New artistic director is named at the Rep
7/28/2011Two productions and a change of leadership highlight this week's theater news.
The Toledo Repertoire Theatre has named Ottawa, Ohio, native Steve Burnette as its next artistic director.
A graduate of Chicago's Second City Conservatory, Burnette was executive producer and director at City Theater in Biddeford, Maine, then founded the Legacy Theater Company in Saco, Maine.
In a press release, Brad Smith, president of the Rep's board of trustees and its interim artistic director, said, "We are grateful that Steve was interested in returning to his theater roots in northwest Ohio. We're excited for our patrons and volunteers to meet him."
Burnette is married and the father of a 3-year-old son.
Student show
Summerstock Toledo, composed of students from five Toledo Catholic high schools, plus Bedford and Perrysburg high schools, will present Urinetown: The Musical at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.
The troupe was formed last year with the aim of giving students more hands-on experience with all areas of theatrical production.
The show takes place in a city where all of the rest room facilities have been privatized, and a greedy corporation continues to increase the price for their use. A small band of rebels foment a revolution to make the facilities available to all.
Performances will be in McQuade Theater of St. John's Jesuit High School and Academy, 5901 Airport Hwy., Toledo. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students, available at the door.
Horror spoof
In Napoleon, the Maumee Valley Civic Theatre presents Little Shop of Horrors, a musical about unrequited love and a man-eating plant that is a spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies.
It runs at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday in the John L. Johnson Auditorium of Napoleon Middle School, 303 West Main St., about 40 miles southwest of Toledo. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, available at the Henry County Chamber of Commerce, 419-592-1786, or on the theater Web site, mvctohio.org.
Contact Nanciann Cherry at: ncherry@theblade.com or 419-724-6130.