Independence Community College Fine Arts is pleased to release the theatre calendar for the 2022-2023 academic year.
“A great way to describe our upcoming season is ‘Love Conquers All,’ said Paul Molnar, Associate Professor of Theatre at ICC. “This phrase was first seen in the writings of a Roman poet named Publius Vergilius Maro, often referred to as "Virgil". However, the phrase that we know now is out of context and incomplete. The full phrase, spoken by a lovesick character is, ‘Love conquers all; let us, too, yield to love.’ It is that second part that interests me the most. It is not enough to simply share love; we also must yield to it.
2022-2023 ICC Theatre Season
ART by Yasmina Reza | September 29 – October 2
A 15-year friendship is put to the test when a very expensive painting becomes the focus of the unanswerable question of "What is art?". Two of the three are at each other's throats, while the third is forced to play the mediator. This play demands an examination of what real friendship is, and how to compromise and feel empathy. A play about a painting that explores the depth of the human condition.
Our Town by Thornton Wilder | December 1-4
In 1938, this play won the Pulitzer for Drama and has been Wilder's most produced play worldwide. Love, life, and loss are the focus of this charming play that is set in the fictional town of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. Two young people grow up together, fall in love, marry and then experience the unimaginable. Wilder draws the audience through the play painting a picture we can all recognize. The message is one of hope sent to us from beyond the grave. This play is a love letter to humanity that will resonate with audiences young and old.
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare | March 2-5
Much Ado can be described as a comedy, with a slice of tragedy served in the middle. Two of Shakespeare's most beloved couples, Beatrice and Benidict, will have you laughing and crying before the night is through. Innocence versus evil, family versus friends, and truth versus lies lay the groundwork for one of Shakespeare's most biting comedies. Wordplay, masks, and a hilarious group of watchmen make this play a must-see for all.
The Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown | April 20-23
This musical has some of the most beautiful storytelling you will see. We watch the life of a relationship explored over five years. Cathy is an aspiring actress, and her boyfriend is an aspiring writer. One of the careers becomes successful, and the other becomes a struggle. The path that leads these two together is also driving their split. It is a complicated look at how relationships work, or sadly, don't. Rousing music, gut-wrenching sorrow, and the ability to stand up and fight for your truth drives this incredibly moving story.
“All the characters we will explore this season will have to battle with the second part of Virgil's line,” said Molnar. “Giving in, or yielding to love takes courage, strength, and vulnerability. We offer this season to our students and our audiences in the hopes that they will not only be inspired to love but have the courage to yield to it. Please join us at the theatre!”