Northwestern Theatre and Dance in April

EVANSTON, Ill. --- “The Little Prince,” Rick Cummins and John Scoullar’s play for all ages, will open the Theatre and Interpretation Center (TIC) at Northwestern University’s spring 2012 performance season April 13 to 22. It is based on Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s popular French novella, which has been translated into more than 250 languages and dialects. The production will be performed at the Josephine Louis Theater and presented in association with The Actors Gymnasium.

In continued partnership with the National Theatre in London, TIC’s National Theatre Live (NT Live) season will include an April 24 broadcast of Oliver Goldsmith’s “She Stoops to Conquer,” also at the Louis Theater. Directed by British theatre director Jamie Lloyd, the comedy is a celebration of chaos, courtship and the dysfunctional family. 

The next installment of the Imagine U: Family Series will feature     Kevin Kling’s adaptation of Kevin Henkes book “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse.” Performances will take place April 13 through 22, at TIC’s Mussetter-Struble Theater. 

Performances of the 2012 Waa-Mu production, “Off The Map,” will take place April 27 through May 6, at Cahn Auditorium. 

The School of Communication’s department of performance studies is hosting an April 18 talk on the ways Hollywood films portray the disabled by guest speaker Carrie Sandahl. Sandahl is associate professor of disability and human development at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Her talk takes place at Annie Mae Swift Hall. 

Dance-related events include the exhibition “Step by Step: The History of Dance at Northwestern” from March 26 through May 11 and a related April 9 curator’s talk by Professor Susan A. Lee. There also will be an April 10 screening of the 2007 Emmy Award-winning “Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There” documentary. All three events will take place at Northwestern’s University Library. Steam Heat, a Northwestern student musical theatre ensemble, will perform April 20 and 21 at the Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center. 

All April events are open to the public and take place on Northwestern’s Evanston campus, as noted.

MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION

“The Little Prince,” 7 p.m. Friday, April 13; 7 p.m. Saturday, April 14; 2 p.m. Sunday, April 15; 7 p.m. Thursday, April 19; 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, April 20; 7 p.m. Saturday, April 21; and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at the Josephine Louis Theater, 20 Arts Circle Drive, Northwestern University’s Evanston campus. Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s novel “The Little Prince” comes to life under the direction of Lookingglass ensemble member and Northwestern University faculty member David Catlin. While rushing to get somewhere, an aviator crashes in the Sahara desert and, in his attempts to get unstuck, meets a strange and wonderful little prince. In a world moving so fast that an entire month may be lived within a single day, this classic all-ages tale of imagination, whimsy and unrequited love reminds us that “what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Post-show discussions with the production’s creative team will follow the April 13, April 15 and April 19 performances. Tickets are $25 for the general public; $22 for seniors and Northwestern faculty and staff and area educators; and $10 for full-time students. Northwestern students may purchase $5 tickets in advance, or $10 at will-call. For tickets, call (847) 491-7282 or visit www.tic.northwestern.edu. 

WAA-MU 2012

Waa-Mu 2012, ”Off The Map,” directed by David H. Bell, 8 p.m. Friday April 27; 8 p.m. Saturday, April 28; 2 p.m. Sunday, April 29; 8 p.m. Thursday, May 3; 8 p.m. Friday, May 4; 8 p.m. Saturday, May 5; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Northwestern University’s Evanston campus. This year’s Waa-Mu explores the Northwestern University student experience through the student-written music and performances that have earned Waa-Mu recognition as “the greatest college show in America.” Take a journey with members of the Waa-Mu cast as they venture beyond the Evanston campus to discover America. This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Single tickets for the general public are $30 (tier 1) or $25 (tier 2); $20 for seniors over 65 and Northwestern faculty, staff and area educators (tier 2); and $10 for full-time students (tier 2). Single and group tickets are on sale through the TIC Box Office. For tickets, call (847) 491-7282 or visit www.waamu.northwestern.edu.   

