October 13, 2021
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) Theatre announces its 2021-2022 season of performances, which will be offered in person on MCLA’s campus. These four productions feature guest directors, student directors, and experimental productions that give students agency in the writing and production process.
MCLA Theatre is excited to return to live performance in a newly renovated Venable Theatre, with new seating, lobby, and renovated restrooms that are fully accessible.
The season opens Nov. 5 with “Falling and Loving” by Charles Mee, directed by Associate Professor of Theatre Laura Standley. “Falling and Loving” is described as an “exploration of life, love, and the passing of the seasons.”
The second show of the fall semester, premiering in early December, is “Mr. Burns,” written by Anne Washburn, with music by Michael Friedman and Anne Washburn. Directed by Abigail Daggett ’22, “Mr. Burns” asks, “what will endure when the cataclysm arrives—when the grid fails, society crumbles, and we’re faced with the task of rebuilding? The Simpsons, that’s what.”
In Spring 2021, Guest Director Sara Katzoff will direct Lynn Nottage’s “Intimate Apparrel.” Set in a boarding house in 1905 New York City, it tells the story of Esther, a black seamstress much in demand, and her attempts to find love and build a life. The final show of the season, “This is a Test,” directed by Laura Standley, will be written by MCLA students.
Also this season, MCLA Theatre is presenting the TheatreLab series. The second production of each semester will provide students the opportunity to take the lead in experimentation. The first of these, “Mr. Burns,” will feature a student director, while the second, “This is a Test,” will feature a text written entirely by students, selected through an open submission process.
For more information on MCLA Theatre’s upcoming season or to reserve tickets for “Falling and Loving,” visit mcla.edu/theatre.
