The West Virginia University School of Theatre and Dance will feature two mainstage performances this fall: "Phoebe in Winter" and the Tony Award-winning musical "Into the Woods."
"Phoebe in Winter" runs October 3-6 in the Gladys G. Davis Theatre at the Canady Creative Arts Center. Written by award-winning playwright Jen Silverman, the play shares the story of brothers Jeremiah and Anther who have just returned home from war. A young woman named Phoebe shows up on their doorstep, claiming they killed her brothers. As reparation, she demands they become her new family, reigniting the once-distant war inside their home.
“'Phoebe in Winter' offers rich social commentary as a micro narrative set against the macro themes of belonging and war, the power dynamics of gender roles, the pursuit of truth and order in a world of perpetual chaos. This is a strong example of contemporary theatre for our students to dig into,” said Radhica Ganapathy, the play’s director and associate professor of theatre at WVU.
"Into the Woods" is a Tony Award-winning musical by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim that combines several Brothers Grimm fairytales into an exciting, tragic and heartwarming adventure. When a witch places a curse on a baker’s family, he and his wife set out to gather the supplies needed to reverse it: the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn and the slipper as pure as gold. After crossing paths with Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood, hijinks ensue – telling familiar stories like never before.
“I am excited about bringing 'Into the Woods' to Morgantown because the show focuses on themes that I think are really relatable,” said director Ryan Scoble, an assistant professor of musical theatre at WVU. “I am excited to see the students tap into these characters' psychology and really bring these complex fairytale characters to life.”
"Into the Woods" will be performed from October 24-27 at the Metropolitan Theatre in downtown Morgantown.
WVU Theatre and Dance students are involved in every aspect of the mainstage productions, including acting, stage and costume design, lighting and other technological needs.
“Each show is a learning opportunity for the creative teams to develop and strengthen their craft. Phoebe in Winter focuses on staging a complex narrative that reflects the challenges of our times,” Ganapathy said.
“'Into The Woods' is a fun show from a technical theatre perspective. It asks the designers to create the fairytale characters and spaces we know and love, while also putting their own unique twist on them,” Scoble said. “I think this production is going to be such a treat for all our students to work on, as well as for the community to see.”
The School of Theatre and Dance is also partnering with West Virginia Public Theatre to perform the classic Charles Dickens tale "A Christmas Carol" December 7-11 at the Canady Creative Arts Center. Tickets for these shows and the full 2024-2025 performance lineup will be available at the start of the fall semester. For more information, call 304-293-TKTS (8587).