International Festival of Arts & Ideas to Stage THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART

The International Festival of Arts & Ideas is presenting the critically acclaimed and much-loved production "The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart" in New Haven March 31-April 3, 2016.

Audiences share anintimate evening with members of the National Theatre of Scotland's celebrated company of actors and musicians. For this special limited run, the interactive performance of supernatural storytelling, live music, and rollicking theater will be staged in the storied Gryphon Pub at Yale University's Graduate and Professional Student Club (GPSCY).

The story begins on a wintry morning when Prudencia Hart, an uptight academic, sets off to attend a conference in Kelso in the Scottish Borders. As snow begins to fall, little does she know who or what awaits her there. Inspired by the historic Border Ballads, Robert Burns, and Gaelic culture, dialogue is delivered in a riotous romp of rhyming couplets amid devilish encounters and wild karaoke. Prudencia's dream-like journey of self-discovery unfolds around the audience.

Festival Executive Director Mary Lou Aleskie said, "We are thrilled to welcome 'Prudencia' back to New Haven where the play received its U.S. premiere at the 2012 Festival of Arts & Ideas. Staging it at GPSCY resonates on several levels. The title character is a folk-studies scholar on her way to an academic conference and the venue provides a rare opportunity to experience a place typically used exclusively by the Yale community. Reprising 'Prudencia' provides the perfect celebratory kick-off for this year's FestivalJune 10-25, a highlight of which is the U.S. premiere of the National Theatre of Scotland's musical powerhouse 'Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour,' named one of the top ten stage plays of 2015 by The Guardian."

"The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart" premiered in Glasgow in 2011, before achieving phenomenal success and critical acclaim at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In keeping with the site-specific origins of the show, the production is staged in bars, taverns, breweries, pubs, town halls, and other unlikely venues for an immersive audience experience. Created by David Greig (writer) and Wils Wilson (director), the raucous folk fable has been part of the National Theatre of Scotland's touring repertoire since 2011, and has travelled extensively across the U.S., U.K., and internationally to sold-out performances.

Annie Grace, Alasdair Macrae, David McKay, and Paul McCole comprise the ensemble cast with the acclaimed young Scottish actress Jessica Hardwick, most recently seen in "Lanark" (Citizens Theatre and Edinburgh International Festival).

Food and beverages are available for purchase before and after the show and during intermission. Recommended for ages 14 and over. All attendees under the age of 21 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more information and ticketing, go to artidea.org/festival#prudencia-hart.

The International Festival of Arts & Ideas is a year-round organization that culminates with an annual celebration of performing arts, lectures, and conversations each June in New Haven, CT. The 2016 Festival takes place June 10-25. The Festival convenes leading artists, thought-leaders, and innovators from around the world for fifteen days of dynamic public programs to engage, entertain, and inspire a diversity of communities. More than 80% of Festival programs are free to the public, including events that feature some of the most influential jazz, classical, dance, and theater artists of our time. The Festival takes place in venues and open spaces in downtown New Haven, in the heart of the northeast corridor, two and a half hours south of Boston and ninety minutes north of New York City.

The 2016 Festival is presented with major support from the Connecticut Office of the Arts, First Niagara, Yale University, Comcast/NBC Connecticut, the City of New Haven, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Carolyn Foundation.

The Festival's programs have an impact throughout the year and include additional performances, educational opportunities, and the annual Visionary Leadership Award.

The Festival was established in 1996, by Anne Calabresi, Jean M. Handley, and Roslyn Meyer. They envisioned an annual celebration in New Haven-a city steeped in a rich array of cultural and educational traditions-distinguished from other arts festivals by its fusion of the arts with events centered on sharing ideas.

Photo by Peter Dibdin.

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