Looking for something different to do in Auburn this summer?
Support local performing art by attending a play at Telfair Peet Theatre.
“The Complete History of America (Abridged)” was held this past weekend June 18-22, as one of two Summerstage 2008 productions.
“The Complete History of America (Abridged)” was written by Adam Long, Austin Tichenor and Reed Martin and directed by Auburn University Theatre assistant professor Chris Qualls.
50,000 years of this country’s history boiled down to less than two hours in a comedic re-telling of events from the discovery of the New World to the Watergate Scandal.
“It’s not very accurate, but it’s pretty funny. It reminds me of a combination of ‘The Daily Show’ and ‘Saturday Night Live,’” director Chris Qualls said.
The play posed questions such as who really discovered America, why did Abe Lincoln free the slaves and how many Democrats does it take to screw in a light bulb?
“It’s a very silly show that was a lot of fun. It was all very tongue-in-cheek, very goofball,” Qualls said.
The play’s cast consisted of three theatre majors: Payne Hopton-Jones, junior, and sophomores Emily Stephens and Jim Taylor.
“They were a fantastic group to work with. They all had extremely good rapport, and their personalities really played off each other,” Qualls said.
Performers ranged from newcomers to seasoned veterans of the stage. The production was Hopton-Jones’ fifth performance and Taylor’s third performance this year.
Stephens, who was performing for the first time, couldn’t have been more excited.
“I was sweating bullets the first night,” Stephens said. “But it was everything I could have hoped for, and it seemed to get the right response from the crowd.”
“The Complete History” was popular among students and local residents, selling out shows every night.
“Usually, students are the big pull, but it was a great mix. We had a lot of people from all ages, which was surprising to me because some of the show had some adult humor in it,” Qualls said.
As people kept filtering in on Sunday’s final performance, box office manager Marjorie Teeter had to tell them tickets were sold out.
As they reluctantly turned around to leave, she told them to come back and see “Women and Love” July 9-13.
“Women and Love,” directed by associate theatre professor Daydrie Hague, is a musical review series of songs and scenes that celebrate females and those they love, beginning with history’s first couple, Adam and Eve.
Daydrie has been directing since 2000 and said her actors have been rehearsing part-time since the beginning of the mini-semester.
“They are a good group to work with, but not all the students are theatre majors, so we’re looking at this as a training opportunity,” Hague said.
All performances begin at 7:30 p.m., except for the 2:30 matinee on Sunday.
Ticket prices for summer are free for Auburn students with a valid ID and $15 for everyone else.
Visit www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org for more information about upcoming theatre productions in the 2008/2009 season.
