A CHRISTMAS CAROL and VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE Comes to Wayne State University This December

This December the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, a program within the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts at Wayne State University, offers two terrific theatrical experiences for you and your family to choose from! Ebenezer Scrooge is back with his humbug ways from Nov. 30 through Dec. 16 at the Bonstelle Theatre, while Durang's hilarious family farce takes over the Studio Theatre at the Hilberry from Dec. 7 through 16.

This adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" by John Wolf, Chair of the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, and Tom Aulino, brings new life to a holiday classic as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge encounters three ghosts on Christmas Eve who urge him to change his ways before it is too late. Charles Dickens' beloved tale celebrates the generosity of the human spirt and its ability to change even the hardest of hearts. John Bergeron, back for his second year playing Scrooge, admires stories of redemption. He offers his insights, "The challenge to the actor is to find how dark, how miserable you can be, while giving the audience reason to root for you." Katie Campbell, guest director from the Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre, invites everyone with her own words, "Equal parts ghost story, holiday cheer, and humor this heartwarming production will inspire and delight audiences of all ages making it a perfect yuletide outing for the whole family." At just 75 minutes long, this "A Christmas Carol" is perfect for families.

In the spirit of giving, Theatre and Dance at Wayne is partnering with The W Food Pantry to collect non-perishable food items for currently enrolled Wayne State students in need. The W Food Pantry provides Wayne State University students in need with access to nutritious food at no cost, reduces food insecurities among students across the WSU campus, increases awareness of what it means to be food insecure, while reducing stigma surrounding food pantries and food insecurities, and enhances student success. Collection boxes will be available in the lobby of the Bonstelle Theatre beginning Nov. 30.

"Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike" takes us into the home of two middle-aged siblings who can't stop bickering until Masha, the youngest sibling and famous Hollywood actress, returns home with a new hunky boyfriend, Spike. Tensions rise and hijinks ensue in this comedy about love, family, and dating a man half your age. This uproarious comedy takes several characters from Anton Chekov's plays and puts them into a completely new modern-day scenario. Director Jill Dion, internationally-acclaimed director and choreographer, founding member of the Sixth Studio and program director of Wayne State's Month in Moscow Program explains, "As a graduate of the Moscow Art Theatre School, my experience with Chekhov is probably more extensive than most; however, as I boarded the plane for Moscow, at the ripe old age of 22, I had no idea what to expect. My years in Moscow convinced me that Chekhov's work is as timeless as ever." Dion goes on to say that this adaptation, "aptly conveys honesty and the struggle to meet one's expectation for oneself, with a hefty dollop of farcical melodrama. It is humorous and absurd."

Tickets are available online at www.theatreanddanceatwayne.com, or by phone at (313) 577-2972.

A convenience fee of $2 per ticket is automatically added to your ticket when purchasing online. Additional fees may be required per order.

The Studio Theatre is only accessible by stairs and has a no late seating policy.

Wayne State University is one of the nation's preeminent public research universities in an urban setting. Through its multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and its ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions, the university seeks to enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world. For more information about research at Wayne State University, visit http://research.wayne.edu