Baker University students and Baldwin City residents will be able to experience several productions by the theater department and entertainment through the Artist & Lecture Series events this year.
The theater season will begin Sept. 28 with “Story Theater” directed by Assistant Professor of Theater Tom Heiman.
“It’s a collection of ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales’,” Heiman said. “People think it’s going to be a children’s story, but no.”
“Story Theater” will be followed by a variety of other plays, including “Comedy of Errors” by William Shakespeare and “Angel Street” by John Patrick.
“We set down to select stuff we hadn’t done in a while,” Heiman said. “We’re doing a thriller in the second semester. ‘Angel Street’ is one of those who’s gonna die next sort of things.”
Bruce Woodruff, department chair of theater arts, said both older and newer plays were taken into consideration for the season selection.
“Each of the productions are so challenging in their own way. I think maybe I’m looking forward to the Shakespeare the most, because Shakespeare tends to be very challenging for us because of the number of people involved.”
The Artist & Lecture Series events will also provide entertainment for the Baker campus. Series director Susan Buehler said she also hopes to draw residents from the community to several of the presentations, including the series opener Sept. 19, the “Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater Company.”
“That’s going to be geared especially toward families and students in the Baldwin school district,” Buehler said. “It’s kind of a community outreach thing that’s geared for families.”
The series will make a new move this year, showing an event during the weekend of Maple Leaf Festival. With the “Battle of Blackjack” having been moved to Lawrence, Rice Auditorium is available for “Red, Hot…& Blue!,” a big band show from Branson, Mo., Buehler said.
“It’s been awhile since we’ve had a performance on Maple Leaf,” she said. “You’re never really sure if people are going to take time out of their day for a performance.”
Baker alumnus Kevin Mahogany will be returning to perform a jazz concert Nov. 8, which will be a fund-raiser for the Baldwin Lumber Yard Arts Center Project.
Buehler said many things are considered before actually choosing an act for an Artist & Lecture Series event.
“From a cultural standpoint, we try to bring things in from the outside,” she said. “First, we are looking for things that we think are quality groups or individuals.”