UC Irvine announces new theater season

Anton Chekhov, Georges Feydeau, Thornton Wilder, Dylan Thomas, Cole

Porter and Tennessee Williams are among the creative artists whose

works will be entertaining audiences at UC Irvine’s theater venues

during the 2005-06 season.

UCI has announced a lineup of eight productions, only two or three

of which might be familiar to most audience members. But if the

titles don’t ring a bell, the creators certainly will.

Leading off the new season will be Chekhov’s renowned drama “The

Seagull,” in a translation by noted playwright Tom Stoppard. Directed

by Magdalena Zira, the play will occupy the Winifred Smith Hall for

one weekend only, Nov. 3 through 5.

The French farce “A Flea in Her Ear,” in a translation by Krista

Cowan, will hit the stage of the main Claire Trevor Theater for two

weekends, Nov. 11 through 19, under the direction of Eli Simon.

Frederico Fellini’s film “8 1/2 “ was the inspiration for the

musical “Nine,” which has been absent from this area heretofore. That

oversight will be corrected in a one-weekend engagement, Jan. 26

through 28, in the Winifred Smith Hall. Trevor Biship will direct the

production, which has a book by Arthur Kopit and music and lyrics by

Maury Yeston.

The plays of Tennessee Williams are familiar even to those who

don’t get to the theater regularly, but even rabid theatergoers are

unlikely to have seen “Orpheus Descending.” Director Amanda Raven

will bring this seldom-produced Williams work to the university’s

Studio Theater for two weekends, March 2 through 11.

Shakespeare has never been quite as much fun as the Cole Porter

musical based on “The Taming of the Shrew.” It’s known as “Kiss Me,

Kate” and will hit the Claire Trevor Theater March 10 through 18

under the direction of UCI veteran Robert Cohen.

Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” probably is the most familiar play of

UCI’s new season. It will be back for a weekend’s engagement -- April

13 through 15 in the university’s Little Theater, with Brian Sivesind

directing.

From the most familiar play to the least recognizable, next up

will be “The Cripple of Inishmaan” by Martin McDonagh, in the

Winifred Smith Hall. Keith Fowler is directing, and the show will run

from April 21 to 29.

Closing out the UCI season will be Dylan Thomas’ poetic “Under

Milk Wood,” which will feature an all-undergraduate cast. It’s

scheduled for the Trevor from June 2 to 10, with Don Hill directing.

That’s not all UCI will offer. There will be an as-yetunselected

play with an all-undergraduate cast in the Little Theater from Feb.

23 to 25 and another all-undergrad show May 25 through 27 in the

Studio Theater.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Fridays.