By
Lana Hensley
If you are tired of shopping, you might consider taking in a theater production. Weather and road conditions permitting, theater is a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment to get out of the house for a few hours and support local acting talent. There are several local theater options in central Indiana. However, if you would like to stay closer to home, another option is to find out if your local high school theater is hosting any upcoming productions.
Muncie’s
theaters are steeped in history. Emens Auditorium, Strother Theatre and
University Theater are all located on Ball State University campus.
Emens
Auditorium. “Emens was built in 1964 and dedicated on October 25, 1964,”
said Bob Myers, director of Emens. “Emens was built at a cost of $3 million,
half of which was donated by local businesses, citizens, faculty/staff and
students.”
The auditorium holds 3,410 people. The sneak preview of the first performance
that took place at Emens was the March 14, 1964 showing of “Fred Waring.”
Myers described the actors who perform at Emens as high caliber.
“Professional touring companies from around the globe perform at Emens,” he
said. “It’s a professional roadhouse.”
Upcoming
productions at Emens Auditorium:
January
Jazz
concert featuring Terence Blanchard with Anthony Molinaro and Howard Levy.
January 19-7:30 p.m.
Muncie
Symphony Orchestra. January 24,7:30 p.m.
Ball
State School of Music Opera, Die Fledermaus. January 30 and 31, 7:30 p.m.
February
Opera
Verdi Europa: Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagilacci. February 18, 8 p.m.
Seussical
the Musical. February 14,
7:30 p.m.
Stomp.
February 24-25, 7:30 p.m.
For
more of February’s schedule as well as the rest of the season, pick up a
brochure at Emens.
Tickets are available for purchase in person at the Emens box office located in front of Emens on campus. The box office is open Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and two hours prior to each performance. For more information call (765) 285-1539 or toll free 877-99-EMENS. To charge tickets by phone via Ticket Master (765) 644-3131, visit any Ticket Master location or www.ticketmaster.com. Emens also has a website listing upcoming productions, bsu.edu/emens.
Strother
Theater, which seats 110 people, is an experimental theater that can be used
in several ways.
“It
is an intimate setting for the actors,” said Andrea Prestinario, student
office assistant. Students have to audition to be in the theater department, she
added.
Studio
Theatre Box Office is located just outside the Edward S. Strother Theatre at the
north end of the Arts and Communications Building on the Ball State campus. The
box office is open only for performances. Tickets for studio productions can
also be purchased at the university theater box office from 1-5pm weekdays.
Strother Theatre phone: (765) 285-8755. Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for
the general public per show.”
University
Theatre has been doing productions for some 70 years. Jennifer Blackmer,
managing director of University Theatre, said that the oldest production record
is from 1936.
“Our
actors are students with exception of occasional faculty members who perform,”
Blackmer added. “Sometimes professional equity actors, which are in the United
States official actors union, come in to act with students during the summer
Shakespeare program.”
During
past summers, the Shakespeare programs have been held at Minnetrista but the
group recently moved back to campus, and all participants in the program –
actors, designers and director – are paid.
Upcoming
Productions at University Theatre:
Our
Town runs February 18-21 at
8 p.m. and February 22 at 2:30 p.m.
A
Flea in Her Ear runs April
1-3 and 7-10 at 8 p.m. and April 4 at 2:30 p.m.
Festival
of Dance 2004 runs April
22-24 at 8 p.m. and April 25 at 2:30 p.m.
The
box office is open 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and one hour before performances. It
is located in the lower lounge of University Theatre across the plaza south of
Bracken Library. The box office phone is (765) 285-8749.
Muncie
Civic Theatre
The
historic Muncie Civic Theatre organization is 72 years old, and the building
itself is 123 years old, said Darrin Murrell, executive director of Muncie
Civic. The civic theatre has been in operating out of the current building since
1961.
“This
building, before it was Muncie Civic Theatre from 1904-1931, was vaudeville
theatre, The Star Theatre,” Murrell said. From 1931 to 1953 it was The Hoosier
Movie House. The building was empty from 1953 to 1961.
“We
are a community theater so our actors are non-professionals,” Murrel
explained. “They’re amateur hobbyists and enthusiasts who live in the
community but we still strive for professional productions by hiring quality
directors and designers to support the actors.”
Upcoming
productions at Muncie Civic:
January
20-31, Feb. 5-7: A Few Good Men.
Feb.12-15:
Lily, The Felon’s Daughter.
March
5-6, 11-14: Bye
Bye Birdie.
April
23, 24, 29, 30 and May 1: The
Robber Bridegroom.
To
contact Muncie Civic Theatre, call the box office at (765) 288-7529 or check out
the website, munciecivic.org . Tickets range from $5-$17.