As the fall semester begins, the Abbey Players prepare themselves to showcase their 69th season here on campus. This year, the Players are led by a new board of student directors, including seniors Jennifer Cardarelli, Natasha Antkowiak, Kate Dugas, and Garret Meyer, juniors Julia Nosel and Kelsey Warner, and sophomore Emma Saltsman. Season 69 will open this year with the Annual “Saint A’s Got Talent” competition. Hosted by the Players in the Dana Center on Oct. 4 at 7:30pm, all St. A’s students will have the chance to enter and compete for cash prizes totaling $25, $50 and $75.    

The next Abbey Players event is the Family Weekend Show, premiering Friday, Oct. 20 at 8:00pm, with a following 2pm matinee on Saturday, Oct. 21. All tickets will be $8. This year’s show is titled “Snapshot,” featuring a series of vignette-style stories which reflect campus life.

“Snapshot” is written, directed, and co-music directed by senior Kate Dugas and produced by senior Garrett Meyer. Juniors Mackenzie Kewley and Jenni Berglund choreographed the musical sequences, alongside junior Maria Sato as co-music director.  

“I am very excited to be part of the creative team,” stated Meyer, who acts as the Abbey Player’s Director of Membership, when asked about producing the Family Weekend Show for the first time.  “It’s a great process, and I love interacting with all our new freshmen that we’ve casted.”  

The fall play is titled, “A Murder Is Announced”, and will be shown Nov. 2 through Nov. 4, with all shows at 7:30pm. “A Murder Is Announced” is a dramatic Leslie Darbon screenplay of Agatha Christie’s novel by the same title. Come and enjoy a night of mystery, intrigue, unraveling webs of lies and discovering secrets. The titular character Miss Marple will be played by junior Kelsey Warner. Tickets will be $14 for Saint Anselm faculty and $8 for students.  

After winter break, Saint Anselm can enjoy an evening of One Act Plays, directed by students within the Abbey Players. The One Acts will be showcased Feb. 1 through Feb. 3, with all shows at 7:30pm. Directors and plays have yet to be picked. Ticket cost is $10 for faculty and $8 for students.

After the One Acts, the Abbey Players will perform their spring musical Pippin, which will have five performances.  Performed by a circus troupe of actors and acrobats, Pippin details the story of a young prince striving to find his place in the world, his “corner of the sky”. Pippin will premiere at the Dana Center on March 23 and 24 at 7:30pm, with a 2pm matinee on March 25. Shows will resume the following weekend on April 6 and 7, also at 7:30pm.  Tickets are $14 for faculty and $8 for students.     

Another student-run Abbey Players event is the Spring Cabaret, which will be held this year in the Dana Center on April 18 at 7:30pm. This event is open to any Saint Anselm singer. It is hosted, directed, and produced entirely by students. Each Spring Cabaret offers a medley of themed showtunes, especially from Broadway and Walt Disney. Directors have yet to be chosen for the 2018 show.

The final Abbey Players event is the annual Shakespeare Scenes, directed and performed by Abbey Players behind Alumni Hall. Hosted by the English Department, these scenes are part of a day-long celebration of William Shakespeare on April 23, which also includes sonnet readings and visits from re-enactors. The Shakespeare Scenes will be shown between 10am and 4pm.  This year marks the 401st anniversary of William Shakespeare. As they have done for the past 68 seasons, the Abbey Players plan to showcase lively theatrical entertainment for the Anselmian community this year. Be sure to watch for flyers, as well as BOGO student nights with tickets for two at only $6.