The Purdue Fort Wayne Department of Theatre will produce a unique theatrical experience, Dracula: An Act of Destruction this month. 

Rather than using a published script, the performance was created through “ensemble devising,” a technique in which the ensemble collaborates through improvisation, movement, text, and design. In doing so, the members of the ensemble “work toward a collective vision in which all have an artistic voice,” Brittany Bressler said in a press release. 

Bressler said the show explores the themes of fear, disease, and destruction, weaving “creative writing and poetry, music, choreography, design elements, and moments generated by members of the ensemble, past and present, resulting in a collective collage that theatrically brings the story of Dracula and destruction to life on the stage.”

The production is the second in a trilogy of devised theatre performances, following Frankenstein: An Act of Creation.

Showtimes at 8 p.m. on April 22, 23, 27, 28, and 29, and 2 p.m. on April 24. Tickets are available at pfw.edu/tickets 

PFW offering Bachelor of Fine Arts degree

The Purdue University Fort Wayne Department of Theatre will begin offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts in  their musical theatre program during the fall 2022 semester. 

The B.F.A. program will develop advanced performance skills, improving marketability and increasing potential for acceptance into Master of Fine Arts programs.

“We are thrilled to offer a degree that will provide students the additional training they need to find the specific work they desire in the multibillion-dollar entertainment industry,” Beverly Redman said in a press release. “Touring companies, theme parks, cruise ships, and regional theatres all hire actors, singers, and dancers who have earned a B.F.A. in musical theatre. Now, even more of our alumni will be among them.”

Additional classes in the program will be offered in advanced voice work, piano, advanced sight-singing and aural perception, along with advanced dance and musical theatre performance classes.

To schedule an audition, or for more information, contact redmanb@pfw.edu.

Gala to help raise funds for Make-A-Wish

Hanning & Bean are sponsoring the Northeast Indiana Make-A-Wish “Hope is Essential” Gala on Friday, April 22, from 6-10 p.m. at Memorial Coliseum. 

The evening will include dinner and drinks, live and silent auctions, and inspirational stories of wishes being granted to northeast Indiana children with critical illnesses. 

Individual tickets are $200, and can be purchased at oki.wish.org/neigala.

Check out live theater in Fort Wayne

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five (IMTF at RKF Studios, 2446 Lake Ave): April 22-24

The Princess and the Goblin (all for One productions at PPG ArtsLab): April 22-24, April 29-May 1

The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Show (Courtyard Fort Wayne)” Saturday, April 23, at 6 pm

Jersey Boys (Embassy Theatre) – Thursday, April 21, at 7:30 pm

Dracula: An Act of Destruction (PFW Department of Theatre at Williams Theatre): April 22-24, April 27-29