Portland State University’s School of Fine and Performing Arts has announced its 2007-2008 theater season schedule. For more information visit www.theaterarts.pdx.edu.

“The Rope” by Albert Camus
The performance season starts with “The Rope,” by Albert Camus, directed and translated by Nico Izambard, a French international student, in partial fulfillment of his candidacy for the Master of Arts in Theater Arts.

Performances of “The Rope” will take place in the Studio Theatre, room 115 Lincoln Hall (1620 SW Park) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, September 28, 29; and Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 4, 5 and 6; with a matinee on Sunday, September 30 at 2 p.m. Ticket are $5 at the PSU Box Office (1825 SW Broadway) or call 503-725-3307.

First produced in 1949 in Paris, “Les Justes” tells the true story of a group of Russian Socialist-Revolutionaries who assassinated the Grand Duke Sergei Romanov in 1905. The play explores the moral issues associated with murder and terrorism, the group’s attempt and success in killing the Grand Duke Serge, and the consequences of its actions along with the forbidden love story between main characters Yanek and Dora. Albert Camus was the winner of the 1957 Nobel Prize for Literature.

Fall Mainstage Production: “Glengarry Glen Ross”
Directed by Devon Allen, David Mamet’s gritty dark comedy “Glengarry Glen Ross,” is a Pulitzer Prize-winning dark comedy which exposes a dog-eat-dog world, where a few small-time, ruthless, real-estate salesmen scramble for their piece of the American Dream.

Performances of “Glengarry Glen Ross” run Friday and Saturday, November 9, 10; and Wednesday through Saturday, November 14–17, at 7:30 p.m.; with a matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 11. All performances are in the Lincoln Performance Hall (1620 SW Park). Tickets for all Mainstage productions are $9.50 general admission; and $8.50 for seniors, students and PSU staff/faculty.

At once hilarious and disturbing, the play presents a Darwinian battle between men who scheme, cheat, curse, plead, steal, despair and connive in an attempt to get “on the board,” an office chart that marks who is ahead in the sales race, peddling vacation property. The winner gets a Cadillac, and the loser gets the ax. “Glengarry Glen Ross” is a mix of hilarity and fury. Filled with shocking twists and turns, this cold-blooded drama won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and 4 Tony Awards for its original London performances, and in 2005, it won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.

Winter Mainstage Production: “Haroun and the Sea of Stories”
Directed by Karin Magaldi, “Haroun and the Sea of Stories” is a magical family odyssey written by acclaimed novelist Salman Rushdie. Performances of “Haroun and the Sea of Stories” run Friday and Saturday, February 22, 23; and Wednesday through Saturday, February 27–March 1, at 7:30 p.m.; with a matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday, February 24. All performances are in the Lincoln Performance Hall (1620 SW Park).

The stage version of the novel is an absorbing theatrical experience that will entertain and enchant. While in hiding with writer’s block after a fatwah was placed upon him, Rushdie started writing “Haroun and the Sea of Stories” as a bedtime story for his 10-year-old son, but in doing so he created a stunning allegory for story lovers of all ages. Set in “a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name,” it is the magical tale of a master storyteller who loses the ability to tell stories and whose son, Haroun, embarks on extraordinary adventures to restore his father’s special talent.

Adapted by Tim Supple and David Tushingham for the National Theatre of Great Britain (1998).

Spring Mainstage Production: “Dancing at Lughnasa”
Directed by William Tate, “Dancing at Lughnasa” is Brian Friel’s lyrical and haunting production. Performances of “Dancing at Lughnasa” run Friday and Saturday, May 23, 24; and Wednesday through Saturday, May 28–31, at 7:30 p.m.; with a matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 25. All performances are in the Lincoln Performance Hall (1620 SW Park).

In the turbulent times of 1936, the five unmarried Mundy sisters live on a rugged farm outside a small town in Donegal, Ireland, their lives revolving around Michael, the 8-year old love child of the youngest sister, and the music emanating from their first radio. “Dancing at Lughnasa” is told from Michael’s memories, summoning us back to the summer eve of celebration to the pagan harvest deity Lugh, god of music and light, as the sisters reacquaint themselves with their older brother, Jack, a priest returning home from 25 years as a missionary in Africa. The male presence is compounded when Michael’s father unexpectedly arrives for a short sojourn before joining the International Brigade against Franco. In the brief interlude, father forges an awkward bond with son, the hidden wisdom of Jack is revealed, and events spark a celebration of life before it is irrevocably changed forever. This haunting play is Friel’s tribute to the spirit and valor of the past and its people.

Winner in 1992 of the Tony Award for Best Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Broadway Play, and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play. Chosen by Time magazine as one of the ten best plays for 1991, the citation called it the “most elegant and rueful memory play since The Glass Menagerie.”

School of Fine and Performing Arts
The mission of Portland State University’s School of Fine and Performing Arts is to strengthen Portland’s extended cultural community by providing outstanding professional training and education in the performing and visual arts in partnership with the region’s working artists and cultural institutions. With strong ties to community, culture and business, the School of Fine and Performing Arts at PSU is the region’s primary institution for preparing talented young people for leadership in creative careers. Located in the heart of Portland, the school’s faculty and students provide a significant cultural trust for the Northwest, with scores of concerts, workshops, lectures and exhibitions throughout the year. The School consists of the Departments of Art, Architecture, Music and Theater Arts.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#07-091)

Source: Trish Trout (503-725-3396)
PSU School of Fine and Performing Arts