RSC Will Bring Bard's Work Back To Davidson
RSC actors lead a Davidson theatre class in a game. Those pictured include (l-r) Joe O’Brien ‘03, actor Dickon Tyrrell, actor Gemma Larke, and students Rocky Charton ’03, and Kristin Nickel ‘04.
|
6/1/2004
Contact: Bill Giduz 704/894-2244 or bigiduz@davidson.edu
Julius Caesar and The Two Gentlemen of Verona tickets for the general public will go on sale December 1. Call the Ticket Office at 704-894-2135, or buy tickets online.
***
It won’t exactly be Stratford-upon-Avon, but this historic college town might be referred to as “Davidson-on-Lake Norman” for the next four years, as Davidson College again hosts the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) on its campus. Two years ago, nearly fifty members of the company spent two weeks at Davidson, teaching and presenting eleven performances of The Merchant of Venice.
The college has now contracted four additional annual residencies from 2005–2008 that will immerse the campus in the Bard’s stagecraft, literary genius, and lessons for life.
RSC actors and educational staff will spend about two weeks on campus each year, beginning March 9-20, 2005. They will take part in dozens of Davidson classes across the curriculum, and present public workshops. During 2005 and 2007, they will also present full productions of Shakespearean plays in the Duke Family Performance Hall. Those scheduled for 2005 are The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Julius Caesar.
Dana Professor of English Cynthia Lewis, who has taught Shakespeare at Davidson for more than twenty years, said Davidson students will enjoy an unparalleled opportunity. “They’ll never forget it,” Lewis said. “The RSC troupe is not only the world’s premier Shakespeare company, it’s arguably the best professional acting company in the world.”
The entire RSC contingent got together for a group photo on the stage of the Duke Family Performance Hall during the 2002 residency.
|
Lewis continued, “We were eager to have them back because we’ve seen the alchemy that occurs between members of the troupe and our students. After their first workshop last time in my Shakespeare class, two students ran up to me, breathless, to say it was the best single class they had ever experienced. And I suspect more of them felt that way. It was thrilling.”
Lewis teaches several courses in Shakespeare, including a “Performing Shakespeare” class that concludes with students producing one of Shakespeare’s plays. But she said having members of the troupe on campus creates in students an infectious excitement about the subject. “These are people who live and breathe Shakespeare,” she said. “Students with whom they come into contact feel their enthusiasm and enjoy their insights. It’s a great opportunity for our students that they really appreciated last time around.”
The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Julius Caesar were written earlier in Shakespeare’s career, in 1594 and 1599 respectively. Two Gentlemen is a comedy, full of mistaken identities and cross-dressing. Julius Caesar tells the tragic tale of that murdered Roman, focusing on the tensions between public and private personalities, and the construction of the political persona. Lewis said it harbors truths still encountered today. “It’s often impossible to get to the truth of a public situation because it becomes a political issue, and the issue itself becomes secondary to the character assassination,” she said.
Julius Caesar will be directed by David Farr, formerly artistic director of The Gate Theatre in London, and currently joint artistic director of the Bristol Old Vic, where his productions have included A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Comedy of Errors. His most recent work for the RSC was the award-winning Coriolanus. Fiona Buffini makes her RSC debut to direct The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Her other work includes productions of Othello, Much Ado About Nothing and Richard III.
RSC actor David Peart working with students in a theatre class during the 2002 residency.
|
Michael Boyd, artistic director of the RSC, said, “We are delighted to be returning to Davidson College. Our first visit in 2002 with The Merchant of Venice was a very creative experience for everyone involved. This time round we are bringing a double header directed by two of the hottest directing talents the UK has to offer.”
Boyd continued, “But our relationship with Davidson is not just about presenting plays. The RSC has a tradition of working with universities, colleges and other higher education establishments in both the US and the UK, developing mutually beneficial initiatives. And I know everyone here is looking forward to exploring our work with students and staff from a whole host disciplines across Davidson College. Through workshops and discussion, both formal and informal, I hope that we will be able to recreate the buzz and excitement that was such a part of our last trip.”
The Royal Shakespeare Company has operated in its present form since 1961, when it adopted its current name and widened its repertoire to embrace works other than Shakespeare. The company seeks to create outstanding theater that is relevant to our times through the work of Shakespeare, other Renaissance dramatists, European theatre, and new plays.
Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,600 students. Since its establishment in 1837, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is consistently ranked in the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine. Davidson is engaged in “Let Learning Be Cherished,” a $250 million campaign in support of student financial assistance, academic resources, and community life.
# # #
|
