Powerful, Provocative Drama Offers Fierce Season Opener For Cal State Fullerton

Cal State Fullerton's 2018-2019 theatre season opens with the powerful "Bee-luther-hatchee" by Thomas Gibbons. The production is directed by guest professional director Saundra McClain and runs October 5­-28, 2018 in the Hallberg Theatre on campus. The play follows Shelita Burns, an African-American editor, who publishes "Bee-luther-hatchee," the award-winning biography of a reclusive 72-year-old black woman named Libby Price. Having never met, Shelita decides to deliver a copy to Libby. The meeting between the two stirs a complex confrontation and challenges preconceptions.

Thomas Gibbons is the award-winning playwright-in-residence at InterAct Theatre in Philadelphia, which has produced eight of his plays, including "Bee-luther-hatchee." He is the recipient of seven playwriting fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a Roger L. Stevens Award from the Fund for New American Plays, a Barrie and Bernice Stavis Playwriting Award, an NAACP Theatre Award, two Barrymore Awards for outstanding new play, and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts.

With over 40 years as a performing arts specialist, director Saundra McClain has worked in all levels of the theatre discipline, both as an actor and director, performing in numerous shows on and off Broadway, films, and several guest-starring & recurring roles on TV. She has been nominated on many occasions for numerous Ovation and NAACP Theatre Awards. She still finds time to write a series of children's books such as "Peepo & the Magic Talisman" and teach/guest-direct at institutions such as California Lutheran University, AMDA, AADA, and California State University, Fullerton.

The cast of "Bee-luther-hatchee" includes Hayden Allcorn, Adriana Callender, Dustin Rayvon Frye, Bernard Hefner, Kira Jamison, Noah Michal and Alison Parsons.

Set design is by Bryce Moon, lighting design is by Clayton Fournival, sound design is by Paisha Bleich and Dave Mickey, costume design is by Monica Siazon, and hair/makeup design is by Sierra-Sky Roberts.

"Bee-luther-hatchee" plays at 8 pm on October 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 and at 2 pm on October 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28. General admission tickets are $14 ($12 with advance Titan Discount purchase for students, seniors or with a CSUF ID). All tickets are $14 at the door. Tickets are available by calling (657) 278-3371, 11am-5pm, Monday through Friday or online.

Following "Bee-luther-hatchee" is the warm-hearted family musical "Children of Eden," featuring music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, creator of the Tony-Award winning "Wicked" and "Pippin," and book by John Caird. The fall musical is directed by Rufus Bonds Jr., with musical direction by David Lamoureux and choreography by William F. Lett. "Children of Eden" is a musical re-telling of the inspirational biblical stories of "Adam and Eve" and "Noah's Ark," and runs October 26-November 11, 2018 in the Little Theatre on campus.