NKU Goes to Hollywood for “Once in a Lifetime” Production

Cody Oppel, Sophia DeWald and Andy Burns in NKU's upcoming
Cody Oppel, Sophia DeWald and Andy Burns in NKU’s upcoming “Once in a Lifetime”

Northern Kentucky University kicks off their 2016 semester with a classic duo that everyone loves: Kaufman and Hart. Once In A Lifetime is the first collaboration between the two writers, and brings the same zany hijinks that their other notable works (You Can’t Take It With You, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Merrily We Roll Along) have become famous for.

Following Jerry, Mae, and George, we see the three young vaudeville artists as they intend to capitalize on the new “talkies” trend in Hollywood by posing as voice experts. Leading the helm of the cast at NKU are Cody Oppel, Sophia DeWald and Andy Burns. Set in 1928, we are quickly approaching the centennial of this play, yet its critique of Hollywood seems remarkably up-to-date. Today’s all-access to the names and faces (and so on) of the entertainment world seem to echo the same sentiments as Kaufman and Hart.

Director Mike King, an Associate Professor of Theatre Performance at NKU and no stranger to the Cincinnati area stages, tackles the beast of a production with over 70 characters and 5 locations, where most actors have at least three different characters to juggle. This often presents a challenge for producers, so the show itself is not often produced, unlike Kaufman and Hart’s other works. King has directed the writing team’s works in the past, and notes that “their plays have a gentle humanism — a belief that people are basically good, and will eventually do the right thing.”

Once In A Lifetime is presented at NKU Corbett Theatre from February 18-28, 2016. For more information call the NKU School of the Arts Box Office at 859.572.5464 or visit theatre.nku.edu

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