The SDSU School of Theatre, Television, and Film presents Company, by Stephen Sondheim and George Furth, running Friday, March 9 - Saturday, March 17 in the Don Powell Theatre. Stephen Brotebeck directs.

In Company, confirmed bachelor Robert contemplates his unmarried state on the night of his 35th birthday. Over the course of a series of dinners, drinks, and even a wedding, his friends explain the pros and cons of taking a spouse. Robert is forced to question his adamant retention of bachelorhood during a hilarious array of interactions in this Tony award-winning musical.

Reimagining Company for a 2018 Audience

The stage directions in the script of Company describe the time of the play as "Now," and the location as New York City, giving a timelessness to the piece. Although it was written in 1970, one of the plays major themes rings true today: the challenge of creating and maintaining relationships in a society becoming increasingly depersonalized.

"In our production at SDSU we are focusing on how Robert's dating life, relationships, and communication are affected by smartphones, the internet, and social media" said Stephen Brotebeck, Director. "It is fascinating that a script written almost 50 years ago lends itself so well to exploring how our current society is navigating the same issues, with even more obstacles in the way. Being able to reimagine Company for a 2018 audience with this cast and design team has been a thrill."

MFA Musical Theatre candidate Jonathan Brugioni plays the character of birthday boy Robert. "Robert is a passive protagonist, and much of the action happens around him, rather than from him," says Brugoni. "On stage, and in real life, it's harder to listen than it is to speak, and Robert must lead the audience through the story by simply listening, observing, and experiencing other people's relationships. Social media and technology often cause us to lose authentic connection as people, and adding that element to our production has made it challenging because my nose is always in my phone. However, with those challenges comes the exhilarating opportunity to experience the many diverse moments that lead to Robert finally choosing his own powerful ending."

35th Birthday Onstage Coincides with 35th Anniversary of the MFA Musical Theatre Program

As the character of Robert celebrates his 35th birthday in the play, the SDSU MFA Musical Theatre program is coincidentally celebrating its 35th year in existence with this production of Company. Since its inception in 1981, the MFA Musical Theatre program at SDSU has seen nearly 130 scholar-artists graduate with a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Musical Theatre. Founded in 1981 by Dr. Gordon Howard, Dr. Terry O'Donnell, and Dr. Dude Stephenson, the MFA is a specialized and rigorous two-year terminal degree.

The 2018 cohort of 8 students, who are all cast members in Company, will graduate in May and move on to new adventures. The moment is not lost on Jonathan Brugioni. "I get the unique experience of having very personal moments on stage with each one of my seven colleagues," he said, "which is truly a special way for me to end my MFA experience at SDSU."

Company runs Friday, March 9 - Saturday, March 17 in the SDSU Experimental Theatre. Tickets are $20 General, $17 Students/Seniors and can be purchased online at theatre.sdsu.edu.

ABOUT THE MFA MUSICAL THEATRE PROGRAM

SDSU's Musical Theatre Program has a thirty-five year history of training artist-scholars. The program graduates 8-10 students every two years, with a balanced 60-unit curriculum of performance courses and scholarly seminars. Graduates teach at the university level as well as professionally perform, direct, produce, choreograph, music direct, and write for the musical theatre.

ABOUT THE SDSU SCHOOL OF THEATRE, TELEVISION, AND FILM

The San Diego State University School of Theatre, Television, and Film combines the arts with the traditional roles of the university by teaching the theory, history, literature, and crafts of theatre and film. The School works to benefit the community by providing educational and entertaining arts performances, particularly to San Diego youth. Utilizing innovative curriculum, interdisciplinary initiatives, and research into evolving technologies, the School is committed to preparing the next generation of entertainment arts professionals. The SDSU School of Theatre, Television, and Film provides transformative, experiential learning that prepares students to launch creative careers. For more information, visit ttf.sdsu.edu.

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