Author: Stacy Salters

The Wichita State University School of Performing Arts will present “Happy Wright,” winner of the Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition, at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6-8 at Welsbacher Theatre at the WSU Hughes Metroplex, 5015 East 29th St. North. 

Loosely inspired by Samuel Beckett’s “Happy Days,” the show is a portrait of anxiety, bravery, and the help we can give each other when we try. “Happy Wright” is a strange person, this much we can say for certain. They love aviation, poetry, and weekends. But when you step into Happy’s mind, you will see it is plagued with questions. These questions make the world very confusing.

Tickets are $10 for general admission. WSU students get one free ticket with a WSU ID thanks to the support of the WSU Student Government for College of Fine Arts performances. Buy tickets at the Box Office 316-978-3233 

Playwright Straton Rushing, who is currently an MFA dramatic writing candidate at Arizona State University, is excited to join us at WSU for the premiere of “Happy Wright.”  Find out more about Straton.

The Wichita State University National Playwriting Competition was created in 1974 by Dr. Bela Kiralyfalvi,  who was a theatre professor and director of the School of Performing Arts until his retirement in 2003.

Wichita State’s School of Performing Arts musical theatre program will debut “The Fox Sisters” at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Welsbacher Theatre. The production includes music by Anthony De Angelis, lyrics by Christyn Budzyna and a book by Jessica Penzias. New WSU musical theatre faculty member Richard Biever will direct, and Garrett Welch will serve as music director and pianist.  

“The Fox Sisters” tells the story of Katie and Maggie Fox, who convince the world they can speak to the dead and accidentally found a new religion. Based on a true story from the 1800s, this new musical has a haunting, ethereal score and will leave the audience wondering — if you believe something, can you make it real? 

This production is made possible by the generous support of the Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation to fund the Musical Theatre Incubator Program, which was created to fund a staged reading of one new musical each year. The program includes bringing the authors to Wichita to collaborate with students. 

This event is free to Wichita State students who present their WSU ID.

The next University Staff Senate (USS) meeting is schedule for 3:30 p.m. today, Sept. 20, via Zoom. All USS meetings are open to the Wichita State campus community.

Staff members can also learn more about University Staff Senate Meetings, access meeting Zoom links and previous meeting minutes at the Staff Senate Meetings, Agendas and Minutes webpage.

Wichita State’s School of Performing Arts will present “Go Like Saints” at 7:30 p.m. April 21-23. Welsbacher Theatre. The play, by Skye Robinson Hillis Winner of the 2021 Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition takes place in 1951 Hollywood at the height of the second Red Scare when a group of friends grapple with the fear and anxiety that sets in when their entire livelihood could be snatched away at any moment.

“(Re)Current Unrest” will take place at the noon-1:30 p.m. Monday, March 21 at the Rhatigan Student Center Sante Fe Room. “(Re)Current Unrest” is a social justice dance theatre film screening and artist talk. This event is presented in collaboration with and is free and open to the public.

Created by Charles Anderson, “(Re)Current Unrest” explores the kinesthetic state of unrest—the condition of unease, discontent and social disturbance. This physical state of agitation represents staying woke. To stay woke refers to an intangible level of awareness about community issues and social justice.

Due to COVID-19, the live immersive performance engagement has been reimagined by Anderson in the form of a digital iteration of “(Re)Current Unrest” featuring live and pre-recorded video footage.

Wichita State’s School of Performing Arts will host the Wichita Contemporary Dance Theatre spring Concert 2022 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24-26 at Wilner Auditorium. 

The event will be a repertory dance concert featuring the faculty works of Denise Celestin, Cheyla Clawson Chandler, Nick Johnson, Sabrina Vasquez and other guest artists.

Tickets are free to WSU students who present their ID, $10 for other students, $18 for faculty, staff, military, and senior citizens. For more information or to get tickets, contact 316-978-3233 or visit the online WSU College of Fine Arts Box Office. 

In response to the global pandemic, the Wichita State Dance program has created a new format for the annual Kansas Dance Festival – The Kansas Screen Dance Festival. This virtual event will take place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3-5.

During the event, choreographers from the Midwest will share their digital dance works. Wichita State will present “Brave New World/Re-Imagined for Film,” an experimental work of dance and physical theatre inspired by the book by Aldous Huxley. The work examines the effects of a conformist society when confronted by the behavior of the outcast individuals.

This event is free and open to the public. To get the link, visit the WSU Ticket Office Home website.

A reception to celebrate Linda Starkey’s will take place at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at the Wilner Auditorium Commons. Starkey, who worked as the director of the School of Performing Arts, has been a guiding light and driving force for the performing arts at Wichita State for more than 40 years.

Throughout her tenure, Starkey was inducted into the Mary Jane Teall Hall of Fame, awarded as the Mary Jane Teall Educator of the Year and received the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Gold Medallion. Her greatest accomplishment has been to teach and inspire students who have graced the stage from Wichita to Broadway.

Wichita State University’s School of Performing Arts presents “Love’s Labor’s Lost.” Showtimes for performance will be 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 18-20 and 2 p.m. Sunday Nov. 21.

“Love’s Labor’s Lost” is a lighthearted comedy by William Shakespeare. In the story, the King of Navarre and his three companions commit to a life of study and self-improvement for three years. To help them keep their oath, the king demands that all women must remain at least a mile from the court. As the king and his men are settling down to a life of study, the princess of France and her three ladies-in-waiting arrive. The women are forced to camp a mile away, but it isn’t long before the king and his men find themselves falling for the charms of the ladies, and their carefully laid plans are soon abandoned.

To reserve a seat, contact the WSU Box Office at 316-978-3233 or visit the WSU College of Fine Arts Box Office.