St. Charles Community College's Center Stage Theatre just released its lineup for the 2019-2020 season. The season kicks off on Sept. 25 and includes five shows of varying genres.
- Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Sept. 25-28, 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 26 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29.
Appropriate for middle school age and older.
This play is part one of Neil Simon's autobiographical trilogy. Brighton Beach Memoirs is a portrait of Simon as a young teen - named Eugene Jerome - in 1937 living with his family in a crowded, lower middle-class Brooklyn home. Eugene dreams of baseball and girls. This bittersweet memoir evocatively captures the life of a struggling Jewish household where, as his father states, "if you didn't have a problem, you wouldn't be living here."
- Proof by David Auburn
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, Nov. 13-16, 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 14 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17.
Appropriate for high school age and older.
Catherine, a troubled young woman, has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathematician. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions, the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire, and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that he left behind. Over the long weekend that follows, a burgeoning romance and the discovery of a mysterious notebook draw Catherine into the most difficult problem of all: How much of her father's madness - or genius - will she inherit? This play is the winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play.
- The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, March 4-7, 10 a.m. Thursday, March 5 and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 8.
Appropriate for middle school age and older.
A group of quirky strangers - one of whom is a murderer - is stranded in a boarding house during a snowstorm. One of the guests is murdered, and to discover the murderer, a wandering policeman probes the background of everyone present and rattles a lot of skeletons. This is a superb intrigue from the foremost mystery writer of her time.
- The Giver - adapted by Eric Coble from the Newbery Award-winning book by Lois Lowry
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, April 22-25, 10 a.m. Thursday, April 23 and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26.
Appropriate for middle school age and older.
Jonas' world is perfect. Everything is under control and safe. There is no war, fear or pain. But there are also no choices, and every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12, he is chosen for special training - to receive and keep the memories of the community - from The Giver. The Giver is the only person who holds the memories of real pain and joy. Now Jonas will learn the truth about life and the hypocrisy of his utopian world. Through this astonishing and moving adaptation, discover what it means to grow up, to grow wise and to take control of your own destiny.
- Urinetown, the musical - book by Greg Kotis, music by Mark Hollman, lyrics by Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, July 21-25 and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 26.
Appropriate for high school age and older.
Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, Urinetown is a hilarious, and touchingly honest, musical satire of the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, municipal politics and musical theatre itself. In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage caused by a 20-year drought has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission. Amid the people, a hero decides that he's had enough and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom.
SCC students are able to attend the play for free with SCC ID. The general public can purchase tickets for $5-8 at stchastickets.com or 636-922-8050. The campus is located at 4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville.
For the most current information regarding auditions and upcoming shows, visit the SCC Center Stage webpage at stchas.edu/centerstage and follow Center Stage Theatre on Facebook at facebook.com/SCCCenterStage.
For more information, contact Jean Deimund at jdeimund@stchas.edu or 636-922-8050.
St. Charles Community College strives to provide reasonable accommodations to all people at any SCC-sponsored event. Please contact Disability Support Services at dss@stchas.edu or 636-922-8581 as early as possible to discuss your needs.
St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit www.stchas.edu.