BETHLEHEM, Pa. — It's the final curtain call.
Moravian University's Arena Theatre's final production, "The Mad Ones," runs Thursday, Nov. 16 through Sunday, Nov. 19.
The production is the last scheduled performance before the theater's demolition slated in early 2024.
Final show
The Arena Theatre, which will be torn down to make way for a new student center at the university, opened in 1981.
It served as a rehearsal space for Moravian's student theater company, which has been in operation for more than 200 years.
According to a release, future theater productions at Moravian will take place at other venues on campus,
Christopher Shorr, artistic director of Moravian University's theater company, said there is no plan for a replacement facility on campus.
“Students have been doing theater at Moravian since 1789. It is part of Moravian’s heritage,” Shorr said.
“Just like the character in the musical, theater at Moravian is at a crossroads, facing the unknown. That’s a scary place to be, but it’s also a place of incredible possibilities. So I think the show is perfect for us at this moment in time."
'Crossroads in life'
"The Mad Ones,” was written by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk and tells the story of high school senior Samantha Brown, who is at a “crossroads in life.”
The production was formerly known as "The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown," and performed off-Broadway in 2017.
It is an intimate musical with a lively musical score that includes the popular song “Run Away With Me.”
Shorr describes the main character, Samantha Brown as a young girl facing a choice about her future who is being pulled into different directions by her mother, boyfriend and her best friend.
"She is up against the pressure to do the expected and the fear of the unknown. In all of that chaos, she struggles to hear her own voice and to figure out how to be truly herself," Shorr wrote in an email.
Student-led performance
The cast includes Moravian's student actors Ava Ferentinos, Hannah Kolonoski, Ry Kral and Sherry Anderson.
Additionally, Moravian students Ben Stefan and Jaymie Roddy serve as musical directors and EmilyMarie Dave is the stage manager.
Performances take place at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Tickets cost $15 for general admission, $10 for seniors, $5 for Moravian faculty and staff and non-Moravian students, and free for Moravian students.
For tickets, email Christopher Shorr, shorrc@moravian.edu
