The Theatre Group at SBCC Opens 2023-24 Season With GUYS AND DOLLS

The Theatre Group at SBCC presents its 2023-24 theatre season beginning in July with the classic musical GUYS AND DOLLS.

GUYS AND DOLLS, A Musical Fable of Broadway, Based on a Story and Characters by Damon Runyon, Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser, Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, July 14-29, 2023 in the Garvin Theatre.

Guys and Dolls is a musical romantic comedy involving the unlikeliest of Manhattan pairings: a high-rolling gambler and a strait-laced puritanical missionary, a showgirl dreaming of settling down, and a crap game manager, who will settle for anywhere to roll dice.  Set all over and under the streets of New York city, the story captures the desperate attempts of gambler Nathan Detroit to secure a location for his high stakes crap game while staying one step ahead of the NYPD.  His best chance involves winning the biggest bet of all with legendary gambler Sky Masterson who will provide the stake necessary unless he is able to persuade the very proper Sarah Brown, head of the Save-A-Soul Mission, to have dinner with him in Havana, Cuba.  Of course, the real winner will be love itself. Celebrated as one of the greatest musicals of all time, and featuring beloved songs such as “I’ve Never Been In Love Before”, “A Bushel and a Peck”, and “Luck Be a Lady”, Guys and Dolls is a joyous, life-affirming musical treat the whole family will enjoy. 

Next will be the new adaptation of the classic EMMA by Kate Hamill,

based on a novel by Jane Austen, October 13-28, 2023 Garvin Theatre.

Based on Jane Austen’s novel of the same name, Emma tells the story of a charming, witty and independent-minded woman who believes that her greatest talent is as a matchmaker. Her well-meaning but misguided attempts to pair off her friends and neighbors end up in chaos and comedy as she comes to discover that well beyond misunderstanding the hearts of those around her, she may not even understand her own.  Adapted by Kate Hamill, this Emma provides fast-paced action and a fresh feminist take on a treasured classic, breaking down conventions, expectations, and even the fourth wall with vibrant comedic flair—leading audiences “forward, onward, and upward!”

In the spring we go on an adventure with the great classic vibrantly re-imagined

TREASURE ISLAND By Robert Louis Stevenson, Adapted by Bryony Lavery

March 1-16, 2024 Garvin Theatre

It’s a dark, stormy night.  The stars are out.  Jim, the innkeeper’s granddaughter, opens the door to a terrifying stranger.  At the old sailor’s feet sits a huge sea-chest, full of secrets.  Jim invites him in—and her dangerous voyage begins.  There will be a frenzied search for long buried treasure, friendships made and lost, travel to a distant abandoned island and lots and lots of pirates. Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of murder, money, and mutiny is brought to life in this thrilling adaptation by Bryony Lavery. First presented at London’s National Theatre, this classic tale–part ghost story,

part adventure--incorporating pirate songs and sword play provides an exhilarating experience of theatrical magic.

We will end the season in the intimate Jurkowitz Theatre with the comedy THE OUTSIDER By Paul Slade Smith, April 12-27, 2024 Jurkowitz Theatre.

Newly appointed Governor of a small state, Ned Newley is paralyzed by cameras and terrified of public speaking but great at actually governing, and his chief of staff, Dave, is his biggest fan.  Determined to save his boss’s job, Dave brings in a team of experts that just might save the day…and could even lead to a perfect romance. A timely and hilarious comedy in the inspiring style of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Outsider is a heartwarming story of loyalty and common sense in the nonsensical world of campaign politics.

Subscribers get first chance to purchase tickets to our student showcase, which features our talented student actors, as an add on to the season.

The Theatre Arts Department presents a Student Showcase

John Proctor IS THE VILLAIN, By Kimberly Belflower, November 8-18, 2023

Jurkowitz Theatre, Contains Adult Language and Content.

At a rural high school in Georgia, a group of aware teens are studying “The Crucible” while navigating young love, sex ed, and a few school scandals. Holding a contemporary lens to the American classic, they begin to question who is really the hero and what is the truth, discovering their own power in the process. Alternately touching and bitingly funny, this new comedy captures a generation in mid-transformation, running on pop music, optimism, and fury, writing their own coming of age story.

Season tickets are available by phone or mail.  Call the Box Office at 805-965-5935 for information.  Single tickets for all performances go on sale June 20, 2023.  www.theatregroupsbcc.com.