Calling All Lovers Of Shakespeare! SCSU Theatre Presents THE COMPLETE WORKS

Calling all English majors and lovers of literature! Finally, there is a play that covers all 37 of Shakespeare plays in just 97 minutes! Is it possible? Come find out as just five madcap actors in tights weave their raucous way through all of Shakespeare's comedies, histories, and tragedies--not to mention 152 Sonnets--in one wild ride that will leave you breathless and helpless with laughter.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) opens at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) Department of Theatre on Tuesday, December 3rd at 8:00PM. The production runs from Dec. 3 through Dec. 7, every night at 8:00PM with a 2:00PM matinee on Saturday, Dec. 7. Theatre major Kori Ligon makes her collegiate on-stage debut as one of the five players; she portrays iconic characters such as Romeo, Sampson, Laertes, and more! Sophomore Jack Storm plays all of the female roles throughout Shakespeare's body of work. Storm goes out one door, his bodice barely laced up, and appears through another, his long feminine wig clinging to life on his head. The production also boasts newcomer, freshman Liam Welsh, who acts as the "eminent Shakespearean scholar" until we realize. . . the book he holds of Shakespeare's complete works is the closest thing he has to knowledge on the subject. The production is an irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard's plays that is full of energy and ridiculous theatrical "solutions," as the characters run across the stage and keep you guessing how they will pull off each new play.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is a production built from the relationship between SCSU Theatre and company-in-residence Elm Shakespeare Company in New Haven, CT. Elm's Producing Artistic Director, Rebecca Goodheart, directs her third production at SCSU. She has directed over 30 professional and 50 educational productions in her career including: Comedy of Errors and Love's Labour's Lost (Elm Shakespeare Company); Much Ado About Nothing and The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (SCSU Theatre). A long-time company member at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA, Rebecca has also worked with numerous Shakespeare theaters around the world, and is a proud lifetime member of Shakespeare Theater Association, as well as an associate member of both the Society for Directors & Choreographers (SDC) and the Voice and Speech Teachers Association (VASTA). Associate Director and adjunct professor of Theatre, Benjamin Curns, makes his directorial debut at SCSU; he will be directing the production of Red Velvet in February 2020. As a fierce lover of Shakespeare, Benjamin has appeared in all but six of the canon's including the title roles in Richard III, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Henry VIII, and Hamlet. Benjamin received his MFA in Acting from the Professional Actors Training Program at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was also awarded the David Hammond Award for Excellence in Dramatic Art.

The production boasts a talented team behind-the-scenes as well. One of the five players in the show, Ariana Harris, also works as Props Crew Manager for Crescent Players. SCSU Theatre graduates Amelia Pizzoferatto ('17), Cailey Harwood-Smith ('17), and Katie Brown ('18) have returned as Scenic Charge Artist, Props Master, and Master Electrician, respectively. Pizzoferatto and the entire paint crew's exceptional work can be seen in the detailed set piece reminiscent of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, a detail noted on by Scenic and Lighting Designer, Assistant Professor of Theatre Douglas Macur.

The mission for the department is to provide comprehensive theatre training of the highest quality, to foster students' personal and artistic development, and to emphasize experiential learning and access to the profession. This can be seen through SCSU Theatre's involvement with the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, New England Theatre Conference, and its continued partnership with Elm Shakespeare Company. The 2019-20 season returns in Spring 2020 with Red Velvet (Feb. 28-Mar. 7) and the festival of Student-Directed One-Acts (April 28-May 2).

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) will be performed in the Kendall Drama Lab (LY 141) in the John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts Main Stage (501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT). Performance dates/times: December 4th through 7th at 8:00PM; and December 7th at 2:00PM. Tickets are general admission: $15 for the general public; $10 for faculty/staff, senior citizens, and alumni (2 tickets with valid alumni ID); and $5 for students (2 with valid ID). Reserve your tickets here or call the Lyman Box Office at 203-392-6154. On Wednesday, December 4th, there will be a talkback after the performance with professors from SCSU's English Department and Elm Shakespeare Company.

To keep up with SCSU Theatre, visit the SCSU website or follow on Instagram and like on Facebook @scsutheatredept.

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