More Reviews for CSU Summer Stages

Check out some more fantastic reviews for CSU Summer Stages.

From Tony Brown at the Pee Dee:

Now in its third and strongest season, the mixed professional-student company succeeds best at its two extremes, the heart-rending death-drama "The Shadow Box" and the farcical outer-space musical "Return to the Forbidden Planet."

...Quinton's masterfully balanced reincarnation of "The Shadow Box,"... the extremely well-disciplined nine-member cast...

Mauldin pulls out all the nutty stops for his scatterbrained production of the wafer-thin but highly entertaining "Return to the Forbidden Planet"... Several students turn in exemplary performances, too, including dashing dork Lew Wallace as the Capt. Kirk hero, brawny Lawrence Charles as the Caliban-esque Cookie, John Paul Soto as a sweet-voiced, roller-skating robot version of Ariel and fresh-faced Melissa Crum as Miranda.

Christine Howey at Rave & Pan:

With the playwright borrowing liberally from Shakespeare’s The Tempest (on which the original flick was based) and his other works, the dialogue in Return ranges from elegant to glibly idiotic. And since it’s all played for maximum fun and minimum reflection, it all seems appropriate

And don't forget about this weekend's performances!

• Thursday: The Shadow Box (Benefit performance for Hospice of the Western Reserve)
• Friday: Chekhov in Yalta
• Saturday and Sunday*: Return to the Forbidden Planet

All performances at 8pm except *2pm.
Box office: 216.687.2109

SCENE Magazine can't get enough of CHEKHOV

When a review starts off like this:

When a theater critic encounters unexpected radiance on stage — as in CSU's production of Chekhov in Yalta — he has to struggle to prevent himself from becoming a cliché-spouting sycophant.

you know you're in for a good time.

Read the rest of Christie Howey's review of Chekhov in Yalta in Scene Magazine, then come see it for yourself.

Okay, I can't stop myself, here's another quote:

The production itself was like watching alchemy happen. To start at the top, we pay tribute to the director Cathy Hartenstein. Rarely has the magic hand of a skilled director been so evident. She brings effective casting, an understanding of the historical character's nuance, style and period, and created incredible visuals with blocking and pacing.

WCPN's Around Noon with Dee Perry

Dr. Mauldin and Greg Violand discuss CSU Summer Stages with Dee Perry on WCPN's Around Noon, along with John Paul, Lew and Melissa singing songs from Return to the Forbidden Planet and Amy and Doug perform a scene from Chekhov in Yalta.

This week's performances:
Thursday, July 16th: Return to the Forbidden Planet
Friday, July 17th: The Shadow Box (Benefit performance for The Hospice of the Cleveland Clinic)
Saturday and Sunday*, July 18th and 19th: Chekhov in Yalta

All shows are at 8pm except *at 2pm.

CSU SummerStages Are GO!

Cleveland State University Summer Stages, downtown Cleveland's only professional summer theatre company, is proud to announce its third season, returning with another three shows this summer, operating in rotating repertory with a five week run.

Our flagship musical is Return to the Forbidden Planet, written by Bob Carlton, directed by Program Chair Dr. Michael L. Mauldin, a 50’s/60’s jukebox musical which combines the science fiction movie Forbidden Planet with Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Dr. Mauldin was previously seen as Captain Hook in the Beck Center's production of Peter Pan and in CSU Summer Stages' Rough Crossing.

We will also be presenting the farcical Chekhov in Yalta, by Jeffrey Haddow and John Driver, directed by Cleveland Playhouse Education Director Cathy Hartenstein, full of low comedy and high tragedy, this historically-informed comedy features famed playwright Anton Chekhov and Stanislavsky’s Moscow Art Theatre.

Rounding out the season is the 1977 Pulitzer and Tony Award winning drama The Shadow Box, by Michael Cristofer, directed by Everett Quinton. The Shadow Box, full of hope and heartbreak, tells the story of three very different families each facing an impending death in their own unique way. New York legend Everett Quinton is a founding member of CSU Summer Stages and has been seen in every CSU Summer Stages production except for last year's hit Dark of the Moon, which he directed.

Being the resident theatre company of CSU, much of the cast and crew is composed of CSU Dramatic Arts students and alumni. After bringing in actors, directors and choreographers from New York and California for two seasons, we have refocused our efforts on local growth, and we are proud to announce that we are the biggest summer employer of union actors in the region. A significant presence in the downtown arts scene, CSU Summer Stages presence will only expand when CSU’s Dramatic Arts’ proposed move to Playhouse Square Center’s Allen Theatre.

The shows run in rotating repertory from July 9th through August 9th, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are $15 each, and discounts are available for season tickets and groups of ten or more. Free street parking is available, and parking in CSU lot S1 (East 24^th Street between Chester & Payne) is only $4, with a coupon available at www.csuohio.edu/theater.

Box office: 216.687.2109

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