Theatre UCF starts off the school year with a reprisal of this summer’s The Fantasticks. The show will run two weeks and includes one performance with American Sign Language interpretation.
Students from Valencia College’s pre-major AA in Sign Language Interpretation will join the UCF cast on stage Aug. 29. The ASL students are mentored by Valencia faculty member Debbie Drobney and are in the first two years of their training to become professional ASL interpreters.
Drobney said the opportunities and training the students receive in theatrical interpreting have segued into Universal Studios hiring several Valencia students to interpret the talent that Universal brings in, including artists such as Pitbull, Ne-Yo, LL Cool J, Akon, Adam Lambert, and B.o.B.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Sign Language Interpretation students into our theater,” said Theatre UCF chair and artistic director Christopher Niess. “We feel this is a tremendous benefit for them, for our UCF students, and especially for the Central Florida deaf community. We hope that this is the beginning of a long-lasting partnership between Theatre UCF and the Valencia program.”
To purchase tickets near the interpreters for the Aug. 29 performance, contact the box office at 407-823-1500 or email donna.rahman@ucf.edu.
The Fantasticks is the longest running production in the history of American theatre and appropriate for families to enjoy together. It is an intimate show with an ensemble cast. Director Be Boyd is staging the production as if a troupe of traveling actors, “The Vagabond Players,” is presenting the play to the UCF audience.
The musical tells the tale of two young neighbors, Matt and Luisa, and their meddlesome parents, Hucklebee and Bellomy. The parents devise a complicated plan for their children to fall in love, which involves a professional kidnapper and a troupe of actors, but the plans go awry, leaving the young lovers to clean up the mess.
The Fantasticks will run Aug. 22-Sept. 1 on the Theatre UCF Main Stage. It is recommended to arrive early for this production, as there will be pre-show entertainment. Also, for the first time, patrons are welcome to enjoy a beverage while in the theatres.
Due to a home football game, parking for the Aug. 29 performance will be in Lot B4 or B6. For all other performances, parking will be in the regular theater parking lot, Lot C1.
Production at a glance:
The Fantasticks
Book and lyrics by Tom Jones
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Directed by Be Boyd
8 p.m.: Aug. 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31
2 p.m.: Aug. 25, Sept. 1
Theatre UCF Main Stage
Price: Standard $20, Senior $18, Student $10; group discounts available
Address: 4000 Central Florida Boulevard, Orlando FL 32816
Box Office Phone: 407-823-1500
Box Office Hours: Monday through Friday: noon to 5 p.m. and two hours before performances