Miriam Ellis International Playhouse
The UCSC International Playhouse started in 2001 as a somewhat "wild UCSC" experiment; it has thus far presented almost 100 theater pieces -- ranging from classic and traditional works, to examples of somewhat experimental contemporary dramatic expression. The name change occurred in 2013, when thanks to the ceaseless and untiring efforts of then Cowell Provost Faye Crosby, and community member, Faye Alexander, who recruited a long list of donors, and due to the great generosity of Marieke and Jeff Rothschild, the Playhouse became fully endowed. Thus far, the languages that have been represented in programs include Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian and Spanish, all with English supertitles. Original presentations have been created by Language faculty and their students, a Japanese musical, and a Russian comic piece, were two of the most successfully conceived and performed. Works from the Japanese 1st century Kyögen school, deftly interpreted by Sakae Fujita and her hard-working students, gave us many comedic and pleasurable moments. Students trained diligently to capture the stylized modes of movement and linguistic expression demanded of the genre, rarely performed in the US, except by visiting troupes, generally touring major cities. From the rich domain of theatrical literature of the past, MEIP has offered works in Spanish, French, Chinese, and Russian, as well as Japanese. On occasion, directors in German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and French have adapted appropriate short stories or works from other literary genres, for their students to interpret dramatically.
Students participating in the Playhouse can earn up to 5 credit units. We're always looking for new talents on and off stage (actors, videographers, photographers etc.)
Friday, May 31, Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 7 PM
