5X’s School of Theatre and Dance continues its 2013-2014 season with Joseph Stein and Will Glickman’s comedic pop culture depiction of Amish life, Plain and Fancy. The show runs from Oct. 25-Nov. 3 in the E. Turner Stump Theatre, 1325 Theatre Drive, in the Center for the Performing Arts (formerly known as the Music and Speech Center).
For tickets, call 330-672-ARTS (2787), purchase online at or in person at the Performing Arts Box Office located in the Roe Green Center lobby at 1325 Theatre Drive, Monday - Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $16 for adults; $14 for Kent State alumni, faculty and staff; $12 for seniors (60+); and non-Kent State students age 18 and under are $8. Tickets for full-time, Kent Campus undergraduates are free of charge. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $10 per person. The box office accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, checks and cash.
First performed at New York’s Mark Hellinger Theater in 1955, Plain and Fancy was one of the first portrayals of Amish community life in American pop culture and endures as a comedic gem, which both reveals and entertains amidst the clash of cultures and beliefs. The show shares many of the same themes of tradition, family and community as scribe Joseph Stein’s more well-known work Fiddler on the Roof.
Plain and Fancy is directed by Terri Kent, professor and director of Kent State’s musical theatre program and artistic director of Porthouse Theatre. Natalie Rosmarin serves as the assistant director. The production features costume design by April Rock, scenic design by Raynette Halvorsen Smith, lighting design by Jakyung Seo, technical direction by Steve Pauna and production stage management by Joshua Brown. Notably, the cast features returning professional graduate student Greg Violand as Papa Yoder. Violand, a well-known actor throughout Northeast Ohio, was recently cast in another project related to the Amish community, the upcoming film Love Finds You in Sugarcreek.
“Supported by a lush score and a great book, this show is a visual feast,” says Kent. “Our team did not shy away from the production challenges that are often associated with this show, successfully collaborating to meet the unusual demands of having a car, an Amish buggy and a barn-raising on stage.”
The opening of Plain and Fancy on Oct. 25 coincides with the 100th anniversary celebration of Kent State’s School of Theatre and Dance. A scholarship fundraising dinner will take place in the Erdmann-Zucchero Theatre on Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. Tickets, including dinner, admission to Plain and Fancy, and a $25 tax-deductible donation are $100 per person. Tickets for only dinner and admission to Plain and Fancy are $75 per person. To make your reservation, contact Pam Huston at phuston1@kent.edu or 330-672-8334 by Oct. 22.