April 29, 2013

The Theater Program brings an expansive Dust Bowl epic journey to a new intimate stage with its production of the Steinbeck classic The Grapes of Wrath, the inaugural performance in the new URBN Annex Black Box Theater. Directed by Theater Program Director Nick Anselmo, The Grapes of Wrath officially opens on Friday, May 10 at 8 p.m. and will run through Saturday, May 25. This version by writer/director Frank Galati, known as the “Steppenwolf Production,” won the Tony award for Best Play in 1990 and features music by Chicago-based singer-songwriter Michael Smith.

Our student actors and actresses will perform live music on accordions, mandolins and other stringed instruments that is incorporated into the play’s action. Entertainment & Arts Management major Dana Marcus, who is producing the show as her senior thesis, says the live musical elements creates a Woody Guthrie-esque folk storytelling environment to enhance the emotional, education experience of the play. “We’re also holding two free symposiums on the social and political impact of Steinbeck’s novel on contemporary and modern history that will be open to the public,” says Marcus. “These discussions aim to show how the themes present in The Grapes of Wrath are still relevant today.”

Click here to purchase tickets for The Grapes of Wrath. Public parking will be available at Lot C (3501 Filbert Street, next to the theater) and the garage on 34th and Market Streets.

The first of the two discussions, “Woody Guthrie: An Expert Discussion of Guthrie's music and politics,” will take place May 15 at 8 p.m. in the Black Box Theater. “John Steinbeck vs. Ayn Rand,” an exploration of the two authors’ works on culture, will take place May 22 at 8p.m in the URBN Center Black Box Theater. The panels will include Drexel faculty from the history, English, engineering, and theater departments.

The Grapes of Wrath Performance Schedule:

Fri, May 10, 8pm (Opening Night) 
Sat, May 11, 8pm
Sun, May 12, 2pm
Thu, May 16, 8pm
Fri, May 17, 8pm
Sat, May 18, 8pm
Sun, May 19, 2pm
Thu, May 23, 8pm
Fri, May 24, 8pm
Sat, May 25, 8pm