The stage is nearly set for a dark comedy under the sun.
"The Sleeper," which is the first installment of MSU's outdoor Summer Circle Theatre, offers East Lansing residents and MSU students a chance to gather on the banks of the Red Cedar River and fill those curious bleachers on the Auditorium courtyard.
The play, which will open at 8 p.m. on June 7, is a post-9/11 dark comedy written by Catherine Butterfield. The play will be running through June 10.
The play stars communication junior Blair Wojcik as Gretchen, a mother paranoid in a post-9/11 world, who comes to believe the man she is having an affair with is a terrorist.
Wojcik said working with the age difference between the character and herself was a challenge.
"It's hard to step into the role of a 35-year-old parent with two kids," she said. "But she has a lot of fears that we can all identify with."
Wojcik said she's excited to perform outside for the first time, but there are worries in the back of her mind.
"Thinking about it now and the insane weather we've been having, what if it's pouring rain and I have to pretend I'm in the kitchen making dinner for my husband," Wojcik joked.
Summer Circle Theatre began in 1961 with "Blithe Spirit" in Demonstration Hall. The theater separated from the Department of Theatre in 1970 and was moved outside and made free to the public.
Frank Rutledge, director of "The Sleeper" and a founder of Summer Circle Theatre, said crowds are typically 450-600 people but have been as big as 1,200.
"There will be hundreds of people packing the bleachers and the lawn," she said. "It's a much more casual venue because people can come watch on blankets."
The 2006 season marks the first time a shorter, late-night play will follow the feature play during the Friday and Saturday performances.
Rob Roznowski, assistant professor of theater, said he had the idea to have late-night shows because he wanted to perform "Unwrap Your Candy," a collection of bizarre one-act plays.
"I thought it was much too mature for the normal crowd," he said of the play. "So I thought, 'Why not do another show after?' It's like a drive-in double feature."
Roznowski, who has director for Summer Circle for the past two summers, said weather has caused plays to be called off.
Sarah Dunn, a 2006 graduate, plays Gretchen's sister Vivian, a character who narrates the story to the audience.
Dunn, who performed in "All My Sons" during last year's Summer Circle, said the weather can actually added dramatic effects to the performance.
"There was one night when it started to storm, and since it was such an intense drama, it added to the play," she said.
For more information on the play or the summer schedule visit www.summercircle.org
