The Auburn University Theatre is bringing three productions to life on the Telfair Peet Stage this fall. Its lineup includes “The Birthday Party” (Sept. 23 – Oct. 1), “The Fantasticks” (Oct. 13 – 22) and “Machinal” (Nov. 11 – 19).

Taking the stage first, Harold Pinter’s “The Birthday Party,” under the direction of Chase Bringardner, assistant professor of theatre, mixes comedy and drama.


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“This play is both funny and scary, which is exciting because it is something we don’t often do [at Auburn],” said Bringardner. "It is also a play that really speaks to our contemporary moment. We’ve got a lot of things happening around us today that make us feel like we have a constant outside threat that may or may not attack us. This play really deals with how people live in an environment or society where there is that lingering feeling that you may always be under potential threat of violence.”

“The Birthday Party” premiered in England in 1958 and is Harold Pinter’s first full-length play. The play ran on Broadway in 1968 and was revived at its 50th anniversary at London’s Lyric Theatre. Pinter’s play is considered one of the classics of modern theatre.

Stage Manager Fred T. Paul, senior in theatre production, said, “I hope the audience can get an appreciation for theatre [after seeing ‘The Birthday Party’].”

“The play talks about the importance of being able to know one’s self and trust in the creative spirit and knowing who you are even when you face these outside threats, so hopefully the audience comes away with some of that,” Bringardner said.

“The Birthday Party” runs Sept. 23-24, 28-30 and Oct. 1 at 7:30 p.m. with a Sunday matinee Sept. 26 at 2:30 p.m.

The second production to take the stage is Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt’s “The Fantasticks,” under the direction of Dan LaRocque, chair of Auburn University Theatre. “The Fantasticks” is the world’s longest-running musical having ran off-Broadway for 42 years with 17,162 performances. The production reopened in 2006 and is still running on Broadway. The Auburn’s “Fantasticks” production runs Oct. 13-15, 17 and 19-22.

Sophie Treadwell’s “Machinal,” under the direction of Heather May, runs Nov. 11, 12, 14 and 16 – 19. It premiered on Broadway in 1928. The play was revived in 1993 by the Royal National Theatre. Treadwell based the play on the true life of Ruth Snyder, a convicted and executed murderess.

Tickets for all productions are free to Auburn University students and $10 for the general public. For more information, visit http://www.auburnuniversitytheatre.org or call (334) 844-4748.