Riverland Community College Theatre Director Lindsey Duoos Williams announced the Theatre Department’s 2014-2015 season today. This season brings a mix of classic dramas, comedies and contemporary musicals to the Riverland stage.

The season opens Oct. 8 with Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein. You’ve seen their shows: Oklahoma!, Carousel, State Fair, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote some of the most beloved songs ever performed on the Broadway stage. Some Enchanted Evening brings their greatest hits together in one romantic night of music, laughs and love. Some Enchanted Evening is appropriate for all ages and will be directed by Lindsey Duoos Williams.

On Nov. 6, Riverland Theatre will present the special event The Things They Carried, on tour from History Theatre in St. Paul. Based on the quintessential book by Austin native Tim O’Brien about the Vietnam experience, The Things They Carried is the powerful telling of the author’s journey from his innocent years in small town Minnesota to the jungles of Vietnam as a young American soldier. This powerful story of loss and redemption is adapted for the stage by Jim Stowell, one of Minnesota’s finest storytellers and a fellow veteran, and performed by Stephen D’Ambrose. The Things They Carried contains descriptions of violence and is recommended for ages 16 and older.

The fall season continues with She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith, playing Nov. 19-23. This boisterous and charming comedy of mistaken identities has delighted audiences for over two centuries with its gorgeous language and outright hilarity. Two well-bred young men arrive at the country estate of Mr. Hardcastle, intending to court his daughter Kate and her cousin Constance, but when a local mischief-maker plays a practical joke on the two urbanites, the Hardcastle household is launched into a dizzying romp that examines romance and social manners as well as the art of love. She Stoops to Conquer will be directed by Susan V. Hansen and is recommended for ages 10 and older. Hansen is a Riverland Theatre faculty member.

Arthur Miller’s classic drama The Crucible will be the first production of 2015, opening on Feb. 25. Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play, The Crucible is one of the great classics of the American stage. An exciting drama about the Puritan purge of witchcraft in old Salem, the play was Miller’s response to the McCarthy “witch hunts” of suspected communists in the 1950s, of which Miller himself was a target. This timeless parable attacks the evils of mindless persecution and the terrifying power of false accusations. Lindsey Duoos Williams directs. The Crucible is recommended for ages 12 and older.

The season finishes with the Broadway hit Legally Blonde The Musical, with book by Heather Hach and music & lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin. “Omigod you guys!” Meet Elle Woods, who appears to have it all—until her boyfriend dumps her and leaves for Harvard Law School. Determined to win him back, Elle follows him to Harvard, where she soon realizes her own potential and sets out to prove herself to the world. Based on the hit MGM film, this hilarious and heartwarming musical will inspire you. Legally Blonde the Musical will be directed and choreographed by Lindsey Duoos Williams and is recommended for ages 12 and older.

Theatre Director Lindsey Duoos Williams says, “It is a challenge each year to select shows that not only will provide a range of opportunities for our students, but will also appeal to our community audience members. I think this year’s season does both! The songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein never go out of style, but Some Enchanted Evening will allow us to present them in a new context that our audiences haven’t seen before. I’m very excited for Susan Hansen to direct She Stoops to Conquer, a show that has not been done as a part of the Riverland season before (Summerset Theatre presented the show in 1973). It’s a play that is in the classical style, but is still funny and accessible for our audiences.”

“The Crucible hasn’t been presented at Riverland in over 20 years,” continued Williams. “It’s a surprising audience favorite. I think it had endured for so long because, though it is set in a very specific era, the themes it addresses are still so relevant today. Arthur Miller wrote the play as a parable about the McCarthy hearings, but it is easy to find other modern parallels to the story. And, of course, Legally Blonde premiered on Broadway in 2007, so this is the first time it will be performed in Austin. It’s rare to find a musical that is so fresh and funny, yet still contains an important message about believing in yourself. I think it will be the perfect end to our season.”