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE BROADCAST 

National Theatre Live broadcast, “She Stoops to Conquer,” 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, Josephine Louis Theater, 20 Arts Circle Drive, Northwestern University’s Evanston campus. Dominic Cooke, director of London’s Royal Court Theatre, is directing his first National Theatre Live production. The story features Hardcastle, a man of substance, who looks forward to acquainting his daughter with his old pal’s son with a view to marriage. But thanks to playboy Lumpkin, Hardcastle is mistaken by his prospective son-in-law Marlow for an innkeeper and his daughter for a local barmaid. The good news is, while Marlow can barely speak to a woman of quality, he is a charmer with those of a different stamp. As Hardcastle’s indignation intensifies, Miss Hardcastle’s appreciation for her misguided suitor soars. Oliver Goldsmith’s play is considered one of the greatest comedies of the English language. The Theatre and Interpretation Center’s National Theatre Live broadcasts are sponsored by a generous grant from the Alumnae of Northwestern. The program is partially sponsored by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council. Single tickets are $20 for the general public and $16 for full-time students. For tickets, call (847) 491-7282 or visit www.tic.northwestern.edu.

IMAGINE U: FAMILY SERIES 

“Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse,” by Kevin Henkes, adapted by Kevin Kling, and directed by Chelsea Taylor, 7 p.m. Friday, April 13; 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 14; 2 p.m. Sunday, April 15; 7 p.m. Friday, April 20; 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 21; and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at the Mussetter-Struble Theater, Theatre and Interpretation Center, 1949 Campus Drive, Northwestern University’s Evanston campus. Who doesn’t want to be Queen of Everything? With her brand new purple plastic purse and red cowboy boots, Lilly is a mouse-on-the-go, a force to be reckoned with, ready for anything. But, at age six, it can be easy to forget that other people have feelings, too. Based on the book of the same name, “Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse” is a fun and imaginative reminder to audiences young and old of lessons that sometimes can only be learned the hard way. This family program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. The production is recommended for children aged 5 to 10. Single tickets are $10. For tickets, call (847) 491-7282 or visit www.tic.northwestern.edu. 

PERFORMANCE STUDIES 

“Performance Studies: Scholarly Engagements in Performance” series talk by Carrie Sandahl, noon, Wednesday, April 18, Annie Mae Swift Hall, Alvina Krause Studio 1920 Campus Drive, Northwestern University, Evanston campus. Guest speaker Carrie Sandahl, associate professor of disability and human development at the University of Illinois-Chicago, will discuss “The Limitations of Accommodation: Disability and Aesthetic Innovation.” Sandahl’s new feature-length documentary and outreach project, “Code of the Freaks,” examines Hollywood images of disability from the 1920s to the present. The talk is hosted by the School of Communication’s department of performance studies. The admission-free event is open to the public. For more information, phone (847) 491-3171, email perf-studies@northwestern.edu or visit www.communication.northwestern.edu.

DANCE EXHIBITION 

“Step by Step: The History of Dance at Northwestern” exhibition opens March 26 and runs through May 11, at University Library, 1970 Campus Drive, on Northwestern University’s Evanston campus. As early as 1866, the Northwestern Female College (eventually absorbed into Northwestern University) offered calisthenics to its students “for a small extra charge." As Northwestern grew, dance and movement had several homes across the campus. In 1979, Northwestern Professor Susan A. Lee created a program in dance within the theatre department that honored dance as a distinct discipline. “Step by Step” traces the way dance came of age on Northwestern’s Evanston campus with a selection of archival material and dance-related figurines from Lee’s private collection. Lee will give a curator’s talk at noon Monday, April 9, at the exhibit on the main floor of the library. Exhibitions at University Library are open to the public daily from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.library.northwestern.edu or call (847) 491-7658. 

DANCE FILM SCREENING

Screening of “Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There” documentary, 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, in the Forum Room, second floor, South Tower, University Library, 1970 Campus Drive, on Northwestern University’s Evanston campus. Northwestern Professor Billy Siegenfeld -- founder, artistic director, principal choreographer and ensemble performing member of Jump Rhythm Jazz Project -- will screen his multiple Emmy Award-winning documentary “Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There.” Siegenfeld received an Emmy in 2007 for “Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera/Performer” for his work in “Getting There,” produced by HMS Media and aired on PBS. Admission is free.

DANCE PERFORMANCES

Steam Heat, 8 p.m. Friday, April 20, and 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, April 21, Marjorie Ward Marshall Dance Center, Ballroom Theater, 10 Arts Circle Drive, Northwestern University, Evanston campus. Members of Steam Heat, a Northwestern student musical theatre group,will sing, act and dance to live jazz music in a program combining dance forms and music styles. Tickets can be purchased at the door and are $10 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, email Danielle Kipnis at DanielleKipnis@gmail.com.