Travel ‘Into the Woods’ next fall with SU Department of Drama’s 2018-19 season

Summer has arrived, but Syracuse University students will head “Into the Woods” next fall following the release of SU Department of Drama’s 2018-19 season schedule.

SU’s Department of Drama announced its roster for the upcoming six-production season Wednesday — a blend of musicals and plays with an emphasis on contemporary works. The featured productions were chosen to “celebrate stories of consequence” and their impact on storytelling itself, per the department’s announcement email.

The season includes musical favorites “Into the Woods” and a co-production of “Elf the Musical” with Syracuse Stage, along with lesser-known contemporary works: “Next Fall,” “The Wild Party,” “Good Kids” and “We Are Proud to Present a Presentation about the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Südwestafrika, Between the Years 1884 – 1915.”

Ralph Zito, the chair of SU’s Department of Drama, said the main focus of the season is to address current issues from a more personal point of view, while still adhering to the department’s academic goals.

“We want the students to learn how to be responsible and engaged artists,” Zito said. “We believe as theater artists, our job is to share stories of the human condition in the hope of inspiring change. This season, more than any in recent years, achieves that.”

And while all of the productions were chosen specifically for their cultural value, two of them feature timely stories that extend beyond the stage. “Good Kids,” written by Naomi Iizuka, was based on the story of a female student sexually assaulted by her peers in a small Midwestern town, captured on social media and generating national attention. In the era of #MeToo and increased conversations surrounding sexual assault in various industries, its messages could resonate with viewers from a wide range of audiences and backgrounds.

“I wanted to write a play that spoke to issues that were very important to university students right now,” Iizuka told American Theatre. “It seems like the issue of sexual assault — and more importantly, the attitudes and misconceptions that create a climate where sexual assault is prevalent — seemed timely.”

Jackie Sibblies Drury’s “We Are Proud to Present a Presentation about the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Südwestafrika, Between the Years 1884 – 1915” channels the complexities of creative processes by artists trying to recreate artwork from the Herero and Namaqua genocide, exploring the cross sections of art and history in the process.

The 2018-19 season begins Oct. 12 and runs through May 11. Performances for all productions except “Elf the Musical” will take place in the Storch Theatre in the Syracuse Stage/SU Drama Complex, 820 E. Genesee St., while “Elf the Musical” performs in the Archbold Theatre at the same complex.