It is rare to be able to review a show blind and even more unexpected to come away having thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite the underlying seriousness of the subject matter, A New Brain did exactly that and you only have this weekend to catch the remaining performances in the Varner Lab Theatre on the campus of Oakland University (OU). In her notes, director Rachel M. Stevens discusses the process with which the OU School of Music, Theatre and Dance (SMTD) went about curating the shows for this … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Oakland University’s ‘A New Brain’ Probes Deep into the Insecurities that Plague Us All
November 5, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Oakland University presents ‘She Kills Monsters’
October 24, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Oakland University (OU) School of Music, Theatre and Dance will present She Kills Monsters from Thursday, October 27 – Sunday, October 30 in Room 100 in the Oakland Campus West Student Center. Directed by OU Lecturer Kelli Crump, She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she finds herself catapulted into a journey of discovery … [Read more...]
‘Sense and Sensibility’ coming to Oakland University stage Feb. 16-20
February 10, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Oakland University’s (OU) School of Music, Theatre and Dance will present Sense and Sensibility from February 16-20 in Varner Studio Theatre on the OU campus. Written by Kate Hamill and based on the novel by Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility is a story about resilience, society, family, and choices. “Our play takes place in 1810, and follows the Dashwood sisters —sensible Elinor and sensitive Marianne — as they negotiate societal expectations and personal feelings,” said Karen Sheridan, … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Insightful and Intriguing, Oakland University’s ‘Passage’ is a Powerful Journey Worth Taking
October 8, 2021 by Leave a Comment
An attentive and appreciative crowd welcomed back live theatre to Oakland University (OU) for the opening night of Passage. Written by Chinese-American playwright Christopher Chen, this gripping and enigmatic play runs until Oct. 17 in the Varner Studio Theatre on the OU campus in Rochester, MI. The last time I sat inside Varner Studio Theatre was to review Macbeth on February 6, 2020, and it was a little sad thinking about those seniors who I never got to see take their final bow before … [Read more...]
Christopher Chen’s ‘Passage’ Coming to Oakland University Stage
September 26, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Play leads audiences on a journey of self-exploration Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance will present Passage, a gripping and enigmatic play by Chinese-American playwright Christopher Chen, on Oct. 7-10 and Oct. 14-17 in the Varner Studio Theatre on the OU campus. Set in the fictional “Country X,” Passage engages audiences in an ideological debate about the precarious nature of political borders and the social divides that emerge in times of strife. Inspired by E.M. … [Read more...]
Oakland University to Present Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic opera, ‘Patience’
June 16, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Performances are on the Varner Hall Courtyard Outdoor Stage June 24 - 27 Photo credit: JLBoone Photography Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance will present Patience — a comic opera in two acts with music and libretto by Gilbert and Sullivan — from June 24-27 on the Varner Hall Courtyard Outdoor Stage as part of the “OU Outside the Box” performing arts festival.“Sullivan's charming melodies and Gilbert's witty dialect provide top-notch material to showcase Oakland's … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Oakland University’s ‘Blue Stockings’ is a Brilliant Study of the Fight for Education and Owning One’s Knowledge
November 15, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Part of the excitement of seeing an Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance production is the anticipation of finding out what is waiting as you round the corner and enter the transformed space. This time it is Blue Stockings – a beautiful, funny, and thought-provoking piece of theatre directed by Karen Sheridan and running now through November 24 in the Varner Studio Theatre. Written by Jessica Swale, Blue Stockings is set in 1896 at the all-female Girton College, Cambridge. … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Oakland University’s ‘Urinetown’ Merges Merriment and Misery into One Mind-Blowing Musical Production
October 11, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Urinetown is a musical I’ve heard a lot about over the years but never found the time to see — until now. Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance get their 2019-20 season off to a phenomenal start with their production of this Tony Award-winning musical running now through Oct. 20 in the Varner Studio Theatre. Have you ever thought about paying for the privilege to pee? Probably not, but this concept served as the inspiration for Urinetown. In the mid-90s, Greg Kotis (Lyrics and … [Read more...]
REVIEW: ‘James and the Giant Peach’ Is an Enchanting Odyssey Sure to Enthrall Audiences
May 16, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Tassels have been turned, but the Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance is busy putting the finishing touches on their latest production — a delightful adaptation by Richard George of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach coming to the Varner Recital Hall stage on the campus of Oakland University (OU) on Friday, May 17, Sunday, May 19, and Friday, June 7. This particular telling of the tale is directed by Lynnae Lehfeldt, along with recent OU theatre grad Mannon McIntosh … [Read more...]
Oakland University to Present ‘James and the Giant Peach’
May 10, 2019 by Leave a Comment
James Henry Trotter cannot escape his mean Aunts Spiker and Sponge — or can he? A magical peach may be his answer. Join James and the creatures that he meets on his incredible journey as Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance present James and the Giant Peach on May 17, May 19, June 7 in Varner Recital Hall on the Oakland University (OU) campus. Directed by Lynnae Lehfeldt and based on Richard George’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s fantastical tale, James and the Giant Peach is … [Read more...]
