with an audience in the theater, concluded, Ford says he felt overwhelmed in the best way. "I'll be honest with you, I felt emotional as the audience stood up, clapping, many shouting bravo or whistling, all of them as grateful as I was for the experience we'd just shared," Ford said to his audience at a recent TheatreSquared event. "Right now there's a sense, too, that it was almost taken away from us, and we didn't let it happen." TheatreSquared announced its 17th season Feb. 27, and it has a little of everything: a musical, comedies, classics, family dramas, unreciprocated love and one (mostly) true tale. Ford said the people at the season announcement were the ones who helped TheatreSquared carry on through the pandemic in meaningful ways by showing up to performances via Zoom or Vimeo and found ways to show how much they value the community aspect of theater. Executive Director Martin Miller says T2 staff read through hundreds of scripts and spoke with their most trusted collaborators to create the slate of eight shows they love and hope you will, too. First up is "It Came From Outer Space!," a world premiere musical which will run from Aug. 24 to Sept. 18. "It Came From Outer Space! is from the Jeff Award-winning writers that brought you TheatreSquared's hilarious smash hit, 'Murder for Two,'" says Chad Dike, director of education. "It's a brand-new musical comedy adapted from the cult favorite '50s sci-fi film." When an astronomer encounters an alien spaceship in the desert, no one believes him until some townspeople start acting strange. Are the extraterrestrial visitors here to conquer the Earth or do they come in peace? The production is full of raucous music and "over-the-top" comedy and is a co-world premiere with the Tony Award-winning Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Canada's Citadel Theatre. "Detroit '67," by MacArthur Genius Fellow Dominique Morisseau will run Oct. 12 to Nov. 6. The play centers on the 1967 riots. It's winner of the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama and set to the soundtrack of the 1960s. "Chelle and her brother Lank are making ends meet by turning their basement into an after-hours party joint," says Na'Tosha DeVon, subscription specialist. "But soon after a mysterious woman finds her way into their lives, their family business and the whole city, it seems, are torn apart." "Stones in His Pockets" by Marie Jones is winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy and will be on stage Nov. 9 to Dec. 18. "'Stones in His Pockets' is one of the award-winningest shows to ever come out of the UK," says Jonah Guinn, a Commons Cafe supervisor. "Small- town Irishmen Charlie and Jake are hired as extras in an epic American movie, but when a famous actress takes a shine to Charlie — and tragedy strikes — chaos ensues." TheatreSquared supporters toast the new season at an unveiling celebration Feb. 27. Season 17 has a little of everything: a musical, comedies, classics, family dramas, unreciprocated love and one (mostly) true tale. (Courtesy Photo/Cheanie Lopez-Hall) FYI New Play Festival At the 2022 Arkansas New Play Festival, TheatreSquared will develop and present five brand new plays-in-progress, both at TheatreSquared and at The Momentary in Bentonville July 15-17 and July 22-24. "It's a chance to get an advance peek at the next wave of Amer- ican theater," says Bob Ford, artistic director and cofounder of TheatreSquared. For more information, visit arkansasnewplayfest.com. See T2 Page 4