The War of the Worlds
a world premiere by Lauren Caldwell inspired by the novel by H.G. Wells
Hippodrome Artistic Director Lauren Caldwell's creative juices are flowing as she prepares the world premiere of The War of the Worlds! The inspiration for her work is the Sci-Fi
masterpiece The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells written in 1898. Less than 50 years
after it was written on Oct. 30, 1938, Orson Welles was inspired to adapt this fantastical
story about interplanetary conflict into a radio drama that was set it in the real American
town of Grover’s Mill. His broadcast created a wave of mass hysteria as the people tuned
in their radios on Halloween night to hear of an alien invasion from Mars. Police
Departments were overwhelmed with reports of aliens, meteor sightings, gas raids, and
bombings. People fled their homes, packed the roads, hid in cellars, loaded guns, and
wrapped their heads in wet towels to protect themselves from the poisonous Martian
gases. The Federal Communication Commission investigated Orson Welles and the
Mercury Theatre of the Air. Headlines read: “Radio Listeners in Panic, Taking War Drama
as a Fact. Many Flee Homes to Escape ‘Gas Raid From Mars’”-NY Times. “Hoax
Spreads Terror Here; Some Pack Up” -Trenton Evening Times. “Even Author H. G. Welles Was Deeply Perturbed” -Trenton Evening
Times. People were stuck in a kind of virtual world in which fiction was confused with fact.
The War of the Worlds is one of the most important works in the history of science fiction because it was the catalyst for the whole Sci- Fi genre about the alien invasion of the Earth. H.G. Wells and Lauren Caldwell raise fascinating questions with their stories. How is our global culture affected by the media? What are the effects of deceptions in news, advertising, public relations and politics on an unsuspecting public? How has our fascination with life on other planets influenced scientific discovery? How has mans’ greed impacted our world? Are there superior worlds and cultures on other planets? What happens when cultures clash? Are we all at risk of extinction? Caldwell applies a 21st Century perspective to the 1898 novel, using such universal themes as man vs. man, man vs. the universe, and science vs. nature. With the creative collaboration of Set Designer Mihai Ciupe, Costume Designer Marilyn Wall, Lighting Designer Robert Robins, Properties Designer Lorelei Esser and a talented cast, Caldwell’s adaptation will ignite the Hippodrome’s mainstage in an original story that will excite audiences of all ages.
The War of the Worlds is the centerpiece of our literary project One City One Story. The War of the Worlds and One City One Story offer an exciting opportunity for audiences of all ages to discuss these universal questions and to be part of a unique community event. Visit http://thehipp.org/onecityonestory.htm for updated events of One City One Story. Make your reservation today to be the first to see the exciting world premiere of The War of the Worlds.
The Hippodrome is proud to announce our new Director of Education, Kelly Dugan!
Welcome to the Hippodrome Theatre team, Kelly!
Kelly Dugan comes to us from the Gainesville Rock Gym, where she was a Program Facilitator for their Team Summit team-building Program. She is a graduate from the University of Florida with a B.A. in Business Administration. She has taught with the Gainesville Association for the Creative Arts for several years and is currently an active performer within the local theatre community. Kelly is very excited to be a part of the phenomenal Education team here at the Hippodrome....in the Hippodrome East Gallery...Marcel Perez
Photographs - February 27 through March 21st
"The divide between science and religion, coupled with the almost universal longing for a spiritual connection, serve as the themes I deal with in my photographs. I was raised in a strict religious environment, so from an early age I have been immersed in the images that accompany devotion. Most of these images possess a duality that I find fascinating: on one hand you have the promise of eternal love and bliss represented by virgins walking on clouds, angels, and a benevolent God on a throne above in heaven; on the other hand you have the evil in mankind and the threat of hell represented by crucifixions, torturing, and the nightmare landscapes of an underworld populated by souls doing penance for their sins and being punished by demons and devils. The richness of the imagery contained in these religious tableaus, combined with the powerful diversity of the culture of Ecuador, where I grew up, provide a vast, fecund palette for my work.In parallel, my interest in scientific subjects has been an ever present visual stimulus, specially the mysteries of the micro world. The magnified compound eyes and gossamer wings of insects rank on top as far as my visual interest. Many religious rituals, specially the processions and funerary events, always evoke in me images of swarms of insects at peak activity levels. The cadence of whispered prayers, the glissando of chanting and the counterpoint of anguished wails serve as a soundtrack to my memories and challenge me to integrate them visually. As an adult I lost faith in my religion but never lost the desire to believe in something. As an artist these two powerful forces, religion and science, provide me with a wide gamut of experiential and visual material. I try to capture the duality of religious images and the precision of scientific research. Photography is the perfect tool for this endeavor, as minute detail can be recorded accurately, and very intricate relations are revealed. The use of high resolution digital technology coupled with large format cameras and printers allow my work to reflect my ideas without distractions, in a direct manner that is coherent with my vision.”
