The Northeast Theatre and Marywood University Present PROHIBITIVE STANDARDS

Three years in the making. A cast of many. Monumental hilarity against an historical panorama forty feet wide and in brilliant living color. A biblical epic from the 1950’s? Not quite. The Northeast Theatre’s Zuppa del Giorno join forces with Marywood University’s Theatre and Dance Program to create Prohibitive Standards, the 2007-08 Portal Project. Now does it make sense?

Okay, some definitions are in order. Zuppa del Giorno is a commedia dell’arte troupe The Northeast Theatre created in the summer of 2002. Since then, they have created four shows — developed in rehearsal — taught a class on commedia dell’arte in Italy called In Bocca al Lupo, and are forming connections with a network of Italian commediani that will lead to collaboration on several projects both in Italy and in Scranton.

The Portal Project is a joint initiative between Marywood’s Theatre Program and The Northeast Theatre, where both organizations enjoy the strengths and resources of the other with the aim of enhancing the training and education of Marywood students who have a strong aspiration to a profession in the theatre.

Prohibitive Standards is a play so new that no one yet knows exactly what it is about, and will feature not only five members of Zuppa del Giorno, but four Marywood students who have been training in the technique since August 27. Prohibitive Standards will open at Marywood on October 4, play there through October 7, then move to Performance Space at the Hotel Jermyn for a run that goes from October 10 through October 21.

The Portal Project is a new kind of relationship between an educational and professional institution. The organizations shared no personnel before the affiliation was proposed in March 2004 by Dr. Devorah Namm, Dean of the College of Creative Arts and Management. Typically, when a professional theatre and a training program join forces, it is because there are shared artists, but in this case there was only a shared need; members of the Theatre felt strongly about the importance of training the next generation of actors and then providing them with professional opportunities right here in Scranton, and the faculty at Marywood wanted a professional affiliation to strengthen and broaden the acting component in its training program. The first steps were tentative; a master class or two, some sharing of resources. Then in February of this year, The Portal Project was launched with a prototype production of Antigone by Jean Anouilh. The two organizations worked well together, so a more ambitious project was proposed for the Fall with the almost ironic title, Prohibitive Standards.

The play will take place in the main ballroom at the Hotel Jermyn in Scranton, when the news finally came that the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, Prohibition, was to be repealed. The characters will be a general cross section of the Scranton fringe; rum runners, conspiratorial cops, vaudevillians, radio actors, gangsters, Federal agents, and chorus girls from New York trying to make buck during bad times. Beyond that, the cast can only predict that there will be a lot of physical comedy, acrobatics, music, and dance. Each member of the professional cast plays a musical instrument, and they will provide the in-house orchestra. Students — not yet cast — will bring with them additional talents. If past Zuppa shows are any indication, the results will be tremendously fun.

Again, Prohibitive Standards opens October 4 at Marywood’s Sette La Verghetta Center for the Performing Arts: Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $23 for general admission, $17 for seniors (60 and over) and $6 (students 25 and under with an ID), and anyone with a Marywood ID is admitted free. The show then moves to The Northeast Theatre’s Performance Space at the Hotel Jermyn, October 10 - 21, Wednesday October 10 at 7 p.m., and Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. Ticket prices are the same at TNT, and Marywood ID holders are admitted for half-price. Wednesday, October 10 is Pay-What-You-Can (no set ticket prices) and Thursdays are Cheap-as-a-Movie when all tickets are $8.

Tickets are available online at www.thenortheasttheatre.us, and by phone 570-558-1515. PlayPass holders may make reservations in advance, and are eligible for assigned seating and for discounts at five downtown restaurants.

The Northeast Theatre’s Sixteenth Season is sponsored by ServiceMaster by Griffing, Patsel’s, Everything Natural, and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.