The Madison College Performing Arts is presenting a play called “The Women of Lockerbie” in October, another play called “Bus Stop” in December and a musical called “Rock of Ages” in March.
Karen Saari, communication and performing arts instructor, is showcasing “The Women of Lockerbie,” a play inspired by real events this fall from Oct. 13-22 in Madison College’s Mitby Theater. Ticket prices are $15, but students at Madison College who have a One Card get free admission.
“The Women of Lockerbie,” written by Deborah Brevoort, is inspired by a real event. Taking place in the ‘80s, there was a terrorist attack bombing on an American plane called Pan Am 103 that rained over a small, quiet town called Lockerbie, Scotland. The play follows a grieving mother whose child passed away from the attack, who then finds these women who are trying to reclaim from the United States government the belongings of the people who passed away in the town, so that they may return the belongings to the victims’ families.
The play has one student as the lead, one student understudy and several students working tech. There will also be some area, community and professional actors working in the show, as well as several designers and guest artists in the community.
The play “Bus Stop” is still looking for students to audition. There is a cast of seven, but they would like to have more students in the production. “The Rock of Ages” auditioning is still to be determined.
The Fall production of “Bus Stop” by William Inge, directed by David Posch who also directed “She Kills Monsters” last year, is a play about a little diner in the middle of nowhere on a bus route, when a snowstorm hits and the people on the bus are forced to spend their time together in this circumstance. It is a comedy but has some heartfelt and dramatic moments to it.
For the Spring production, “Rock of Ages” by Chris D’Arienzo, is a musical built around the classic rock hits of the ‘80s including Styx, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Poison and more. In 1987, the musical revolves around the main character Drew Boley, a busboy who wants to become a rock n’ roll star who then meets a girl name Sherrie who wants to become a Hollywood star. Sherrie becomes a server and works with Drew. Together, they work to prevent German developers from taking the Strip where the Bourbon Room, their place of work is, and preventing the developers from turning it into a strip mall.
In fact, some students hoped to do a musical at some point, and Saari wanted to start this year having the shows locked in place. With “Bus Stop,” because there was not a lot of opportunities with students in “Women of Lockerbie,” she wanted a show that made sense for the time of year (Christmas) and to find something to allow for more students to be seen by the Kennedy Center of American College Theater Festival.
The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is a national theater program involving thousands of students from colleges and universities across the country that participate to develop their theater skills. It provides an opportunity for students to be seen by judges, where they will participate in the regionals in Flint, Michigan in January. If a Kennedy Center respondent comes to see Bus Stop, they will nominate students who will be singled out to compete at the regional festival in Michigan.
Saari hopes to provide more opportunities to students who both perform and aspiring students who want to work in technical theater. She hopes to connect more professionals in the community and to work toward building more relationships for 4-year institutions.