Actors Shakespeare Company of NJ Presents King John

The Actors Shakespeare Company of New Jersey will present The Life and Death of King John for 12 performances only, Thursday, February 22 through Sunday, March 11 at Jersey City's West Side Theatre, located within the New Jersey City University campus at 285 West Side Ave.  The Opening is Sunday, February 25 at 3 p.m.

Shakespeare's King John "takes on the early days of one of the greatest dysfunctional families of all time: the Plantagenets. The year is 1199, and King Richard the Lionheart of England has died in battle far from home. His younger brother Prince John grabs the throne, but many – including the powerful King of France – are determined to fight for the rights of John's rival, the 12-year old Prince Arthur. Through the course of the play, John and those around him are faced with one of life's toughest questions: who am I, and what happens if I'm not who I thought I was?," state production notes.

Headed by Play Master Bethany Reeves, the creative team for the play includes David Godbey (scenic design), Eva Lachur Omeljaniuk (costume design) and Paul Hudson (lighting design).

The cast features Raffi Barsoumian as Chatillion, Michael Basile as King John, Cindy Boyle* as Elinor, Peter Galman* as Pandulph, Justin Gibbs* as Dauphin/Robert Faulconbridge, David Godbey as King Philip, Michael Hajek* as Austria, Denise Hurd* as Lady Faulconbridge/Melun, Timur Kocak* as Salisbury, Beth Ann Leone as Arthur, Jessica Myhr* as Blanche/Prince Henry, Colette Rice as Constance, Colin Ryan* as The Bastard, Ron Sanborn* as Hubert/James Gurney and Paul Sugarman as Pembroke.

Beginning Thursday, February 22, The Life and Death of King John plays Thursday and Friday evenings at 8 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. Tickets are $30 ($15 for students, seniors and children under 18) and are now available through TheaterMania.com or by calling 866-811-4111. Visit www.ascnj.org for more information.