Season Ticket subscriptions to Riverland’s 2014-2015 season are $50 and are on sale now through Oct. 12. Individual tickets to each of the four productions will go on sale Sept. 2, when the box office officially opens for the season. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.riverland.edu/tickets, or in person and by phone after Sept. 2. To purchase a season ticket or to receive more information, call the Riverland Theatre Box Office at (507) 433-0595, email boxoffice@riverland.edu, or visit the Web site and download the brochure at www.riverland.edu/theatre. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and one hour before performances. Individual ticket prices for Some Enchanted Evening and Legally Blonde are $16, and $13 for She Stoops to Conquer and The Crucible. Tickets for The Things They Carried are $10. Riverland students receive two free tickets to each production.

Riverland’s Theatre Department is a high-energy performance-oriented program. Plays produced vary from classical tragedy to modern comedy and from full-scale large cast musicals in intimate small cast plays. Students are encouraged to get involved in all areas of theatre production including, but not limited to, acting, stage managing, set building and painting. Strong academic offerings provide challenges in and out of the classroom.

The 2014-2015 Riverland Theatre Season Up-Close:

SOME ENCHANTED EVENING: THE SONGS OF RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN Music by Richard Rodgers Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Concept by Jeffery Moss October 8, 9, 10, 11 @ 7:30 p.m.; October 12 @ 2:00 p.m.

You’ve seen their shows: Oklahoma!, Carousel, State Fair, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote some of the most beloved songs ever performed on the Broadway stage. Some Enchanted Evening brings their greatest hits together in one romantic night of music, laughs and love. Appropriate for all ages.

History Theatre’s production of Tim O’Brien’s THE THINGS THEY CARRIED adapted for the stage by Jim Stowell November 6 @ 7:30 p.m.

Based on the quintessential book about the Vietnam experience, The Things They Carried is the powerful telling of Tim O’Brien’s journey from his innocent years in small town Minnesota to the jungles of Vietnam as a young American soldier. This powerful story of loss and redemption is adapted for the stage by Jim Stowell, one of Minnesota’s finest storytellers and a fellow veteran, and performed by Stephen D’Ambrose. Contains descriptions of violence: recommended for ages 16 and up.

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER By Oliver Goldsmith November 19, 20, 21, 22 @ 7:30 pm, November 23 @ 2:00 p.m.

This boisterous and charming comedy of mistaken identities has delighted audiences for over two centuries with its gorgeous language and outright hilarity. Two well-bred young men arrive at the country estate of Mr. Hardcastle, intending to court his daughter Kate and her cousin Constance, but when a local mischief-maker plays a practical joke on the two urbanites, the Hardcastle household is launched into a dizzying romp that examines romance and social manners as well as the art of love. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

THE CRUCIBLE By Arthur Miller February 25, 26, 27, 28 @ 7:30 pm, March 1 @ 2:00 p.m.

Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play, Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is one of the great classics of the American stage. An exciting drama about the Puritan purge of witchcraft in old Salem, the play was Miller’s response to the McCarthy “witch hunts” of suspected communists in the 1950s, of which Miller himself was a target. This timeless parable attacks the evils of mindless persecution and the terrifying power of false accusations. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL Book by Heather Hach, Music and Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture April 23, 24, 25, 31, May 1, 2 @ 7:30 p.m., May 3 @ 2:00 p.m.

"Omigod you guys!" Meet Elle Woods, who appears to have it all—until her boyfriend dumps her and leaves for Harvard Law School. Determined to win him back, Elle follows him to Harvard, where she soon realizes her own potential and sets out to prove herself to the world. Based on the hit MGM film, this hilarious and heartwarming musical will inspire you. Recommended for ages 12 and up.

Curtain times for all evening theatre performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 2 p.m. Riverland Theatre strives to provide quality productions that are entertaining and challenging to both the audience and the artists. Because we reach such a diverse audience, some audience members may find some subject matter, language, or situations objectionable. If patrons are concerned about a specific production, they are encouraged to become familiar with the material before attending the performance.

Audition Information for Some Enchanted Evening and She Stoops to Conquer:

Auditions for Some Enchanted Evening and She Stoops to Conquer will be held Wednesday and Thursday, August 27 and 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m at the Frank W. Bridges Theatre on the Austin Campus, East Building. Actors will be given sides to read from the show and, if auditioning for Some Enchanted Evening, music will be taught. Although Riverland students are given priority in casting, auditions for all Riverland theatre department productions are open to the public. Contact Lindsey Williams at 507-434-7390 or Lindsey.Williams@riverland.edu for more information.