A year-and-a-half after an entirely virtual theatrical space, the curtain is about to rise once again on in-person shows at Montgomery County Community College.

MCCC announced its two fall student theater productions: “Orlando” at Blue Bell Campus and “Incorruptible” at Pottstown Campus. Tickets are on sale now for both shows and are open to the community.  

At Blue Bell Campus, The Drama Club & MCCC Theatre Arts present “Orlando” by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Dyana Kimball. Performances will be held Nov. 11-13, at 7 p.m.; Nov. 12, at 12:30 p.m. and Nov. 14, at 2 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, Science Center room 107, Blue Bell Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. Masks are required on campus.

Based on the Virginia Woolf novel, the story follows the title character, a young nobleman, who is drawn into a love affair with Queen Elizabeth I. For a time, life at court is interesting enough, but Orlando yearns for something more. As he strives to make his way as a poet and lover, his travels keep him at the heart of a dazzling tale where genders shift with hilarious results.

Following a year performing in the virtual space, students are excited to return to the stage on-campus again, said Theatre Assistant Professor Timothy Gallagher.

“Students designed and built the show from scratch,” he said. “It’s an ensemble piece that’s really funny. There is a good group of players working to tell this beautiful, touching and corky adaption of the Virginia Woolf novel. The Black Box Theatre is full of vigor and great designs by our students.”

At Pottstown Campus, West End Student Theatre & MCCC Theatre Arts present “Incorruptible” by Michael Hollinger and directed by Jessica DalCanton. Performances will be held Nov. 18-20 at 7 p.m.; and Nov. 19 at 12:30 p.m. in North Hall room 228, Pottstown Campus. Parking is available in the South Hall parking lot, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Masks are required on campus. For the first time, the performance will have an on-demand streaming option.

In the show, audiences are welcomed to Priseaux, France, circa 1250 A.D., when the river flooded again last week. The chandler’s shop just burned to the ground. Nobody’s heard of the wheelbarrow yet. And Saint Foy, the patron of the local monastery, hasn’t worked a miracle in 13 years. In other words, the Dark Ages still look pretty dark. All eyes turn to the pope, whose promised visit will surely encourage other pilgrims to make the trek and restore the abbey to its former glory. That is, until a rival church claims to possess the relics of Saint Foy—and ‘their’ bones are working miracles. All seems lost until the destitute monks take a lesson from a larcenous one-eyed minstrel, who teaches them an outrageous new way to pay old debts.

“Be ready to laugh a lot. It’s really humorous. There are lots of laughs and quirky situations,” said Gallagher. “There are people in impossible situations and it makes for a lot of fun. It’s a great way to blow off some steam enjoy frivolity. Sit back and have a great laugh for a couple hours.”

The cast and crew, which includes students in the Sound Recording and Music Technology and Mass Media Production classes, enjoyed working together in a physical space again after so long, said Gallagher.

“It’s such a joy working with students again on campus,” said Gallagher. “Obviously we’re taking every precaution in how we work. The students’ experiences have been profound. It’s been a blast in rehearsals, building and designing everything. Obviously there have been challenges. We’ve been online for a year. Our students adapted so well to challenges of the last year-and-a-half. They’ve adapted well to coming back. They’re working hard on the execution of designs and acting. From top to bottom it’s great to be back in that space.”

Gallagher said there’s a bit of magic that can only be found by attending live theater.

“Theater is such a communal experience. It’s not like film or TV,” he said. “It’s meant to be shared. To live in a shared space. To be able to do that thing: it’s incredible and needed. It’s great to share a space again.”

For more information about upcoming performances, visit the Upcoming Shows landing page.

Explore acting, directing, stage-craft and design with experienced theatre professionals as faculty in the Theatre Arts Associate of Arts program. At MCCC, students gain hands-on experience in the state-of-the-art Black Box Theatre. Internships at area theatres are available to our advanced students. Upon graduation, students have the opportunity to transfer seamlessly into a four-year program or work in area theatres.