By Staff Report
MARIANNA
– The Chipola College Theatre Department announces its 2021-2022 season
with a line-up of six plays that promise to be exciting entertainment
for all ages.
For ten hard-luck Texans a new lease on life is so close they can touch it in the hilarious musical Hands on a Hardbody
(October 14-17, 2021). Under a scorching sun for days on end, armed
with nothing but hope, humor and ambition, theyÂ’ll fight to keep at
least one hand on a brand-new Nissan truck in order to win it. Based on
the real-life “Hands on a Hard Body Contest,” this all-American musical
tells the story of a small-town Texas endurance contest. In the
hard-fought contest we will see the trials these contestants endure for a
chance to win and drive away with the American Dream. This production
is sponsored by Miller and Miller Nissan, Marianna. Tickets may be
purchased at the CFA Box Office or online at www.chipola.edu/boxoffice beginning September 27. ACT Fund members may redeem their tickets beginning September 20.
One of the most renowned of Oscar Wilde’s comedies, The Importance of Being Earnest (February 24-27, 2022) is the story of two bachelors, John “Jack” Worthing and Algernon “Algy” Moncreiff,
who create alter egos named Ernest to escape their tiresome lives.
They attempt to win the hearts of two women who, conveniently, claim to
only love men called Ernest. The pair struggle to keep up their own
stories and become tangled in a tale of deception, disguise and
misadventure. Oscar WildeÂ’s brilliant comedy captures with wit and
charm the absurdity and delight of the Victorian “age of surfaces” (as
Lady Bracknell calls it,) while capturing the struggle of four
passionate lovers trying to conform to expectations and, in the most
roundabout and delightfully funny way possible, love who they wish and
live how they want. Tickets may be purchased at the CFA Box Office or
online at www.chipola.edu/boxoffice beginning February 7. ACT Fund members may redeem their tickets beginning January 31.
In the beloved childrenÂ’s musical CharlotteÂ’s Web
(May 12-13, 2022) an affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur
befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his
pen. A prancing, playful bloke, Wilbur is devastated when he learns of
the destiny that befalls all those of porcine persuasion. Determined to
save her friend, Charlotte spins a web that reads “Some Pig,” convincing
the farmer and surrounding community that Wilbur is no ordinary animal
and should be saved. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the
passing on into time, E. B. White reminds us to open our eyes to the
wonder and miracle often found in the simplest of things. Tickets may
be purchased at the Chipola Box Office or online at www.chipola.edu/boxoffice beginning April 25. ACT Fund members may redeem their tickets beginning April 18.
The
Chipola Theatre season culminates with an opportunity for the community
to participate in the new Chipola Shakespeare program. Chipola
Shakespeare is a new and exciting modern approach to performing the
Shakespeare classics. Community members are invited to audition for
roles or volunteer with tech – lighting, sound and costumes. This
yearÂ’s performance will be The Taming of the Shrew
(June 16-18, 2022). A wandering braggart out to marry for money ends
up with the shrewish daughter of a rich man, whom he must “tame” even as
he falls for her, in William ShakespeareÂ’s comedy.
New
to the Chipola Theatre lineup this year is the opportunity to
experience staged readings. A staged reading is theatre in its purest
form. No set, no props, no costumes. The actors interact and perform the story with scripts. Some stage directions will be read to help set the scene, similar to
listening to an audiobook. With more stories to tell than any theatre
could conceivably produce, staged readings allow audience members to
experience more great stories at a lower cost to the theatre and give
our students the opportunity to perform more pieces. Alabama Rain will be read November 4-5, 2021
in the Center for the Arts Experimental Theatre. Monty LouÂ’s been
pregnant for 10 years; Laurie LaurieÂ’s dead spirit sings from the old
magnolia tree; PheenieÂ’s walking the entire coast of Florida; RachelÂ’s gone to fetch the Ouija board; and little Dallas LaDean is determined to save them all. Alabama Rain
is the tale of five sisters living in a mythical southern town where it
has not rained in 40 years. The play examines the perils of a stagnant
experience as the sister’s thirst for fertility and growth. Open seating will be available the night of the reading with a donation to the ACT Fund.
GeeÂ’s Bend will be read March 31 and April 1 in the Center for the Arts Experimental Theatre. GeeÂ’s Bend depicts the turbulent history of African Americans in the twentieth century by focusing on a single family in the real community of GeeÂ’s Bend, Alabama,
now famous for the beautiful quilts created by the women that grew up
there. Open seating will be available the night of the reading with a
donation to the ACT Fund.
The ACT (Applauding Chipola Theatre) Fund directly supports the Chipola Theatre program. Season Memberships go on sale August 18. Membership levels include a number of
tickets to be used throughout the 2021-22 season. Memberships begin at
the Sponsor Level for $25 (2 tickets), Patron Level for $50 (4
tickets), Benefactor Level for $75 (6 tickets), Angel Level for $100 (8
tickets), and up to the Corporate Angel Level for $300 (12 tickets). ACT
Fund members receive early ticket redemption opportunities and special
benefits throughout the season.
For more information, call the Center for the Arts Box Office at 850-718-2420 or visit www.chipola.edu/boxoffice. The Box Office will open for the Fall Semester on Monday, August 18. Box Office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon, on Friday. The Box Office is closed on college holidays.
Hannah Collins 
KINSLEY COOK