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Riverland Community College Theatre Director Lindsey Duoos Williams has announced the Theatre Department’s 2020-2021 season.

The season will meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing shows audiences have come to expect with flexible delivery formats.

The season opens Oct. 21, with the play “She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms” by Qui Nguyen. “She Kills Monsters” tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she stumbles into a journey of discovery and action-packed adventure in the imaginary world that was Tilly’s refuge. 

On Feb. 24, Riverland Theatre will present the romantic comedy “Almost, Maine” by John Cariani. One cold, clear, winter night, as the northern lights hover in the star-filled sky above, the residents of Almost, Maine, find themselves falling in and out of love unexpectedly. The delivery format for this production will be announced at a later date. The play will be directed by Susan V. Hansen.

The season finishes with the new musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.”

Named one of The New York Times’ best shows of 2017, “As You Like It” is an immersive, dream-like tale of faithful friends, feuding families, and lovers in disguise. Forced from their homes, Orlando, Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind and niece Celia escape to the Forest of Arden, a fantastical place of transformation where the refugees find community and acceptance under the stars.

Williams will direct As You Like It, which was postponed from the 2019-2020 season.

“This season presents many new challenges, but we are ready to be creative and flexible in order to continue our programming while prioritizing safety,” Williams said. “The challenge of producing a play entirely rehearsed and performed online is exciting as well as a fantastic learning opportunity for our students. She Kills Monsters has been a popular play presented in a traditional format, but now the script has been rewritten specifically for performances online on Zoom. The show is both funny and moving, and gives our students the opportunity to learn about creating performance for digital media.”

Individual tickets to “She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms” will go on sale Sept. 8, when the box office officially opens for the season. The box office will be fully “virtual” this fall with no in-person sales. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.riverland.edu/tickets, or by phone after Sept. 8. 

To receive more information, call the Riverland Theatre Box Office at (507) 433-0595, email boxoffice@riverland.edu, or visit the website and download the brochure at www.riverland.edu/theatre. Individual ticket prices for “As You Like It” are $16, and $13 for “She Kills Monsters” and “Almost, Maine.” Riverland students receive two free tickets to each production.