3rd Annual One City One Story Project
The third annual One City One Story project is back by popular demand. One City One Story is the literary project that asks, “What if an entire community read the same book at the same time?” This year we’re venturing into exciting new territory with one of the most famous science fiction masterpieces of all time, The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells.
One City One Story has been highly successful in the past two years featuring many community events centered on the Hipp’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank in 2001 and Romeo and Juliet in 2002. The theatre has had the incredible fortune of working with many other wonderful organizations and businesses throughout the community on One City One Story. Here are a few quotes from the collaborating organizations in 2002:
Karen E. Mawk; Center Supervisor, City of Gainesville’s Recreation Department
“I think this program gives kids the opportunity to experience a classic work of literature from a different perspective.”
Linda Boyles; Librarian, Alachua County
“(One City One Story provides) A focus on great literature and the many ways and forms in which stories can be transmitted and shared. Also, good community connections and dialogues.” “I really liked the idea of more visible, out-in-the-community scenes – loved the balcony scene at the Headquarters Library. Maybe more of this kind of thing, in unexpected places, would pique interest.”
Jennifer Tragash; Gainesville Reads Coordinator
“I think this project provided an opportunity for people of diverse ethnicity, age, gender, race, etc. to participate together in a variety of interactive ways (reading, seeing a play, seeing scenes acted out, discussions, lectures, music, etc. It also gave a very diverse group of people the opportunity to experience Shakespeare (many of the children and teens with whom I work had never heard of Shakespeare. The few who had heard of Shakespeare thought his work was “boring” or “too difficult” to read, until they were presented with the above described options.) “This was one of the best projects with which I have ever had the good fortune to participate in.”
Events surrounding the community reading of The War of the Worlds will include local actors reading excerpts from the Orson Welles 1938 radio broadcast; a read-athon that will include volunteers from the community to participate in roundtable readings of the novel and the Hippodrome’s stage adaptation by Lauren Caldwell.
Check the One City One Story link on the Hippodrome’s website for updates on future events and plan to purchase your copy of The War of the Worlds at you favorite local bookstore. Events will kick off February 27 and run throughout the month of March.
Contact Project Director Tammy Dygert for details: 373-5968.
One City One Story 2004 Events
(all events are free unless otherwise stated)
The third annual One City One Story project is back by popular demand. One City One Story is the literary project that asks, “What if an entire community read the same book at the same time?” This year we’re venturing into exciting new territory with one of the most famous science fiction masterpieces of all time, The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells.
One City One Story has been highly successful in the past two years featuring many community events centered on the Hipp’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank in 2001 and Romeo and Juliet in 2002. The theatre has had the incredible fortune of working with many other wonderful organizations and businesses throughout the community on One City One Story. Here are a few quotes from the collaborating organizations in 2002:
Karen E. Mawk; Center Supervisor, City of Gainesville’s Recreation Department
“I think this program gives kids the opportunity to experience a classic work of literature from a different perspective.”
Linda Boyles; Librarian, Alachua County
“(One City One Story provides) A focus on great literature and the many ways and forms in which stories can be transmitted and shared. Also, good community connections and dialogues.” “I really liked the idea of more visible, out-in-the-community scenes – loved the balcony scene at the Headquarters Library. Maybe more of this kind of thing, in unexpected places, would pique interest.”
Jennifer Tragash; Gainesville Reads Coordinator
“I think this project provided an opportunity for people of diverse ethnicity, age, gender, race, etc. to participate together in a variety of interactive ways (reading, seeing a play, seeing scenes acted out, discussions, lectures, music, etc. It also gave a very diverse group of people the opportunity to experience Shakespeare (many of the children and teens with whom I work had never heard of Shakespeare. The few who had heard of Shakespeare thought his work was “boring” or “too difficult” to read, until they were presented with the above described options.) “This was one of the best projects with which I have ever had the good fortune to participate in.”
Events surrounding the community reading of The War of the Worlds will include local actors reading excerpts from the Orson Welles 1938 radio broadcast; a read-athon that will include volunteers from the community to participate in roundtable readings of the novel and the Hippodrome’s stage adaptation by Lauren Caldwell.
Check the One City One Story link on the Hippodrome’s website for updates on future events and plan to purchase your copy of The War of the Worlds at you favorite local bookstore. Events will kick off February 27 and run throughout the month of March.
Contact Project Director Tammy Dygert for details: 373-5968.
