Spring 2021 theater season combines virtual and in-person sessions
Monday, January 25, 2021
Written by: Emily Hollingshead
Photo: Seminole State students presented "Five Women Wearing the Same Dress" virtually in November 2020. Five bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom, avoiding the wedding proceedings below. The play provided the students a way to perform safely from their own homes while the event was shown via Zoom.
From Shakespeare to Zora Neale Hurston, the Center for Fine and Performing Arts at Seminole State College of Florida spring arts season is sure to deliver! Since the school went remote last year, the center has excelled in making its performances accessible to the community. The spring season will also feature shows that are free and open to the public via Zoom and YouTube and even bring back a socially distant outdoor performance on the Sanford/Lake Mary Campus.
“Our students have shown unbelievable creativity and persistence in the wake of the pandemic, but I know they are thrilled at the chance to perform in person once more,” said Dean of Arts and Communication Michele Cuomo. “From classic comedies to historic cultural moments, our spring theater line up has something for everyone, and the center is devoted to exploring these stories while keeping our students and community safe.”
‘Love's Labour’s Lost’
Feb. 24, 7 p.m.
One of Shakespeare’s earliest comedies ‘Love's Labour’s Lost’ follows the King of Navarre and his three companions as they attempt to swear off the company of women for three years. However, once the Princess of France and her ladies enter the picture all bets are off. It is a classic play that features mistaken identities, merry mix-ups and royal high jinks that only Shakespeare can deliver.
This play will be available to the public via online viewing.
‘I Won’t Be Silenced: The Story of Zora Neale Hurston during the Trial of Ruby McCollum’
March 26, 7 p.m.
This virtual reading focuses on Zora Neale Hurston, the famed novelist, anthropologist and journalist, who travels to Live Oak, Florida to report on the biggest trial of the decade: the murder trial of Ruby McCollum. Hurston was excited to be able to tell the story from her perspective but was met with unforeseen challenges. On her journey, Hurston fights to find a way to make sure she tells the story the way it was meant to be told.
The virtual reading will be directed by Belinda Boyd, an associate professor at UCF, and will be available to the public via online viewing.
‘Combat of the Masks’
April 16 & 17, 7 p.m.
April 18, 2 p.m.
Hilarity and mayhem abound in this contemporary play done in the classic style of a Commedia D'elle Arte. Lucrezia and Cornelio seek to be married despite Lucrezia's engagement to Doctor Baloardo. However, Captain Sangre y Fuego desires Lucrezia for himself.
Health regulations permitting, Seminole State theater students will make their campus comeback with ‘Combat of the Masks’ by providing a socially distant outdoor performance. For those who wish to attend, masks and social distancing will be mandatory. Visit seminolestate.edu/arts/events/theatre for more information.
Please check the Center for Fine and Performing Arts' Facebook page before each event for more information.
Seminole State’s Center for Fine and Performing Arts offers programs in art, music and theater as well as a wide variety of concerts, theatre productions, gallery exhibits and other cultural events. For more information about the Center, including calendars of all upcoming cultural events at Seminole State, visit seminolestate.edu/arts and follow them on Facebook.