This academic year, the Ruth B. Shannon Center for the Performing Arts is ready to host three live productions as well as the annual Student Film Festival.
Written by Walt McGough, this play follows Priscilla, a lonely woman who works at a hobby shop and cries nightly while watching game shows. However, things get strange when she receives 3 a.m. phone calls from aliens. The story examines loss, love, and the search for answers as she attempts to save the world with her favorite game show contestant Simon.
Performances are Oct. 10-12 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 13 at 2 p.m.
Produced in collaboration with the local Enceladus Theatre Co., this is a fresh spin on an old classic. Playwright Joe Landry transformed the James Stewart film — which, in turn, is adapted from The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern — into a live 1940s radio broadcast. Watch an ensemble bring dozens of characters to the stage as George Bailey considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.
Performances are Nov. 20 and Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
This music-rich play by Lauren Gunderson focuses on the true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt. It explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discovery as Henrietta and her female peers change the way people understand the universe.
Performances are Feb. 27-28 and March 1 at 7:30 p.m., as well as March 2 at 2 p.m.
Lastly, the department will present the annual Whittier College Student Film Festival, slated for Thursday, May 8. The free festival features screenings of short films written and directed by students, followed by a Q&A.
All events are at the Robinson Theatre, 6760 Painter Ave. Tickets for Priscilla Dreams the Answer and Silent Sky are $15 for general admission, $10 for alumni, and $5 for students. For It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for faculty and staff, and $5 for students. For ticket information and reservations, contact Debra Eckloff at 562.907.4901.
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