Ethington Theatre

Ethington Theatre’s second production of the season, “Radium Girls,” will transport audiences to the 1920s, before medical research fully understood the side effects of radium. The story follows Grace Fryer, a young watch painter, as she fights for her day in court. “Getting the chance to tell this story is really unique,” said Gretchen Carpenter, who plays Grace Fryer. “I think there’s a level of catharsis that’s going to be happening in the audience because it’s a really emotional show and I think that it’s going to capture a lot of hearts.”

From murders to trap doors and secret passageways, there’s something for every mystery fan to enjoy this weekend as the theatre department returns to Ethington Theatre for its first play of the season, “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940.” “The thing to take away is that we wanted to have the most fun to welcome people back into the theatre,” director Michael Kary said.

Dalton Smith spent three semesters trying to make his original major work for him — and his father. But halfway into his sophomore year, he found himself longing to go into theatre. Now, starting his junior year as a Theatre Ars and Drama major, Smith can be found in the College of Fine Arts and Production’s scene shop or onstage in Ethington Theatre’s production of “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” which debuts Friday, Sept. 3. “I chose theatre arts because it’s what I wanted to do and it was like ‘if I’m going to go for this acting thing, I might as well put all my cards on the tablet,’” he said.

It’s a season of celebration as College of Fine Arts and Production performances make their grand return to Ethington Theatre. Audiences will be welcomed back with an array of musicals, comedies and dramas as well as the return of indoor dance concerts. “I think it’s going to be just a really enjoyable season,” COFAP Assistant Dean of Theatre and Dance William Symington said. “I can’t wait to get back in the theatre and feel that energy between the cast and the audience.”

The GCU Theatre Department had another big year at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. Brandon Brown and Abby Yee made it to the finals of the Irene Ryan Acting Competition, and Morgan McCall was offered a $1,500 scholarship to the California Institute of the Arts program. “I really focus on the feedback that they get at this level of performance more than if they get trophies,” Acting instructor Michael Kary said. “We have been doing better and better. I think that our school has grown in reputation because of its presence at the festival over the last few years.”

Ethington Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s “Henry V” features epic sword fighting, stunning costumes and a tale of a king’s growth as a person. The play, which opens tonight, also contains an important message that is just as relevant today as it was when the show was written in 1599. “I think what people can take away is some hope for what a leader of a country can be like,” director Michael Kary said. “A leader that’s inspiring, a leader that wrestles with ethical issues, and the one thing that stuck out to me in this production is how often he turns to God throughout for his decision-making and giving God glory for whatever victories he has.”

It is set to be an experience like no other this week as the College of Fine Arts and Production brings Arthur Kopit’s “Wings” to the new outdoor stage. The performance showcases the effects a stroke can have on individuals and the people around them during rehabilitation. “It’s a play that touches us all because almost each and every one of us has a friend, has a relative, has somebody that they know who has suffered a traumatic brain injury,” COFAP Dean and “Wings” Director Claude Pensis said.

The outdoor stage for the production of “The Comedy of Errors” was a major success. Counting the livestream viewers, the five performances averaged more people than the 311-person capacity of Ethington Theatre and were well-received by the in-person audiences. “A lot of audience members commented on how fun it was,” said William Symington, Assistant Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Production.

GCU’s Film Festival brought a multitude of different emotions to an audience of eager film viewers Friday night. Within the eight categories, film students highlighted the talent emerging from COFAP’s film department. The top three films within each category, with the exception of music videos with four, competed for the trophy. “It’s a huge honor and there’s a lot of really talented film makers so I’m really blessed just to be able to come away with any win,” Matthew Wagner said about his film’s win in the comedy category.

For fans of Romantic Comedies, than Ethington theatre has the production for you, in it’s second play of the season. “Arms and the Man” is a play written by George Bernard Shaw and showcases a number of central character’s journey to find true love. “I think it’s super interesting sort of the way holds up over time and the way that the meaning shifts,” Alexander Cavanaugh said. “Since the play was originally an anti-war piece, how we’re honing in now on the romanization and the way we present ourselves verses how we actually are as people, it’s cool to see how that translates today and holds up as a piece of art.”