FAU Presents a Summer Full of Entertainment
BOCA RATON, Fla. (May 13, 2014) – Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Theatre and Dance in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters has announced its summer lineup for Festival Repertory Theatre 2014. The tragicomedy “August: Osage County” will run from Friday, June 27 through Saturday, July 26; the musical “Bonnie and Clyde” will run from Saturday, July 5 through Sunday, July 27; there will be a Piano Gala on Friday, Aug. 1 at 7 p.m.; and the Rep will conclude with two big band concerts on Saturday, Aug 2 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 3 at 2 p.m. All shows are at the University Theatre and Studio One Theatre at 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. Tickets can be purchased by calling 800-564-9539 or visiting www.fauevents.com. For more information or for a full schedule of the performances, visit www.fau.edu/festivalrep.
“August: Osage County,” a play by Tracy Letts, tells the dark, hilarious and deeply touching story of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose lives have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Midwest house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them. Letts’ play made its Broadway debut in December 2007 after premiering at Chicago’s legendary Steppenwolf Theatre earlier that year. It continued with a successful international run.
“Bonnie and Clyde,” a musical written by Ivan Menchell, is the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, who meet in the middle of the Great Depression when Clyde tries to steal Bonnie’s mother’s car. Bonnie, who is bored by her job as a waitress, is intrigued with Clyde, and decides to take up with him and become his partner in crime. They do some holdups, but their amateur efforts, while exciting, are not very lucrative. They turn from pulling small-time heists to robbing banks and their exploits also become more violent. The play opened in California in November 2009 and debuted on Broadway in December 2011. It was nominated for three Outer Critics Circle Awards and five Drama Desk Awards, both including Best New Musical, as well as two nominations for the 2012 Tony Awards.
Festival Repertory Theatre will close out the summer with a four-piano extravaganza and two concerts with the FAU ‘Swing Era Jazz Band’ playing hits from the golden age of the big bands, including works by Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Count Basie, Benny Goodman and more.
“Festival Rep,” now in its 16th year, will once again feature professional equity actors working alongside FAU’s finest graduate students in their last production before they graduate and enter the world of professional theatre.
FAU’s Festival Rep is sponsored by Bank of America, the R. A. Ritter Foundation, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, the Wyndham Boca Hotel, Delray Sands Resort, Fairfield Inn and Suites and Living Room Theaters.
– FAU –
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six-county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of three signature themes – marine and coastal issues, biotechnology and contemporary societal challenges – which provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.