Penn State Altoona to present the play PICNIC

Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - 943 hits

ALTOONA — Penn State Altoona will present William Inge’s 1953 American masterpiece Picnic, November 8 - November 11 at Penn State Altoona’s Wolf Kuhn Theatre in the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 general admission. Group tickets are also available. A free faculty and staff preview will be November 7.

This romantic, family drama set in a small Kansas town challenges the assumed gender roles of its time period and forces today’s audiences to reconsider their own hopes and dreams. Picnic is suitable for middle and high school students and adults.

Director Robin Reese, associate professor of theatre, will lead the cast of twelve student actors. In her approach to Inge’s modern classic, Reese will strictly adhere to the rules of Realism. Student assistant director Jordan Shumaker and student dramaturg Andy McIntyre join Reese’s team, along with student stage manager Alicia Oswald and props master Shane Sedlemeyer. Carlos Ruiz, instructor in theatre arts, serves as both scenic designer and costume designer. Valerie Cavooris serves as assistant to the costume designer. This is Reese and Ruiz’s eighth show together.

Brittany Thaler, technical director and lighting designer of the Wolf Kuhn Theatre, leads her team of Oswald, Nicole Schroeder, and Natalie Fucci, all serving as assistant stage managers. Additional students are back stage crew including Sarah Helsel as light board operator and Brandi Falco as sound board operator. Other students will assist on set and costume.

This production is entered as a Participating Entry with the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival, which recognizes excellence in college and university theatre throughout the nation. Penn State Altoona’s theatre program is highly decorated in achievements from KC/ACTF. Several student actors and crew on Picnic have been awarded Certificates of Merit and have been nominated to compete for national acting scholarships. Reese and Ruiz have been the recipients of Certificates of Merit in directing and scenic design, respectively. Several of the college’s past productions have been presented at KC/ACTF regional festival.

Tickets for Picnic may be purchased at the box office Monday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and before and during all performances. You may also call 814-949-5452 for more information. And remember, “A picnic’s no fun without lots and lots of young people,” as one of the characters states, so come out and support Penn State Altoona’s vibrant theatre.