Special Summer Issue 2015 l TechNews campus@,echnewsm,com 12:!!! : E3 3
33rd Street Productions gearing

up for a fantastic semester

Reno Waswil
TECHNEWS WRITER

Art does more than entertain us;
it inspires us, challenges us, and is just really
fun to make as well. That is the philosophy
behind lIT’s student-run theatre group 33rd
Street Productions where IIT, Vandercook,
and Shimer students come together and put
on some of the best theatre productions in
the business. Perhaps you have heard of, or
were lucky enough to see for yourself one of
their famous performances, and perhaps you
too have considered yourself worthy of the
opportunity to escape yourself within the
wonders of a world of imagination. If this
idea intrigues you and you would like to see
the scenic magic for yourself, or, dare I say it, if
YOU want to be a part of a true institution of
an organization, you’re in luck; the upcoming
fall semester has so much to offer your stage—
lusting heart.

Speaking of lust, the first show
on 33rd’s agenda is David Ives’ 2010 award-
winning production inspired by and
subsequently named after Leopold von Sacherr
Masoch’s novel Venus in Furs. This two-person
play, or play-within-a-play, investigates the
ever—so-fragile power dynamic of the writer—
director Thomas Novachek as he is trying to
cast his own adaptation of the risqué novel, and
actress Vanda, who arrives to audition for the
lead character Wanda von Dunayev, a role for
whom our writer/director has heretofore been
unable to find someone worthy. Surrounding
the gripping series of events that takes place
during the reading with Novachek playing
the part of Severin von Kushemski, the show
is a must see and a great introduction to the
kinds of things 33rd Street Productions is
planning all next year. Tuesday, August 18th,
in the wakes of Welcome Week, at 5:30 PM in

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the Hermann Hall Auditorium, is when you
can expect to see for yourself the first show
of a jam-packed semester. Keep an eye out for
advertisements for the event; you’ll know them
when you see them.

Once you have seen the play,
you might be wondering yourself how you
might approach being a part in one of 33rd’s
productions, well you are in luck, because
shortly after Venus in Furs makes its IIT
debut, auditions are scheduled for the three
upcoming productions they are planning for
the semester from August 31st to September
3rd in the Herman Hall Auditorium. There are
a lot of roles to fill, so whether you are a theatre
veteran or have never been on a stage in your
life, don’t be afraid to try out for a role; you just
might be exactly what they' re looking for.

The first and by far the largest
and most time-intensive performance that
auditions are being held for is their fall musical,
Avenue Q. Mixing puppetry and live-action,
Avenue Q touches on and finds humor from
adult themes and situations with an element of
absurdity at their presentation, being similar
to that of children’s programing, most notably
Sesame Street, with numerous similarities
in story—telling styles and characterization
between the two. The show is scheduled to
debut November 13th, and run for two weeks
on each Friday and Saturday evening. Making
this show will not be easy, so that’s why 33rd
needs all the help it can get in bringing it to
life. Students interested in trying out for this
performance should prepare a short, one-
to two- minute comedic monologue and be
prepared to sing an Avenue Q song during the
audition dates above. Monologues can be from
a play, from a book, or if you fancy yourself a
writer, one you’ve written yourself, as long as it
shows off your ability to read comedic content

All incoming students are

compellingly. For the sake of ease, acceptable
songs and comedic monologues will be
available at the auditions, so there is no reason
to not try out.

In addition to their musical, in
anniversary of former Illinois Governor
Quinn signing same sex marriage into law in
2013, 33rd is also casting for their second run
of Standing on Ceremony: the Gay Marriage
Plays, which is back by popular demand from
last year’s showcase. Deemed by playbill.com
as, “a staged reading benefiting the Human
Rights Campaign,” Standing On Ceremony
presents a set of short plays connected by a
deeper message of gay tolerance, rights, and
most centrally, as the name suggests, marriage.
Powerful, beautiful, and at times, exceptionally
funny, 33rd is looking for open-minded
students who can pull off some compelling
and sometimes shocking character types in
an amusing way for this performance. The
performance is scheduled for September 25th
and 26th, and if all goes to plan, in the glory of
the serine wilderness (in other words, outside)
to make it as joyous an occasion as physically
possible. Auditions will entail selected readings
from the play, so if this play interests you,
don’t hesitate to wait with bated breath for the
August 3lst audition date.

The third will be a story-telling
showcase that exemplifies elements of horror,
suspense, and mystery called Tales of Torture,
Mystery, and the Macabre. This show is
expected to utilize the theatre-in-the-round
style setting of Keating’s Basketball Court
to capture a story-telling atmosphere, and is
planned to take place right after the annual IIT
Pumpkin Launch held every Family Weekend.
Your nameless host will present to you three
classic, spine-chilling short stories from some
of the greatest horror writers of history: The

on Friday, August 14!

Squaw, by Bram Stoker, Accessory Before the
Fact by Algernon Blackwood, and The Masque
of Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe, with special
appearances by some surprising names. For
this performance, 33rd is in need of some
actors with a knack for Drama, Suspense, and
capital ‘R’ Romance. Students auditioning will
be asked to read one of the selected readings
from the performance, so catch up on your
Gothic poetry. . .while you still have time.

Students can audition for any
combinations of the plays that they’d like, and
if willing, students may even get more than
one role. For safe measure though, it is highly
recommended that you practice some of the
songs for the musical over the summer for the
best chances of getting a part in it.

To learn more about upcoming
events, audition dates, and expectations, head
over to 33rd Street Productions’ Facebook
page at www.facebook.com/33rd.iit, or write
them at 33rd.iit@gmail.com and make sure
to keep an eye out for advertisements for the
auditions placed at strategic points around the
campus. If you don’t find time in your busy
schedule this semester but still want to stay in
the loop, liking the Facebook page also gives
you the lowdown on future auditions, like for
the Shakespeare play planned for Spring 2016,
and more information on the performances on
some of the best in the business.

Finally, all that learning of scripts
and rehearsing isn’t your thing, keep an eye
out for advertisements about 33rd Street
Productions’ exclusive Improv Troupe 25ense
Improv, which is planning some great stuff for
the upcoming semester too. To learn more, you
can go to their Facebook page at https://www.
‘faceboolccom/untitledimprou or contact
33rd Street directly via the methods described
above.

expected to be back on campus

Be sure you are moved into your Residence Hall room in

time for Convocation at 3:30 pm (Friday, August 14) for an

official welcome to "T!

Parent Reception starts at 5:30 pm in
The Bog.

Student Activities kick-off at 6:00 pm in the
Hermann Hall Expo!

For the latest on Welcome Week, visit:

weh.iit.edu/cam us-Iife/events/welcome-week