Do not miss your chance to see the power presentation of The Laramie Project running now until Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Varner Studio Theatre on the campus of Oakland University (OU) in Rochester, Mich. Staged by the Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance and directed by OU faculty member Kelli Crump, The Laramie Project is written by Moisés Kaufman, along with members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, and chronicles the aftermath of the 1998 hate crime murder of University of … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Memory and Hope are the Emotional Crux of ‘The Laramie Project’ at Oakland University
March 30, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Oakland University Presents ‘The Laramie Project’
March 27, 2024 by 1 Comment
Aaron Kreifels (Pietro Cataldo) recounts his bike ride in The Laramie Project at Oakland University. Photo credit: Crystal Orser Oakland University’s Department of Theatre in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance is presenting The Laramie Project which opens Thursday, March 28, 2024, and closes Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Varner Studio Theatre in Rochester, Mich. The Laramie Project by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project chronicles the reaction to the 1998 hate crime … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Varner Act II Gala Honors Oakland University’s Musical Past While Shining a Bright Spotlight on its Future
November 17, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Varner Hall, on the campus of Oakland University (OU), has spent the last two years going through much-needed renovations and is finally ready for its close-up. To celebrate, the esteemed OU School of Music, Theatre and Dance is staging the Varner Act II Gala — a show-stopping musical revue under the direction of Teri Hansen in the Varner Studio Theatre. Hansen, a visiting assistant professor, brings a wealth of screen (Film/TV) and stage (Broadway/London's West End) experience to this fresh … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Oakland University’s Multilingual ‘¡Farsa/Farce! (An Affair of International Laughter)’ is Relevant in Any Language
October 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Oakland University Department of Theatre opened its 2023-2024 season with one of the most unique productions in recent memory — ¡Farsa/Farce! (An Affair of International Laughter) which runs now until Oct. 15 in Varner Studio Theatre on the campus of Oakland University (OU). Directed by David Gram, ¡Farsa/Farce! encompasses two plays. The first is El suplicio del placer (“The Agony of Ecstasy”) by Mexican playwright Sabina Berman, and the second is Non tutti i ladri vengono per nuocere (“The … [Read more...]
OU presents ‘¡Farsa/Farce! (An Affair of International Laughter)’ from Oct. 5-15
October 1, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Oakland University’s Department of Theatre will present ¡Farsa/Farce! (An Affair of International Laughter) from Oct. 5-8 and Oct. 12-15 in Varner Studio Theatre on the campus of Oakland University. Photo credit - Crystal Orser Directed by David Gram, ¡Farsa/Farce! Brings together two important international playwrights for an evening of physical and verbal comedy — with a social conscience. The plays interrogate issues relating to gender, identity, sexuality, and class. “The two … [Read more...]
Musical theatre returns to OU stage with ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’
November 8, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Performances are November 11-14, 18-21 in the Varner Studio Theatre Musical theatre at Oakland University makes a triumphant return to live performances this November in the Varner Studio Theatre with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee!Winner of the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Book, this musical takes audiences back to that awkward stage of life as six of the most eccentric kids in the school district vie for the coveted title in the sixth-grade spelling bee.“With the audience … [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...]
REVIEW: Oakland University’s ‘Macbeth’ Delivers a Powerful Examination of the Carnage Caused by Desire and Deception
February 7, 2020 by 1 Comment
A little over five years ago I went to the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada to see a production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Once there I quickly learned through the grapevine that people either loved it or hated it; during some performances, people actually walked out. That is when it dawned on me there are two types of Shakespeare enthusiasts. First, the purists. Those who want only traditional costumes, settings, and no interpretation of the script. Second, are … [Read more...]
Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ Coming to Oakland University Stage
February 3, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Come Experience 'Double, double, toil and trouble' February 6 - 9, 13 - 16 Something “wicked” is coming to the Oakland University (OU) stage as the Department of Theatre presents William Shakespeare’s Macbeth — a cautionary tale about the trappings of power and what happens when vaulting ambition takes priority over the people one is expected to govern — from February 6-9, 13-16 in the Varner Studio Theatre on the OU campus. “With Brexit on the horizon, we have set our play in an imagined … [Read more...]
