Dear patrons and prospE'!ctive families,

We've had a memorable year at ACU Theatre and look forward to sharing the next one with you:

·o ur 25-year dream of adding a dance track to our academic program became a real ity last fall, cllong with the premiere in December 2018 of whatw e plan to be an annual tradition: One Night Only. Watch for it next February.

Guest artist Lily'Balogh cont inues as.our resident dance direct.or, She trained with the American Ballet Theatre and danced w ith the New York City Ballet, and is· a brilliant tap and contemporary dance artist.

Our annual NYC Showcase - a capsto ne performance for senior "B.F:A. musical theat re ·and -acting track ·students ~ will be presented in Man;:h td New York City •and Los _Angeles agents and casting directors at The Actors Temple Theatre, an .off-Broadway theatre . Nancy Carson, ·agent-owner of Carsbn°Adler, helped · us beg in this event in 2005 iri Abilene. Today, Ally Bonneau-Beans ('14), partner of Eisenberg/ Beans Casting to., now coord inates itfrom NYC.

The Tepper Semester is a unique program offe red by the Deparfrnent of Drama 9t Syracuse Uhiversity. It off~ rs undergrad s the opportunity tb immerse thems<;:lye~ in a rigorous artisHc training program in the culturally rich setting of NYC o ·ur students have been blessed through this extraordinary opport unity that form er chair Adam Hester ('77)' set into. mot ion in 2012. He and his Wife, Donna ('88 M.A.), began building our B.FA program in 1991 and co ntinue to se rve on our faculty.

• Next summer, the Abilene Shakespeare Festival will we lcome back a longtim e favorite, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and present an exciting regional premiere of Shakespeare in Love .

·•:

·:· .. . •·,

• Faculty membe'rs Sandy Freeman and Gary Varner retired in May but co ntinue th.eir legacies by serving as guest teache rs ·and designers. Catherine Gutting-Baumgardner ('99) and Jacob Harbour ('10) joined our design/tech faculty last fall.

• Did you know 90 percent of our stude nts head to NYC after graduation? We are blessed to have-theat re alumni in television, film, Broadw9y, national to urs, reg ional performance ; prod uction, directing, choreograp hy, theatr e mfnistry, and ed ucation in the arts. They live and work in NYC, LA, Chfcago, Atlanta, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin ·and other reg ional and intema tiona l hubs.

Faith & Art conversations co ntinue Jo take place each week in theatre chapel, led by faculty, guest'.artists and student s. Shari11g· the story of Christw lth each othe r is the most important thr.ead underscoring ·eve r,ything we do.

If you are interested in suppprting our Lights Up! donor co mml)nity, beco me a seasqn subsc riber, request to be added to 1heatre This Week (aur weekly news e-news letter), or learn more about how to auditio n for our depar tment as a student, please let us know .

Thank you for helping ACU Theat re to grow arid improve its missional t raining in the perfo rming arts. We seek God's path, striving to brin.g the story to life on stage

Bless ings,

L:Lf~P~ Dawne Swearingen Meeks ('95) Associat e professor of theatre and department chair

acu. edu/theatre Box office: 325 -674-ARTS Audition info: getacceptd.com/acutheatr e

... .

Actor-dancer Eean Cochran ('15), who is based in New York City, plays Phillip in the national tour of Hamilton , His previous national tours have included Dreamg irls, Bring It On. The Musical and Momma Mia. He also appe(:lred in the original producti on of Freaky Fricjay at La Jolla Playhouse .

Shae Candelaria ('09) has wo rked as a stage manager on Broadway (American Son, Saint Joan and A Bronx Tate) and nat ional tours of How the Grinch Sto le Christmas, A Christmas Story The Musica l, -Guys and Dolls, Matilda and Matthew Bourne-'s Cindeiella, plus My Fair Lady in Singapore .

. ..

Veteran Broadway aGtress Lara (Seibert '06) Young most recent ly performed in The Sting with Harry Connick Jr. and as Velma Kelly in Chicago afte r appea ring in the arena to ur, Hugh Jackman: Broadway to Oz, along with Broadway's Pippin, Big Fish and Young Frankenst ein.

