During the spring semester, the Gainesville Theatre Alliance (GTA) will produce a pair of plays based on well-known stories.

GTA will perform "Macbeth" from Feb. 14-22 in the Hosch Theatre at 429 Academy St. NE in Gainesville, Georgia, at Brenau University, and it will welcome audiences to Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" from April 11-19 in the Ed Cabell Theatre at the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Gainesville Campus.

Regular ticket prices range from $17.50 to $25.50. A discounted ticket of $5 is available to UNG faculty, staff and students. UNG faculty and staff can use the promo code NIGHTHAWK to secure their $5 tickets, and UNG students can use promo code UNGSPRING25. Student tickets are available starting 10 days before opening night of each play.

GTA is a one-of-a-kind, nationally recognized collaboration between UNG and Brenau.

Students in GTA gain a gamut of experience, ranging from acting to assistant directing, ushering, stage management, costumes and makeup, stage design, and other technical elements.

"The versatility is great. They want you to do all of it," Eric Cavese, a sophomore from Cumming, Georgia, pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in theatre arts with a focus in scenic design, said. "There are a lot of different, intricate, little parts working together to create a common product."

Cavese is serving as the assistant scenic designer and paint charge for "Young Frankenstein."

Zechariah Pierce, GTA artistic director and associate director of theatre in UNG's School of Communication, Film & Theatre in the College of Arts & Letters, is grateful for the variety the program offers.

"Actors don't always get cast. Would you rather work at Starbucks or adjacent to the industry? These other roles allow actors to meet collaborators for their next job," Pierce said. "They need to be a well-rounded artist. We are giving them a wider swath of experience."

Megan Carr, a junior from Monroe, Georgia, pursuing a B.F.A. in theatre arts with concentrations in acting, stage management and direction, said Pierce sold her on the "choose you own" adventure nature of GTA. This semester, she is the assistant director of "Macbeth," working alongside director Sheri Wilson, who is a theatre faculty member.

"A lot of the opportunities I've been given have been half luck and half putting myself out there," Carr said. "You can be talented and have these things you're good at, but you need to put in the work and really show that you're willing to work for anything you want to do, especially in theatre."

GTA students are also able to work on student-run plays through GTA's chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, a national theatre honor society.

Ella Duncan, a sophomore from Cumming, Georgia, pursuing a B.F.A. in theatre arts with a concentration in acting, is part of the ensemble for "Young Frankenstein." She is grateful to be able to try her hand at new skills, like carpentry, as part of GTA.

"It's great that I'm able to dive into things that are outside of my comfort zone," Duncan said. "It's important to try new things."

Ben Perrin, a senior from Cleveland, Georgia, pursuing a B.F.A. in theatre arts, will play the title character in "Macbeth." He appreciates the teamwork and versatility fostered by being part of GTA.

"The best part about GTA is the connectivity you have. So much of the art world is about who you know and what connections you're going to make. And a lot of that can be daunting," Perrin said. "GTA really promotes professionalism while keeping that fun spirit alive. You know all of your peers really well."

The GTA website describes "Macbeth" as: "Valiant Scottish general Macbeth meets three witches who predict he will become Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland, igniting in him a desire for power. As Macbeth and his wife seize power through a series of bloody deeds, they are led down a path of murder, madness and eventual ruin. Shakespeare's timeless and compelling tragedy dramatizes the effects of political ambition on those who seek power."

The GTA website's description of "Young Frankenstein" is: "From the creators of Broadway sensation 'The Producers' comes this monster musical comedy, adapted from the legendary film. Grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein inherits his family’s estate in Transylvania. With the help of a hunchbacked sidekick and a leggy lab assistant, Frederick brings his own monster to life."