Take in a Show at UVM

Fall is upon is, and this new season means a new batch of performances from the talented students of the theater program at the University of Vermont. The Royall Tyler Theatre has featured such performances as Cabaret, Hair, and Godspell over the years, and the 2010–2011 season offers something for everyone.

“I think the most exciting aspect is the fact that we’ve taken three productions and they’re going to be very different from what we’ve done,” says Jeffrey Modereger, chair of UVM’s Department of Theatre, of Cloud Nine, A Doll’s House, and Twelfth Night (scheduled for February). “The subject matter in the first show is going to tweak your attention. It’s going to play around with how you think you perceive things.

“In the second show the director is taking a well-known classic, A Doll’s House, and actually adjusting it again so you have to look at it a little bit differently than what you may be expecting. So we’re kind of excited over the fact that our audience is going to be challenged a little bit, and so are our students. That for us is a very positive thing.”

This will be the 20th year of The Toys Take Over Christmas, and while the theater department is still in talks about the specifics, Modereger assures audiences that this performance will hold to tradition. “We’ve freshened up the costumes and we’re putting a fresh coat of paint on the scenery, but it’s the original scenery and the original costumes still on stage,” says Modereger. “We’re giving it a breath of fresh air but we’re not really changing it because it’s always been what it has been, and the parents know it, trust it, believe in its message, and love the characters. We really don’t want to change it too much because it’s proven to be such a popular as well as safe environment for so many young people.”

Modereger says that even in these economically challenging times, when you think that the first thing people cut from their budgets is the arts, Royall Tyler Theatre subscriptions “have not slipped in the slightest,” and they even have a lot of new subscribers and new people coming to see the shows. “If all those people have faith in us, we must be doing something right!”

To purchase tickets, visit the Royall Tyler Theatre box office at 116 University Place in Burlington or call (802) 656-2094. You can also purchase tickets online at the theater’s website, www.uvmtheatre.org.

2010–2011 Royall Tyler Theatre Performance Schedule

Cloud Nine Evening performances: September 30, October 1, 2, 7, 8 & 9, 7:30 pm Matinee performances: October 2 & 10, 2 pm Performances for ASL Night (Deaf Community) & VCB (Sight Impaired): October 10, 2 pm

Contains mature material and is not recommended for younger audiences.

A Doll’s House Evening performances: November 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 & 13, 7:30 pm Matinee performances: November 6 & 14, 2 pm Performances for ASL Night (Deaf Community) & VCB (Sight Impaired): November 14, 2 pm School performances: November 9 & 12, 10 am (subject to change)

The Toys Take Over Christmas: 20th Anniversary December 4 & 5, 10 am, 2 pm & 6 pm