“See How They Run” Kicks Off Return of Theater on Campus

The Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company will present the 1949 British farce “See How They Run” this November.

Dr. Stephen A. Schrum, associate professor of theatre arts at Pitt-Greensburg and the director of “See How They Run,” is excited to see the Company’s return to Ferguson Theater with a comedy.

“I’m pretty good with comedy, and I think students do better with comedy than trying to drudge up the emotion you need for tragedy,” Dr. Schrum said.

“See How They Run,” written by Philip King, is a comedy set in England in 1943. Penelope Toop, the wife of the local vicar Lionel Toop, finds herself caught in a whirlwind of mistaken identities.

“Mistaken identities are always funny,” Dr. Schrum said. “There’s people running around, chasing each other, and falling over. People are locked in the closet together and they’re discovered. At one point, we’ll have four people on the stage dressed identically.”

The Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company has cast several returning performers for “See How They Run”: Clayton E. Gregg V (Cpl. Clive Winton), Michele Laity (The Rev. Arthur Humphrey), Zoe McLaughlin (Ida), Lauren McNeill (The Intruder), Reilly Reis (Miss Skillon), John Paul Richtey (The Bishop of Lax), Loryn Roadman (Sgt. Towers), and Terrence T. Turk II (The Rev. Lionel Toop).

Madison Vogel, who has earned a Gene Kelley nomination for Best Actress for playing the role of Mary Poppins in “Mary Poppins,” will play the part of Penelope in “See How They Run,” marking her debut with the Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company.

Although live performances are back, the Pitt-Greensburg Theatre Company had to get creative when it came to following Pitt’s COVID-19 policies on stage. The Company has purchased transparent face coverings for the performers and adjusted certain theatrical actions, such as drinking from a bottle, for compliance.

“See How They Run” will be the second to last production Dr. Schrum will direct before his retirement at the end of the academic year.

“I created a list of plays I wanted to direct years ago, and this has always been on it,” Dr. Schrum said. “I think it’s just a really funny play and something the audience will really enjoy.”

“See How They Run” will show live at Ferguson Theater on Thursday, Nov. 11 and Friday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday, Nov. 13 and Sunday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m.