FUNDRAISER

Two People in Love

Follow ing their ho neymoon, Je navene and Seth tou red th e co unt ry together in How the Gnnch Stole Chns tmas be fore she we nt on to appea r at New York Musical Fest iva l's Gree nwood and Mother Divi ne , Babe s in Toy/and at Linco ln Center (w ith Seth), and The So und o f Music (Paper Mill Playhouse and nati onal tou r) She wor kshopp ed The Bridges of Mad iso n County w ith Tony Awa rd-w inner Kelli O'Hara . Set h sang Franki Valli in Oh What a Night , tou ring the Caribbe an and Hawa iian Islands and playe d Huck Finn in 8 19 River reg ionally. ACU aud iences most recent ly saw the coup le in A fter Zoey, w ith or ig inal music by Jenav ene. Both are deep ly invo lved w ith Wellsp ring Church NYC, where Seth serves as pastor and Jenavene is p astor of care.

September 14, 2019 • 7:30 p.m. National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) • 102 Cedar St. Tickets $40 (Includes light hors d'oeuvre s) This event is not indud ed in the season ticket packages but is available as an add- on purchase.

~-"''f EAUTY

AND THE

EAST THE BRO

©Disney

HOMECOMING MUSICAL

"Beauty and the Beast revels in joy and enchantment"

- A.O. Scott, New York Times

Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice Book by Linda Woolverton Originally directed by Robert Jess Roth Originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions Directed by Dawne Swearingen Meeks

Choreography by Lily Balough

Featuring an ench anting score, Disney's Beauty and the Beast is a mesmerizing experience that e mbodi es the magic of the theatr e . Based on the classic fairy tale, Disney's Beauty and the Beast tells the story of an arrogant prince w ho is transformed into a hideous beast Placed under this spell by an enchantress, he must find a way to get the beautiful , bright Belle to love him before it is to o late and he is doomed to stay a beast forever . Join ACU Theatre as the "tale as old as time" returns in a beautiful and sumptuous new production!

October 18-20, 2019 (Friday and Saturday 8 p.m., Sunday 2 p.m .) Abil ene Convention Center Tickets $ 7-38 • Recomm ended for all ages

By Lillian Groag Directed by Adam Hester

It's 1942. In Germ<1ny, d issent is forbidden and the Gestapo stands ready to execute those who resist the Nazi:;. And yet, a handful of college students calling thernsel ves the White Rose are circul.afing pamphlets crlticizing the Fuhrer. When·21-year-0ld Sophie Scholl is .c.irrested in Munich with her brother, Hans, a loca l polic eman investigati'ng the case of the White Rose has to determine if they are confused children, dangerous rebe ls, or idealistic patriots.

. .

. : -: :· ... ··.

"It is possibly the most spectacular moment of resistance that I can think of in the 20th century ... The fact that five kids, in the mouth of the wolf ... had the tremendous cowrage to do what they did."

November 18-23, 2019 (Talkback following each performanc e) Fulks Theatre • 7:30 p.m.

- Lillian Groag , playwright

Tickets $18 • Recommended for age s 10 and olde r

ne

n Choreographed by Lily Balogh

Whimsical, energetic and ethereal, ACU Theatre's dancers petform a thrilling night of dance featuring faculty member Lily Balogh's innovative and original choreography. Last year's electric performances by the B.F.A. dance track majors and other ACU Theatre dancers was an awe-inspiring night for theatregoers.

February 29, 2020 Fulks Theatre • 7:30 p.m.

,.,

Tickets $20 (Includes light hors d'oeuvres) • Recommended for all ages

_{

When an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again before mom's big wedding Freaky Friday is a delightfully entertaining area premiere musical for anyon e with a perfectly imperfect family. Freaky Friday is a heartfelt, comedic and unexpectedly emotional update on an American classic. By spending a day in each other's shoes, Katherine and Ellie come to appreciate one another's struggles, learn self~acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter.

"Freaky Friday is frot hy fun!"

- James Hebert, The San Diego Union Tribune

Book by Bridget Carpenter Music by Tom Kitt Lyrics by Brian Yorkey Based on the novel Freaky

Friday by Mary Rodgers and the Disney films

Directed by Kari Hatfield Choreography by

Lily Balough

A NEW MUSICAL l

April 16-18, 24-25, 2020 (Talkback on April 24) Fulks Theatre • 7:30 p.m . (6:15 p .m. dinner option; see order form) Tickets $15-18 • Recommended for all ages

ABILENE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

June 19, 2S, 27, 2020 Fulks Theatre, 7:30 p.m. (Talkback on June 19) Recommended for ages13 and older

ABILENE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

.. ..::===~--_-:.·· By William Shakespeare

Directed by Gory Vom(!JI

June18,20,26,2020 Fulks Theatre. 7:30 p.m. (Talkback on June 26) Recommended for ages 10 and older

They're back! The fairies, the mortals, the rustics, the mayhem and the love! Vtl'hen the merry sprite Puck meddles with a magical love potion, young lovers bst in the woods mysteriously find themselves infatuated with the wiong person in this hilarbus, fairytale fantasia that

pioves the course of true bve never did run smoothly.