(all events are free unless otherwise stated)
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DATES
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ACTIVITIES
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| Friday, February 27 | One City One Story kickoff at the Hippodrome State Theatre preceding the 8:15 performance of the stage adaptation of The War of the Worlds by Lauren Caldwell. |
| February 27-March 21 | World premiere stage adaptation of The War of the Worlds at the Hippodrome State Theatre. Call 375-4477 for ticket price information. |
| Sunday, February 29 | Readings from the novel The War of the Worlds and at The Atrium |
| Month of March | Shelley Fraser Mickle will discuss The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells in her Sunday Gainesville Sun column, Novel Conversations. Share your thoughts with Shelley: Shelleyfm@aol.com or Box 1408, Alachua, FL 32616. |
| Monday, March 1 | Performances of the Orson Welles 1938 Radio Broadcast at Carleton Auditorium on UF campus. |
| Wednesday, March 3 | 4:30 performance from radio broadcast by local actors at the Rosa B. Williams Center |
| Thursday, March 4 | 7:30 p.m. performances from radio broadcast by local actors at the Harn Museum. |
| Friday, March 5 | Readings from the novel The War of the Worlds and performances of the Orson Welles 1938 Radio Broadcast at Books-A-Million on 13th Street. 7:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, March 6 | Readings from the novel The War of the Worlds and performances of the Orson Welles 1938 Radio Broadcast at Millhopper Branch Library 1:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, March 7 | Orson Welles 1938 Radio Broadcast of War of the Worlds on “Theatre of the Mind” 8:00-10:00 p.m. on Classic 89.1 fm. |
| Thursday, March 11 | Readings from the novel The War of the Worlds and performances of the Orson Welles 1938 Radio Broadcast by local actors. At the Northeast Community Center 4:30 p.m |
| Sunday, March 14 | Reading from Classics Illustrated The War of the Worlds followed by a youth art workshop on comic illustration 2:00-3:00 p.m. (ages 5-11). Performances from the Orson Welles Radio Broadcast by local actors 3:30-4:30 p.m. Both events at Alachua County Library District Headquarters Branch. |
| Monday, March 15 | Readings from the novel The War of the Worlds and performances of the Orson Welles 1938 Radio Broadcast by local actors at Westwood Middle School “Teen Zone” 4:30-5:30 p.m. |
| Thursday, March 18 | Readings from the novel The War of the Worlds and performances of the Orson Welles 1938 Radio Broadcast by local actors at Westside Rec. Center 4:30 p.m |
| March 19 and 20 | Readings from the novel The War of the Worlds and performances of the Orson Welles 1938 Radio Broadcast by local actors at Borders Books. 7:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday, March 23 | Readings from the novel The War of the Worlds and performances of the Orson Welles 1938 Radio Broadcast by local actors at T.B. McPherson Center 4:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday, March 26 | Readings from the H.G. Wells 1898 novel The War of the Worlds 1:30-4:00 p.m. UF campus Reitz Union, room 349. Hosted by Paul Wartenberg, reference librarian, George A. Smathers Libraries. |
| Monday, March 29 | Readings from the novel The War of the Worlds and performances of the Orson Welles 1938 Radio Broadcast by local actors at Porters Community Center 4:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday, March 30 | Readings from the novel The War of the Worlds and performances of the Orson Welles 1938 Radio Broadcast by local actors at Eastside Community Center 4:30 p.m. |
The Hippodrome State Theatre presents the 10thFLORIDA TEEN PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL
April 24-26, 2004. See http://thehipp.org/teenplay.html for more information!
Mid Season Subscriptions
Want to enjoy the remainder of our exciting 31st season with a substantial discount on tickets? With our mid-season Flex Pass, you’ll be guaranteed four affordable tickets that allow you to choose the shows and dates that you prefer. With a sci-fi classic, a baseball comedy and a witty musical about love and relationships, there’s something for everyone! Avoid long lines at the box office and get your Flex Pass today by calling Gordon at 373-5968.
Only Ten Bucks!
Spice up your Sunday Night or Tuesday Night! Now you can enjoy a sensational show at the Hippodrome at bargain prices with our $10 Far Side seats. Take advantage of this steeply discounted rate by calling the Box Office at 375-4477.
Want to enjoy the remainder of our exciting 31st season with a substantial discount on tickets? With our mid-season Flex Pass, you’ll be guaranteed four affordable tickets that allow you to choose the shows and dates that you prefer. With a sci-fi classic, a baseball comedy and a witty musical about love and relationships, there’s something for everyone! Avoid long lines at the box office and get your Flex Pass today by calling Gordon at 373-5968.
Only Ten Bucks!
Spice up your Sunday Night or Tuesday Night! Now you can enjoy a sensational show at the Hippodrome at bargain prices with our $10 Far Side seats. Take advantage of this steeply discounted rate by calling the Box Office at 375-4477.
