Arts and Entertainment

Penn State to premiere Joe Iconis' 'Love in Hate Nation'

Katie Griffith, left, rehearses a scene from the Penn State Centre Stage premiere presentation of Love In Hate Nation with fellow cast member Amina Faye at the Playhouse Theatre. Love in Hate Nation opens Feb. 13 and runs through Feb. 24. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Centre Stage presents the premiere production of the musical "Love in Hate Nation," Feb. 13-24, in the Playhouse Theatre. With music, lyrics and book by Joe Iconis, "Love in Hate Nation" was commissioned by Penn State Musical Theatre as part of their New Works Initiative.

John Simpkins ("The Black Suits," "Legendale") directs. Music direction is by Dan Riddle ("Les Miserables," "The Light in the Piazza"), with choreography by Jennifer Werner ("The Book of Mormon"). Jennifer Ashley Tepper ("The Untold Stories of Broadway") is dramaturg and Charlie Rosen ("Prince of Broadway," "Honeymoon in Vegas") provides orchestrations.

A love story between two girls, "Love in Hate Nation" is set in an early 1960’s juvenile detention center. Taking musical cues from wall-of-sound pop and rock and roll girl group, Riot grrrl, the show tells the story of young people caught between eras of a changing America and their attempt to break out of the boxes society has created around them. This is the story of American rebels in the making on the verge of revolution.

Penn State’s production features Amina Faye as Susannah, Katie Griffith as Sheila, Talia Suskauer as Ms. Asp, Caleb Smith as Kitty, Mikayla McKasey as Judith, Lena Skeele as Dorothy, Morgan Hecker as Ya-Ya, Jasmine Forsberg as Rat, and Kevin Dort as The Guy. Swings and understudies include Aidan Cole, Laura Guley, Ariana Notartomaso and Maria Wirries.

Penn State’s production is designed by Parker Sweeney (scenery), Ken Friedhoff (lighting), Emma Dickerson (costumes), and Olivia Girdano (sound). Lyric Hamilton is production stage manager.

Joe Iconis is the author of "Be More Chill" (Two River Theater), "Broadway Bounty Hunter" (Barrington Stage Company), "The Black Suits" (Center Theater Group), the rock and roll Spaghetti Western musical "Bloodsong of Love" (Ars Nova), "ReWrite" (Urban Stages), Theaterworks USA’s "The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks" and "We The People." Upcoming projects include "The Hunter S. Thompson Musical" for La Jolla Playhouse.

Amina Faye will be making her Penn State Centre Stage debut in the premiere production of Joe Iconis’ Love in Hate Nation opening Feb. 13 and running through Feb. 24 at the Playhouse. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Talia Suskauer, playing the role of Ms. Asp, rehearsed a scene from the Penn State Centre Stage premiere production of the musical Love in Hate Nation. The play was commissioned by Penn State Musical Theatre as part of their New Works Initiative and opens Feb. 13 at the Playhouse. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Costume designer Emma Dickerson, right, helps cast member Amina Faye with her wardrobe prior to rehearsal for the Penn State Centre Stage production of Love in Hate Nation. Dickerson is a senior majoring in costume design in Penn State’s School of Theatre. Love in Hate Nation runs Feb. 13 to 24 at the Playhouse on Penn State’s University Park campus. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Katie Griffith, left, rehearses a scene from the Penn State Centre Stage premiere presentation of Love In Hate Nation with fellow cast member Amina Faye at the Playhouse Theatre. Love in Hate Nation opens Feb. 13 and runs through Feb. 24. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Amina Faye, left, and Talia Suskauer, along with the entire cast and crew of the Penn State Centre Stage premiere production of Love in Hate Nation, are in rehearsal for the shows Feb. 13 open at the Playhouse. Love in Hate Nation, written by Joe Iconis, is part of the Penn State Musical Theatre’s New Works Initiative. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Katie Griffith, a junior earning her B.F.A. in musical theatre at Penn State, will portray the character Sheila Nail in the Penn State Centre Stage premiere production of Love in Hate Nation opening Feb. 13 at the Playhouse Theatre. Taking musical cues from wall-of-sound pop and rock girl groups, the show tells the story of young people caught between eras of a changing America. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Director John Simpkins discusses a scene with members of the cast of Love in Hate Nation during rehearsal for the production at the Playhouse on Penn State's University Park campus. Love in Hate Nation was commissioned by Penn State Musical Theatre as part of their New Works Initiative. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Amina Faye will be making her Penn State Centre Stage debut in the premiere production of Joe Iconis’ Love in Hate Nation opening Feb. 13 and running through Feb. 24 at the Playhouse. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Talia Suskauer, playing the role of Ms. Asp, rehearsed a scene from the Penn State Centre Stage premiere production of the musical Love in Hate Nation. The play was commissioned by Penn State Musical Theatre as part of their New Works Initiative and opens Feb. 13 at the Playhouse. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Costume designer Emma Dickerson, right, helps cast member Amina Faye with her wardrobe prior to rehearsal for the Penn State Centre Stage production of Love in Hate Nation. Dickerson is a senior majoring in costume design in Penn State’s School of Theatre. Love in Hate Nation runs Feb. 13 to 24 at the Playhouse on Penn State’s University Park campus. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Katie Griffith, left, rehearses a scene from the Penn State Centre Stage premiere presentation of Love In Hate Nation with fellow cast member Amina Faye at the Playhouse Theatre. Love in Hate Nation opens Feb. 13 and runs through Feb. 24. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Amina Faye, left, and Talia Suskauer, along with the entire cast and crew of the Penn State Centre Stage premiere production of Love in Hate Nation, are in rehearsal for the shows Feb. 13 open at the Playhouse. Love in Hate Nation, written by Joe Iconis, is part of the Penn State Musical Theatre’s New Works Initiative. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Katie Griffith, a junior earning her B.F.A. in musical theatre at Penn State, will portray the character Sheila Nail in the Penn State Centre Stage premiere production of Love in Hate Nation opening Feb. 13 at the Playhouse Theatre. Taking musical cues from wall-of-sound pop and rock girl groups, the show tells the story of young people caught between eras of a changing America. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

Director John Simpkins discusses a scene with members of the cast of Love in Hate Nation during rehearsal for the production at the Playhouse on Penn State's University Park campus. Love in Hate Nation was commissioned by Penn State Musical Theatre as part of their New Works Initiative. Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn State. Creative Commons

The Penn State Musical Theatre New Works Initiative is a yearly commission where writers meet and draw inspiration from the student artists for whom they are writing. The project includes a year-long development period and culminates in a concert in New York and a full reading on campus. Possibilities exist to continue into production at Penn State and then professional co-production with a regional or New York Theatre. In addition to Joe Iconis, current commissions include Mike Reid/ Sarah Schlesinger and Kirsten Childs.

For more information and tickets to "Love in Hate Nation," please visit https://theatre.psu.edu/LOVEINHATE.

Last Updated February 2, 2018

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