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Theatre at PNC
Since 2006, PNC’s theatre program has been directed by Dr. Paul Hecht of the Department of English and Modern Languages. As a scholar and teacher of Shakespeare and Renaissance literature, Hecht has directed a series of plays from this period, including the tragedies Julius Caesar (2010) and Macbeth (2009), and the comedies As You Like It (2008) and Every Man in His Humor (2007), the last by Ben Jonson, a friend and contemporary of Shakespeare.
Last year Dr. Bethany Lee, also of the Department of English and Modern Languages, joined Dr. Hecht to co-direct the modern British play Top
Girls. This year, Dr. Lee directs a production of God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza. See below for further information on these plays.
Past Productions Scrapbook
Past Productions Pages:
Much Ado (2011)
Every Man in His Humor (2007)
Macbeth* (2009)
Julius Caesar* (2010)
(*View on Internet Explorer or Firefox for sound)
Mainstreet Theatre, FPG
Our main spring production takes place at Mainstreet Theatre, in Michigan City, a straight drive nine miles up Route 421 from the Westville campus. Mainstreet Theatre is a 100-seat venue with professional lighting and sound, and the accumulated costumes and sets from thirty years of professional theatre. Gerald Peters, head of the Festival Players Guild, has been an extraordinary resource for PNC students taking to the stage.
Mainstreet is busiest in the summer, when it hosts an uninterrupted series of productions as the Canterbury Summer Theatre; there are also other shows throughout the year.
Getting Academic Credit for work in Theatre
Currently there is no Theatre major or minor at PNC, but you can still get credit toward graduation from your work in theatre.
In the spring, two courses are offered: Theatre 347, which offers two credits for work in the cast or crew, and Theatre 348, which offers three credits for involvement in the spring production, as well as participation in an 8-week introduction to acting and Renaissance theatre. The course runs in January and February, before rehearsals for the spring production begin in March.
Information on Plays, Performance Dates
Henry IV, Part 1, by William Shakespeare
Performances April 14-15, 20-21, 2012
The prince in this play (his name’s Hal) should be worrying about the colorful, brash Scottish and Welsh rebels who are preparing to knock the crown off his father’s head. But he’d rather hang out with his pal Falstaff (pictured), and the whores, lowlifes, and two-bit thieves that keep him company. Shakespeare’s best-loved history play is splayed between court and pub, warfare and buffoonery, romance and calculating politics.
Auditions, Getting Involved
Henry IV, Part 1 auditions: 10+ parts of many shapes and sizes for all levels of experience
Auditions are low-stress and conversational.
November 9, 10, 16, 17
Signup sheet outside Tech 325, or email Paul Hecht at phecht@pnc.edu.
Also email if you are interested in taking part in the crew—lighting, set design, props, costumes, stage management, and the like.
Contributing to Theatre at PNC
Your support makes all the difference to us, and donations of any size are welcome. Make checks out to Purdue University North Central and be sure to specify “Theatre” in the memo line. Send checks to:
Office of Advancement
Purdue University North Central
1401 South US Highway 421
Westville, IN 46391
