As part of the 2013-14 Theatre Guest Professional Series, Shanley will set a reading of his newest play, “Vang,” on CSU students
As part of its 2013-14 Guest Professional Series sponsored by the City of Fort Collins Fort Fund, the theatre program at Colorado State University presents Oscar®, Tony®, Emmy®, Obie® and Pulitzer prizewinner John Patrick Shanley on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the University Dance Theatre at the University Center for the Arts, located at 1400 Remington St.
Tickets are $5 for the public and are available at the University Center for the Arts (UCA) ticket office in the UCA lobby, by phone at (970) 491-ARTS (2787) or online at www.CSUArtsTickets.com. Advance purchase is recommended to avoid at-the-door fees.
Nicknamed the “Bard of the Bronx,” Shanley’s resume boasts credits as screenwriter and director of a dozen films including Doubt and Moonstruck. Becoming disenchanted with Hollywood early in his career, Shanley delved into the theatre world. As a playwright, his work spans 31 years and 25 plays, television miniseries, and a proud 2004 inductee to the “Bronx Walk of Fame.”
Constantly using contexts from his own life as inspiration for this work, the New York City area in which he grew up was the setting of his first script, “Five Corners” (1987). After he was thrown out of Catholic school in New York, he attended the private Thomas Moore Prep School in Harrisville, New Hampshire. He then returned to New York and attended New York University, left to enlist in the military and then returned to finish university on the G.I. Bill. He graduated in 1977 as valedictorian.
As part of his 1988 Oscar acceptance speech, Shanley said, "I'd like to thank everybody who ever punched or kissed me in my life and everybody who I ever punched or kissed."
His play "Doubt" has won several awards for outstanding dramatic play including the 2005 Pulitzer Prize, the 2004-2005 Drama Desk Award, and the 2005 Tony Award. In the play, about a molestation charge in a Catholic school, he directed four Oscar nominated performances: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis (2008).
During his residency with the CSU theatre program, Shanley will work with CSU students in a workshop setting, concluding with a special reading of his new play, “Vang.”
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About the 2013-14 Theatre Guest Professional Series at CSU:
Sponsored by the City of Fort Collins Fort Fund grant has meant the implementation of the Guest Professional Series, allowing students and the public to meet award-winning professionals who will be in-residence at CSU each semester. These residencies offer theatre students the opportunity to work with professionals in the classroom and, at the end of their residencies, on a creative project that will be shared with the public.
Earlier this semester the Theatre Program hosted television, stage, film actor and activist John Amos for lectures and workshops in conjunction with CSU’s annual Diversity Symposium. Additionally, the fall 2013 production of Orestes 2.0 by Charles Mee featured guest professional director Sanaz Ghajarrahimi, an award-winning Iranian-American director, writer and choreographer and premier lighting and projection designer, Alex Koch.
The University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University provides an enriched venue in which the study and practice of Art, Dance, Music and Theatre are nurtured and sustained by building the skills and knowledge needed by future generations of arts professionals to become contributors to the essential vitality of our culture and society. During the 2013-2014 season, the UCA celebrates its fifth anniversary and features several celebratory events that highlight connecting our campus and community with impactful arts.
For more information, visit UCA.Colostate.edu.