By Noli Brown
The Grand Rapids Community College Spectrum Theater has many performances coming up for the 2023-24 season, with various genres from dramatic to heartwarming, and both humorous and dark comedy. With three different theater organizations, there are many opportunities for students at GRCC to get involved.
GRCC Spectrum Theater is home to its main student group, GRCC Players. This is for all students who decide to enroll in GRCC theater courses or are in the cast or crew for a performance. You can find more information about this group at GRCC Players.
GRCC Players has three performances planned for this semester which are: “Grand Concourse,” “MacBitches,” and “Incorruptible.”
“Grand Concourse” is a funny and heartwarming show that will be the Full Mainstage production. It is about a girl named Shelley who runs a soup kitchen and gets into detail about the operation. This show is Nov. 9-11 at 8 p.m.
“Macbitches” is their Lab Theater production which is a drama that involves five seniors and a freshman in the theater program, the freshman is casted as Lady Macbeth which is the lead role. All of the senior women invite her to a party to “celebrate” and all the drama begins. This show is from Jan. 10-13.
Auditions to be a part of the show “Macbitches” are on Oct. 4 and 5 from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. in Spectrum Theater room 211. Find more information at GRCC Players Auditions.
“Incorruptible” is a dark comedy about the Dark Ages and will be GRCC Players’ Winter Main Stage production. This show is from April 11-13, 2024.
All GRCC students can audition for shows if they are enrolled for that semester here at GRCC. Students can audition even if they’re not taking any theater classes and don’t have any theater experience. There are many opportunities to get involved, with classes like dance or acting. There are also crew positions and volunteer hours for students to come and build sets.
Theater Support Professional Jonathan Wheeler said there are “many opportunities for students to get involved. For kids who have never done theater before, they can still join us. We welcome all students. A lot of students come here to our theater program and have their first experience here.”
The two other programs are community organizations: Jewish Theatre GR and Grand Rapids Actors’ Theatre.
Jewish Theatre GR focuses on Jewish heritage performances. They have three performances coming up which are: “Judgment at Nuremberg” (Oct. 12-22), “The Hatmaker’s Wife” (Feb. 29-March 10), and “Dov and Ali” (June 6-16). You can find more information about this program at Jewish Theatre GR.
Grand Rapids Actors’ Theatre has been a part of the Spectrum Theater for over 40 seasons, and is currently their 41st season. Actor’s Theatre focuses on society and how the world is reflected in art. They have four performances coming up which are: “Oil and Sugar” (Dec. 7-10, 14-16), “Affinity Lunch Minutes” (Feb. 1-4, 8-10), “Paradise Lost” (May 2-5, 9-11), and “Petty Crimes” which is available to stream online at any time from anywhere. For more information about this program, go to Grand Rapids Actors’ Theatre.
Performances cost $15 for general admission, but only $5 for students (bring your RaiderCard) and $10 for faculty and staff. Students who may have an issue buying a ticket can go talk to the box office and they can work something out. Every Wednesday before a production’s opening night, the cast have their open dress rehearsal which is like a preview performance. This is free to any GRCC Theater student or anyone who is involved in the performance.
All performances are put on at the Spectrum Theater on GRCC’s main downtown campus. Most performances are on the main stage, but some are performed in the Lab Theater on the second floor of Spectrum Theater.
“Students run the show, they are the ones on stage acting, they are the ones backstage moving set pieces on and off, they help build the set, their the ones organizing the other costumes backstage, their the ones in the box office selling tickets,” said Wheeler. “Whenever we have a GRCC Players show, students are the ones who are truly running the show so there are tons and tons of opportunities to get involved. We are also connected to other theater organizations that, if students were interested in, we could connect them to other organizations as well, so many opportunities here.”
