The fall production of the University of Science and Arts Theatre Arts program is Tony Award-nominee David Ives’ The School for Lies. The play is based on Moliere’s The Misanthrope, a popular satire that premiered in 1666.
Ives prefers Shakespeare to the French playwright Moliere, and his adaptation replaces some of the original show elements with classical conventions stolen from the Elizabethan stage, according to the playwright’s production notes.
“Moliere’s audience was tolerant of long speeches and long plays,” said Katie Davis, professor of theatre arts and program coordinator. “We love this adaptation because it condenses all of the social commentaries into one fast-moving act.”
Ives prefers Shakespeare to the French playwright Moliere, and his adaptation replaces some of the original show elements with classical conventions stolen from the Elizabethan stage, according to the playwright’s production notes.
“Our students still get to learn techniques for classical acting, but we have a story to tell that will be understandable and relevant to our audiences,” said Davis. “In particular, we are having fun mocking society’s habits, phoniness, legal threats, and other ‘first world problems.”
The Theater and Arts production involves students from all major fields of study, including actor and economics major James Mounger who describes the show as funny, raunchy, disrespectful, with lots of references to pop culture.
The show will premiere on Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. with another showing on Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the Davis Hall Little Theater.
