ISU School of Performing Arts, Department of Theatre and Dance Announce 2021-2022 Season: The Arts are Alive!

 Idaho State University’s School of Performing Arts is happy to announce its 2021-2022 season opening this fall. The program is eager to return to normal performances in the upcoming year. 

The season will start with Seamus Heaney’s “The Burial at Thebes.” A modernized version of Sophocles’ “Antigone,” “The Burial at Thebes” tells the story of the daughter of Oedipus, Antigone, as she fights the law of man for her own morals in pursuit of a ritual burial for her brother. Commissioned by Ireland’s renowned Abbey Theatre, this adaptation ties in the ever-relevant human rights versus state security. This timely piece will run Oct. 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9, a perfect way to kick-off this awesome season.

Next in line is the children’s show, “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,” adapted by Dwayne Hartford, from the beloved book by Kate DiCamillo. Expensive toy rabbit, Edward Tulane, does not care about the love he receives from his owner, as he only cares about himself. While on an ocean voyage, Edward falls overboard and so begins his journey. He meets a myriad of characters who will teach him what it is to love and lose, and try again. Running Nov. 12, 13, 18, 19, and 20, this show is a wonderful story for young and old alike, and will surely send you home with smiles, a few important lessons, and a new favorite story. 

“Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” an imaginative new comedy by Sarah Ruhl follows, starting off the spring semester. This production shares a woman’s afternoon in a cafe as she struggles to understand morality, redemption, and isolation in the age of connectivity. “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” explores how we remember the dead, and the paradox that is technology. This show will run Feb. 11, 12, 24, 25, and 26, and you won’t want to miss it.

Bringing the season to a close will be the Anton Chekhov play, “The Cherry Orchard.” In the wake of the liberation of the serfs, an aristocratic Russian landowner returns to her family estate, where she learns it is about to be auctioned to pay for the mortgage, along with the family’s beloved cherry orchard. “The Cherry Orchard” dives into themes of cultural futility, materialism, and the decline of aristocracy, and will run April 15, 16, 21, 22, and 23. 

ISU Theatre FLEX passes, punch cards with 4 tickets per card, and regular show tickets will go on sale August 1. FLEX passes are $60 for adult tickets and $56 for faculty and staff. First-time buyers can buy one FLEX pass ticket and get another half-off. Single show tickets range from $5-$16 For more ticket information and to purchase a FLEX pass, please contact ISU Box Office Manager, Julie McKnight at (208) 282-3595 or visit isu.edu/tickets.