This year’s “Hoyas Onstage: A Celebratory Theatrical Show of the Georgetown Theater Community’s 2007-2008 Season,” provided a sneak peak at the enormous effort and energy put into the productions in this year’s theater program.

Joanna Ruf (COL ’08), executive producer for Nomadic Theatre and organizer of the “Hoyas Onstage” event, called this sneak peak at upcoming performances “a celebratory tour” of Georgetown theater and expressed her excitement at the opportunity to show students and alumni “the entire theater experience.”

We were first led to a stairwell where we witnessed a short scene from Nomadic Theatre’s upcoming production of “The Exonerated,” which is directed by Kevyn Bowles (COL ’09) and opens Oct. 17. The play, which tells the story of six men wrongly convicted and sent to death row, but later set free, features a performance of “Amazing Grace” that left me stunned.

After catching a glimpse of Dave Hare’s “Stuff Happens,” a play that follows the lead-up to the Iraq War, we were led to the black box Devine Theater to view a scene from “Black Comedy.” This play relates the hilarious exploits of a sculptor who, while battling a blackout, desperately hopes to impress his father-in-law. Directed by Hunter Styles (COL ’08), it opens Feb. 13.

Next was a tour of the costume shop and design studio, where work is already under way for “The House of Blue Leaves,” a play centered on a zookeeper who hopes to achieve the American dream. Set designer Keith Bikara is researching housing interiors from the 1960s to develop models for the production. In the case of “The House of Fallen Leaves,” he found the need to “portray theater as an escape,” which goes to show the amount of thought that goes into every aspect of production at Georgetown.

The next scenes ranged from the Black Theatre Ensemble’s “In the Blood,” as well as their ongoing productions of one-act plays that will take place throughout the year, to a scene from Mask and Bauble’s first production of the year, “Hamlet.” Their second show of the year is called “All in the Timing,” which involves a series of 11 one-act plays, with actors performing in two to three different shows. It will open after only four days of intense rehearsal on November 30 and will run for three performances.

After several more performances, the last stop was the Gonda Theater, where a scene was performed from “Trees and Ghosts.” Put on by the Theater and Performance Studies Program, this play examines the Japanese experience following World War II. It is a multimedia performance that employs interactive video, on-stage drawing, and taiko drums. Jamieson Baker (SFS ’08), a member of the cast of “Trees and Ghosts,” commented that he looked forward to this play because it enabled students to “work directly with a Georgetown faculty member as a professional.” Adapted and directed by Professor Natsu Onada, this production will have its world premiere in the Gonda Theater on Nov. 8.

So take some good advice and go to the performances and take advantage of the talent that your fellow Hoyas have to offer.

For more information on performance dates and ticket prices, visit the website for the performing arts at Georgetown at http://performingarts.georgetown.edu.