The Moby-Dick Variations

Like Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick, this production is about perspective and multiculturalism, according to a news release from the Department of Theatre and Dance. Unlike the novel, The Moby-Dick Variations is set in the present and investigates the disappearance of the human animal from the natural landscape.

Conceived and directed by John Zibell, candidate for a Master of Fine Arts in directing, and devised by the production company.

WHEN

• Thursday-Saturday, May 5-7 and 12-14 — 8 p.m.
• Sunday, May 8 and 15 — 2 p.m.

WHERE: Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

TICKETS: $17 general admission; $12 students, children and seniors. Advance tickets are available online (click on “Purchase Tickets Now!”), or in person or by telephone at the Mondavi Center box office, (530) 754-2787 or (866) 754-2787.

RATING: PG-13 (a motion picture rating that states: “Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13")

Read the complete news release.

Shakespeare (abridged)

The Davis Shakespeare Ensemble describes The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) as "an irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard’s 37 plays." Directed by Gia Battista.

WHEN

• Thursday-Sunday, May 12-15 and 19-22 — 8 p.m.
• Sunday, May 12 and 19 — 2 p.m.

WHERE: Arboretum gazebo

TICKETS: $12 adults, $8 students, $5 children 12 and under. Reservations: davis.shakespeare@gmail.com.

MORE INFORMATION: Online or by e-mail, davis.shakespeare@gmail.com.

The Department of Theatre and Dance takes us to the edge two more days, at the Edge Performance Festival. Then, in May, the department presents Moby Dick Variations.

Also in May, the Davis Shakespeare Ensemble, in association with Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum, presents The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) in the arboretum gazebo.

The new Edge Performance Festival opened April 15 with Main Stage Dance and Solo Explorations, with each of those shows presented two or more times over the festival’s nine-day run. Undergraduate One-Act Plays also are being presented multiple times, and two of those shows are still to come, along with the Festival Cabaret and a second midnight showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Undergradute One-Act Plays — Three new works, all of which are included in performances at 8 o’clock tonight and tomorrow night (April 22 and 23) in Lab A, Wright Hall.

• Brother(s) at War, by Michael Lutheran, directed by Sarah Birdsall — The play looks at how a person deals with simultaneous conflicts that are both external and internal in nature. The play begins with the main character, Sean, returning to his barracks after witnessing terrible atrocities in combat, then follows the dramatic tension of Sean's coping process.
• How to Grieve, by Ashler Chandler, directed by Sabba Rahbar — Rahbar said Chandler's work “is about dealing with grief in our own way and recognizing that no two people's grief is the same.” Despite the emotion, the play feels more like a dark comedy than a starkly dramatic piece, Rahbar said. The piece traverses emotional ground in visually interesting ways. For example, Amanda, the main character, wears a bright green dress to celebrate her mother’s life, rather than black to mourn her mother’s death.
• The Ballad of a Tangerine, by Karen Baldomero, directed by Jennifer Adler — The playwright described her work as the “culmination of my four years as an Asian American studies major and my love for the Muppets.” The play focuses on Bradley Tangerine, a puppet trying to break into show business. Conflict arises when he is not taken seriously. The play explores themes of race and generational conflict through the lens of a puppet, which creates levity. Ultimately, The Ballad of a Tangerine is an ode to following one’s dreams.

Festival Cabaret — Music, poetry and much more, showcasing undergraduate and graduate student talent in unique and exciting acts of the performers’ own devising. 11 p.m. today (April 22), Arena Theatre, Wright Hall.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Sing-Along — Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon star in the 1975 film, a stylized, macabre musical as dark as it is daring — and which has become the most famous of all midnight movies. Rocky Horror is an overtly sexual, highly provocative and comedic portrayal of gay and transgender culture, and sexual quirks. Midnight tomorrow (April 23), Main Theatre.

The Rocky Horror audience is invited to sing along, of course. And, if you want, wear a costume! If you don’t have a costume of your own, consider renting one in advance or in the lobby, from The Enchanted Cellar (the Department of Theatre and Dance costume shop). For rentals in advance, call the costume shop at (530) 752-0740.

Festival tickets: $30 for a festival pass, which covers admission to all events except The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Single events, including the movie showings, are $10. Tickets are available in advance and also will be sold at the door; the prices are the same. Advance tickets are available online (click on “Purchase Tickets Now!”), or in person or by telephone at the Mondavi Center box office, (530) 754-2787 or (866) 754-2787.

Advisory: The Rocky Horror Picture Show is rated R (for “restricted”), a national rating that says children under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian. All other events are PG-13, a motion picture rating that states: “Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.”

Earlier coverage