EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University has announced that Summer Circle Theatre will return for its 60th anniversary this year. The season will run from June 9-26.
There will be four productions performed for the season. The first one will be the 1972 musical Pippin. The play follows a prince who is searching for his purpose. The show’s music and lyrics were written by Stephen Schwartz, and the book was written by Roger O. Hirson. The Summer Circle Theatre performance will be directed by Ron Roznowski, with music direction by Dave Wendelberger. The musical is described as appropriate for all ages. The performances will be on June 9, 10, and 11 at 8 p.m., as well as June 12 at 6:30 p.m.
The second show will be the 2007 play Distracted. The play follows the mother of 9-year-old Jesse, who looks for answers about why her energetic creative child is unable to concentrate in school. The play was written by Lisa Loomer. The Summer Circle Theatre’s performance will be directed by Ryan Welsh. The show is described as appropriate for ages 13 and up. The performances will be on June 16, 17, and 18 at 8 p.m., as well as June 19 at 6:30 p.m.
White Rabbit Red Rabbit will have an actor be given a script at the start of the performance without any rehearsal or preparation. The script was written by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour and examines his status as a censored writer. The show is described as having adult themes. The performances will be on June 17, 18, 24, and 25 at 10 p.m. The final performance of the season will be the 2012 play The Play That Goes Wrong. The show is set in the 1920s and follows accident-prone actors who are trying to get their way through to their final curtain call. The script was written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. A television version titled The Goes Wrong Show premiered on BBC One in 2019. The Summer Circle Theatre performance will be directed by Brad Willcuts. The show is described as appropriate for all ages. The performances will be on June 23, 24, and 25 at 8 p.m., as well as June 26 at 6:30 p.m.
The 2022 Summer Circle Theatre season will begin on June 9. The performances are free to attend. More information about the season can be found on MSU’s website.