SHOWSTOPPER PACKAGE: $85 ($27 savings)-AII five shows Includes seats for the entire season - Homecoming Musical, Cornerstone, Winter Dinner Drama, Dance Premiere, and Spring Dinner Musical. You may trade your tickets for another date if a conflict arises.

FAB 4: $75 ($19 savings) -Your selection of four shows Choose four of the five shows you want to attend: Homecoming Musical, Cornerstone, Winter Dinner Drama, Dance Premiere, and Spring Dinner Musical. You may trade your tickets for another date if a conflict arises.

OPENING NIGHT: $70 ($33 savings)-Be the first to see the shows Best savings of all packages for opening nights (or Sunday matinee) of all shows. If you need to switch your ticket to another night you pay the full price difference. Any date in red is available for this package.

Dinners may be added at $20 each ($2 savings) to your season ticket price, provided you choose one of the dates in bold. You may pick and choose the dinner for either or both of the shows with dinner options.

2019 Homecoming Musical

2019 Cornerstone

Beauty and the Beast

The White Rose

2020 Winter Mystery Pack of Lies

-------~ 38 I included I□ included I $18 included D included

$18 included □ included

$20 included D included 2020 Dance Premiere One Night Only ______ .,... _________ ___, ___ _

2020 Spring Musical Freaky Friday $18 included D included

Your price per package

Savings -------■HM II RETURN MAIL-IN FORM ON OPPOSITE PAGE TO

ACU Theatre Season Tickets ACU Box 27843 Abilene, Texas 79699-7843 Box Office: 325-674-ARTS (2787)

Website: acu.edu/theatre Donna Hester: 325-674-2303 hesterd@acu.edu Fax: 325-674-6887

B CONTACT INFORMATION

NAME ADDRESS

HOME OR CELL PHONE CITY, STATE, ZIP

WORK PHONE EMAIL

II SELECT YOUR PREFERRED DATES ('Denotestalkback following the performance)

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 2019 Homecoming Musical Abilene Convention Center

THE WHITE ROSE 2019 Cornerstone Drama Fulks Theatre@7:30 p.m.

D 10/18 Friday@ 8 p.m. D 10/19 Saturday @8 p.m. D 10/20 SUnday@2 p.m.

D 11/18 Monday" D 11/19 Tuesday" D 11/20 Wednesday" D 11/21 Thursday" D 11/22 Friday" D 11/23 Saturday"

PACK OF LIES □ 2/13 Thursday □ 2/14 Friday 2020 Winter Mystery D 2/20 Thursday D 2/21" Friday

D 2/15 Saturday"" D 2/22 Saturday

Culp Theatre @7:30 p.m, ""Dinner option on 2/15 @ 6:15 p.m. Small theatre - no reserved seating but there will be accessible seats with no stairs

ONE NIGHT ONLY 2020 Dance Premiere Fulks Theatre@7:30 p.m.

D 2/29 Saturday (includes light hors d'oeuvres)

FREAKY FRIDAY D 4/16 Thursday D 4/17 Friday D 4/18 Saturday 2020 Spring Musical Comedy Fulks Theatre@7:30 p.m.

ACCESSIBILITY NEEDS

D 4/24 Friday" D 4/25 Saturday"" .. Dinner option on 4/25 @6:15 p.m.

D Vision/hearing D Stairs are difficult D Wheelchair (wheelchair spaces are first row side and last row side)

II SUBTOTAL

If you choose the Fab 4 package, place an "X" on the show you DON'T want included. If you choose the Opening Night package, please make sure you choose dates in red.

__ Number of Showstopper packages@ $85 each= $ __ _ __ Number of Fab 4 packages @$75 each= $ __ _ __ Number of Opening Night packages@ $70 each= $ __ _ __ Number of dinner add-ons@ $20 each= $. __ _

(select 2/15 and 4/25)

__ Number of Lights Up! Fundraiser Tickets@ $35 each= $ __ _ TOTAL DUE $ __ _

II PAYMENT INFORMATION

Type of payment: □ Check □ MasterCard □ VISA □ Discover □ American Express

CARD NUMBER EXP. DATE csv

~

•• OZ,cu THEATRE tran,lorming artl•t•

Abilene Christian University ACU Box 27843 Abilene, Texas79699-7843

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Abilene Christian

University

~