Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s theatre program, MVNU Theatre, presents “The Matchmaker” written by Thornton Wilder and directed by Keely Heyl. Wilder is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning plays “Our Town” and “The Skin of Our Teeth.” In this comedic play that inspired the musical “Hello, Dolly!,” a wealthy merchant hires a matchmaker to help him find a wife. Hilarity ensues as she becomes entangled in mischief with two of the merchant’s clerks, several ladies, and a pair of waiters at the finest restaurant in town.

WNZR’s Rachel Rinehart (who is in the play) talked with several cast members about “The Matchmaker”. Click HERE to hear their conversations.

Director Keely Heyl approaches “The Matchmaker” with innovative staging that couches the original story within a secondary story. About the production, Heyl states, “It’s going to be a delightful adventure from start to finish. If you have seen the play or ‘Hello, Dolly!,’ leave what you know at home. This will not be the same. While we are not the first cast to do a production this way, I think I can say we are the first ones to do THIS play this way. Your cheeks will be sore from smiling. There is a lot of darkness in this world, we aim to turn a few lights on and have a great time.” Heyl, a 2013 graduate of Cedarville University with a B.A. in Theatre, has extensive experience working with various theatres in the central Ohio area.

Performances will be on Friday, November 3; Saturday, November 4; Friday, November 10; and Saturday, November 11. All performances begin at 7:30 p.m. in Thorne Performance Hall inside the R.R. Hodges Chapel on the campus of MVNU. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for anyone under 18 or those with military ID. The performance on Saturday, November 4 will be super-titled in Spanish. Tickets for all performances may be purchased online at theatre.mvnu.edu, by phone at 740-397-9000 ext. 1620, or at the box office beginning one hour prior to show time. Seating opens approximately 30 minutes prior to show time.

“The Matchmaker” is the first production of MVNU Theatre’s 2017-18 season. Season tickets and flex passes are available now and feature benefits such as 15 percent single-ticket pricing and coupons for complimentary concessions. For more information, visit theatre.mvnu.edu, email theatre@mvnu.edu, or call the MVNU Theatre box office at 740-397-9000 ext. 1620. Follow MVNU Theatre on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest program news and events.

NOTE: This show is Rated PG. It contains mild language and depicts lifestyles not endorsed by MVNU. The intention of this production is to give young actors an opportunity to apply their advanced training to a professional-level production that tackles more challenging subject matter through a highly artistic medium.