The Vagina Monologues

Presented by UC Davis students and community members. Benefiting My Sister’s House, and the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center of Yolo County, as well as the V-Day Spotlight Campaign for Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 7 p.m. Feb. 12, and 2 and 7 p.m. Feb. 13, Veterans Memorial Center, 203 E. 14th St., Davis. Tickets: $5-$15, on a sliding scale, available at the Women’s Resources and Research Center, 113 North Hall. Sponsors: Women’s Resources and Research Center, and Consortium for Women and Research.

M.F.A. choreographies

Master of Fine Arts candidates present their choreographic theses, back to back at five performances, with the opening show set for tonight (Feb. 12).

• Dances for Non-Fictional Bodies (excerpt), by Jess Curtis

• Jointedness, by Nina Galin

WHEN: 8 p.m. Feb. 12-13 and 19-20, and 2 p.m. Feb. 21

WHERE: Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

TICKETS: (530) 754-2787 or (866) 754-2787, or mondaviarts.org.

ADVISORY: This production may contain full or partial nudity.

"The synergy of our differences, the jointedness of our humanity" (Dateline, Jan. 29, 2010)

Studio 301's Fuddy Meers

What do a limping, lisping ex-con; a man who speaks to people with his sock puppet; and a woman with psychogenic amnesia have in common?

They are characters coming to UC Davis starting Feb. 17 in Fuddy Meers, presented by Studio 301 Productions.

The David Lindsay-Abaire comedy centers on Claire, a wife and mother in suburbia. What makes her stand out is her amnesia; she remembers nothing about her past, and every morning when she wakes up, her memory of the previous day is completely erased.

One day, the ex-convict appears, claiming to be her brother, and they go to see Claire’s mother, Gertie, who has recently suffered a stroke. Claire’s husband, Richard, and daughter, Kenny, follow along.

Each character influences Claire’s mixture of discovery and confusion — and, as Claire wonders about her past, so does the audience.

“Fuddy Meers is a really individualistic project, because while it’s so hilarious that we can’t get through blocking a scene without busting up, it’s also pretty dark,” said Ashley Bargenquast, who plays Kenny.

“The show is highly character driven, and goes deeper than your average comedy,” said Bargenquast, a second-year student majoring in political science. “These characters are complex, and the way their complexities intertwine with one another — this is what drives the piece as a whole.”

When director Gia Battista asked Michael Lutheran to be the assistant director, he agreed immediately. “It has been wonderful watching Gia and the cast create a performance that is both spontaneous and deeply rooted,” said Lutheran, a second-year student with a double major in dramatic arts and history.

Another interesting aspect of the performance is its stage in the Technocultural Studies Building, also known as the Art Annex. It is not the typical space for a full-length theater production.

Battista, a third-year English major, elected to stage Fuddy Meers in the round — a setting that many of the actors are excited about. Essentially, each person in the audience will see a different perspective of the show.

In addition, the set is minimal, with props as the main element, other than the actors. This is deliberate, according to Battista, to further heighten the audience’s focus on the characters.

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: Fuddy Meers, presented by Studio 301 Productions, the only student-run theater group on campus

WHEN: 8 p.m. Feb. 17 (preview), Feb. 18 and 20, and Feb. 24-27; and 6 p.m. on two Sunday dates, Feb. 21 and 28. (Last week’s Dateline gave an incorrect time for the Sunday performances.)

WHERE: Technocultural Studies Building (Art Annex)

TICKETS: Minimum donation of $8 for students, $10 for adults, payable at the door. A Studio 301 representative said this week that ticket reservations are being taken by e-mail, FuddyMeersReservations@gmail.com.

ADVISORY: This production includes strong language that might not be suitable for children. 

More UC Davis theater: A Midsummer Night's Dream — multimedia style