American Shakespeare Center stages Twelfth Night
Friday, March 8, 2013 2:00 AM
News
Pittsburg, KS
Area residents will have an opportunity to see Shakespeare as a Renaissance audience might have seen it when the American Shakespeare Center (ASC) presents “Twelfth Night,” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, in Pittsburg’s Memorial Auditorium. The performance is part of the 2012-2013 Pittsburg State University Performing Arts and Lecture Series.
By re-creating Renaissance conditions of performance, the ASC strives for both a better understanding of Shakespeare’s iconic works and of the history and future of theater.
According to the ASC, their performances focus on expert acting, beautiful costumes and some small set pieces, rather than elaborate sets and electronics. The performance is designed to allow the audience to feel a sense of community similar to what audiences may have experienced in Shakespeare’s original Blackfriars Playhouse in London, according to the ASC.
The ASC began touring in 1988 and since that time has given hundreds of performances across the U. S. In addition to performances, ASC conducts numerous workshops.
For their PSU visit, the ASC will offer two workshops. The first, “That’s a Certain Text,” will help participants learn the basic steps involved in analyzing verse. Students in the workshop will explore tools of rehearsal that help take Shakespeare’s words from the page to the stage.
The second workshop, “If This Were Played upon a Stage Now,” uses scenes from Shakespeare’s and his contemporaries’ plays to learn about early modern theaters, staging conditions, and how to find staging clues in the text. Students will apply these lessons in a final presentation.
The workshops will be conducted at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, respectively. Enrollment is limited and registration closes at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13. To register, visit the Campus Activities Center in the lower level of the Overman Student Center, 620-235-4795.
Tickets for “Twelfth Night” are $12 for the general public and $7 for PSU faculty and staff and persons 65 and older or 17 and under. PSU students are admitted free. Seating on the floor is reserved. Seating in the balcony is general admission.
Tickets are available at the PSU Ticket Office, 137 Weede (620-235-4796), online at www.pittstate.edu/tickets, or at the door one hour before the event, based on availability.