College of Fine Arts and Design

January 31, 2013

The University of Central Oklahoma College of Fine Arts and Design will present “Anton in Show Business,” a contemporary, award-winning play, at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 7-9 and 2:00 p.m., Feb. 10 in UCO’s Mitchell Hall Theater.

A play within a play, “Anton in Show Business” provides the audience with a comedic look at contemporary theater as it follows three young actresses who have been cast in title rolls of Anton Chekhov’s “The Three Sisters” at a struggling regional theater in San Antonio, Texas.

Written by Jane Martin, “Anton in Show Business” premiered in 2000 and won the 2001 American Theatre Critics Association’s Steinberg New Play Award.  Additionally, the play was hailed by Variety magazine as “a smart, acerbic crowd pleaser, simultaneously a love letter and poison pen to the American theater.”

“Although the comedic aspects of the play will have the audience laughing, it is the thought provoking elements, which address race, gender and social status, that really drew me to choose this play,” said Kato Buss, Ph.D., director of the play and Central theatre arts professor.

Buss received his Ph.D. in Theatre Studies from the University of Oregon and is in his first year of teaching theatre arts at Central.  Prior to obtaining his Ph.D., he worked as a professional and actor and director for 10 years.

Buss began auditions for the play within his first few weeks at UCO in August and picked a cast of seven Central theatre arts students, ranging from freshmen to seniors. 

“It has been exciting getting to work with such a dynamic group of students,” said Buss.

Buss also worked with the Central stage design and technology team to achieve the innovative idea of seating the audience on the stage with the actors during the performance.

“We are utilizing the stage to accentuate the script and encourage the audience to be an active and a part of the action.”

Tickets are $14 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and Central faculty and staff, and $4 for students with a Central I.D.  Tickets can be purchased by calling the Mitchell Hall Theater Box Office at 405-974-3375.

For a complete listing of UCO College of Fine Arts and Design events and performances, visit www.uco.edu/cfad/events.