ISU Theatre and Dance to present romantic comedy “First Date” Oct. 19-20 in Hailey, sponsored by Bill and Linda Potter

The musical, with a book by Austin Winsberg, is sponsored by Bill and Linda Potter, who were a part of The Junkyard Dogs team that produced the play for its Broadway debut on August 8, 2013.   

"Linda and I are delighted to bring 'First Date' to the Wood River Valley," Bill Potter said. "This musical is a perfect vehicle for college productions to showcase Broadway’s richness to local audiences. We were fortunate enough to be at the initial reading of 'First Date' and I practically fell off my chair I was laughing so hard.”  

“First Date” is a contemporary, musical comedy that pairs two strangers from vastly different backgrounds for that horror everyone has experienced, the dreaded first date. However, according to the play’s director Joel Shura, there is something brewing between the two.

“They don’t really see eye to eye,” Shura said. “She is the hip, edgy, rocker, he’s a quirky nerd, and they both have excess baggage coming into this blind date.”

The strangers think they know what they want in a relationship, but it’s not exactly what they need. Their date turns into a hilarious dinner with first impressions, Google checks,  “emergency” bail out calls, bad boy and uptown girl exes and throughout, the brewing of a real chemistry.

This will be Shura’s first production as a faculty member at ISU. He comes to Pocatello after teaching theatre courses at Mendocino College and serving as the resident director and youth acting teacher at the School of Performing Arts and Cultural Education in northern California.

Shura teaches multiple levels of directing, as well as improvisation, clowning and script analysis courses at ISU.

“We are excited to take this production to the Wood River Valley,” Shura said. “We are grateful that the Potters are making this production happen so we can showcase our talented faculty and students in the Sun Valley area.”

“First Date” will be performed on October 19 and 20 at The Community Campus. Tickets are $15 are available at the Stephens Center Box Office at 208-282-3595 or online atisu.edu/tickets, and the nights of the play. The play is rated PG-13 for language and sexual innuendo.