STEFFENS: Welcome to Great Arts and Eastern. This is David Steffens, Dean of the College of Fine Arts. Today I’m joined by our faculty member in the Department of Theater, Leonard Madrid, and today we preview this weekend’s play performances. Leonard, what is the... what is the show we’re featuring this weekend? What can you tell us about what to expect as an audience?
LEONARD: Sure, it’s a play called The Clean House by Sarah Rule. Sarah Rule is one of the most popular playwrights out today, and this was her first huge work. Was a Pulitzer finalist in 2005, basically about a housemaid who hates cleaning house and devises a way that she doesn’t really have to clean house bonds with the sister of her boss and then finds out that her boss is having an affair. And then after that it’s comedy and tragedy and jokes and- and poetry all mixed together in this beautiful sort of Dreamscape of magical realism and poetry on stage. It’s quite beautiful.
STEFFENS: It sounds great. How many students are involved?
LEONARD: Oh wow. Let’s see, there are four in the cast and then we’ve have stage managers, assistant stage managers, sound designer, projection designer. So, a good 10 or 11 students that are involved. In all aspects of the production
STEFFENS: And what’s the running time for it? Is it an hour and a half or so?
LEONARD: It’s pretty close to an hour and a half. It’s a very short show and it... it goes by very quickly, even now after I’ve seen this play 1000 times. Intermissions like bounces at me. It’s always a surprise.
STEFFENS: And is it appropriate for all ages?
LEONARD: I would call this one PG13. We’re very proud to say that this entire season is family friendly. There is one curse word and then some people might have issue with references to having an affair. So, we’re we’re… we’re counting it as a PG13, so maybe 13.
STEFFENS: Very good. So, it runs this week, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and I believe those times are all at 7:00 PM.
LEONARD: Seven which show up early. Because it’s not like a movie where we let you in late so-
STEFFENS: … And then on Sunday, the final performance is at 2:00 PM, is that right?
LEONARD: Two matinees
STEFFENS: And you sell tickets through the box office in the University Theater Center, and there are discounted seats for military, active military, I believe, and for senior citizens, and I believe ENMU students are free admission.
LEONARD: Indeed, yes.
STEFFENS: And we’re also joined today by one student at the production, Mika. Welcome, Mika.
MIKA: Thank you.
STEFFENS: And tell us about your experience. What... what do you do in this production?
MIKA: So, I play the character Anna that really kind of embodies what. How hard morality and love can really play a game against each other. And it's just such beautiful storytelling with such lightheartedness. Even though there’s such a tragedy going around her, she’s still embodies such beauty and grace and Um. Yeah.
STEFFENS: So, there’s a mix of both comedy and tragedy,
MIKA: Yes.
STEFFENS: And how does that, how does that happen? How do you bring that out in in your role?
MIKA: So, I try and stay throughout the show, more lighthearted throughout everything because it’s… it’s like I said, embodies grace and you know, handling tragedy with just a smile on my face.
STEFFENS: Well, very good. Now, what else can we expect this season? Leonard, what are... what are the other shows coming up?
LEONARD: Oh, my gosh, am I excited to tell you we’re doing Bunnicula, the much beloved kids’ book. We’re doing the stage musical of that. And then in the spring, we’re doing a production of Native Gardens by one of my favorite playwrights of all time. Who’s Karen Zacharias. It’s a play about. A border war between two neighbors fighting for where their… their fence is supposed to go and then finally we’re closing with just a silly all out farce Comedy set at a funeral called Dearly Departed. So, all of it is family friendly and all of it is it’s I’ve never been so excited for a season. It’s going to be great.
STEFFENS: And so, in addition to be to buying a ticket the evening of a performance, season tickets are were also available. So that’s good to know indeed. So, one more time, just the dates and showtimes Thursday October five I believe it is through Sunday 3 evening performances at 7:00 PM and then one. Sunday matinee at 2:00 PM,
LEONARD: That’s right.
STEFFENS: And we hope to see you all there.
LEONARD: And come early. Come like 20 minutes early so you can get situated.
STEFFENS: Very good. Thank you.