Theater, music series will debut in 2012

 

 

PULLMAN, Wash. – Second City will be a first. When the legendary Chicago comedy sketch theater performs in Pullman on Feb. 15, it will kick off the new WSU Main Stage theater series. And that, in turn, will be followed by more new performance series highlighting theater, film and music.

All will be presented by WSU Performing Arts (WSUPA), which was formed in 2011 to promote cultural and artistic connections for WSU and surrounding communities. 

Community participation

 

WSUPA  is a complementary unit to WSU’s Beasley Coliseum. While the coliseum can accommodate thousands, WSUPA’s venues in Daggy Hall provide a more intimate atmosphere – seating just under 400 in Jones Theatre and about 150 in Wadleigh Theatre.

 

Both the Beasley and WSUPA strive to be self-sustaining through ticket sales and facility rentals. Jones and Wadleigh theaters are available for student and community groups to rent. The student groups STAGE (theater) and Nuthouse (comedy improvisation) already make use of the facilities.

 

Program and performance sponsors also help to defray costs. More information can be found here.    

 

In addition, WSUPA will lend portions of its 80-year costume collection to area theater groups. Mary Trotter is in charge of the collection, which is being relocated to the former Bookie building for storage. Contact her at 509-335-7447 or mary.trotter@wsu.edu.

Both the Beasley and WSUPA are overseen by Mel Taylor, executive director of WSU Real Estate and Local Relations. The Daggy Hall facilities allow WSU to bring a greater variety of performing arts to the area, he said.

 

WSUPA draws on the event management expertise of the Beasley crew to help minimize production costs.

Gail Siegel, director of WSUPA, said she is excited about bringing diverse entertainment to the Palouse. She enjoys working with visiting artists, having worked as director of the University of Idaho Prichard Art Gallery before joining WSU in 2003. Prior to her WSUPA position, she was senior public relations/communication coordinator and arts liaison for the WSU College of Liberal Arts.

 

Following Second City, the Main Stage theater series will continue with “What the Butler Saw” in April. Siegel said the plan for the series is four annual performances.

The same goes for the World Stage music series, which has shows scheduled for March and April, and the Family Theatre series (no performances scheduled yet).

 

Siegel anticipates that the number of WSUPA performances will slowly grow over the next few years. Beginning in 2013, she hopes to introduce a Film Stage series to bring “well-regarded film actors, directors and screenwriters to WSU Pullman” for a week of film screenings and talks.

 

A future goal is to create a signature event – the World Stage Music Series and Festival – which Siegel describes as a “sensory experience of sound and taste.” The festival will use multiple campus facilities and provide a rich and diverse cultural experience for the audience, she said.