NOW PLAYING: Spark Theater presents THE LOVE POTION - thru August 25th

Spark Theater is coming down from the second floor and bringing its one-of-a-kind theater experience to the Santa Fe Arts District! On June 27, 2012 Spark kicked off its second season with The Love Potion, a new adaptation Niccolo Machiavelli Italian comedy, La Mandragola.

The comedy is a first for Spark for several reasons says director Michael Emmitt. “Not only is The Love Potion the first show in our new space but it’s the first time we’re working with some really incredible talent like award winning actor and director Bernie Cardell and exciting newcomers Mike Martinkus and Chris Medina,” Emmitt says. The show also marks the first time this adaptation has ever been performed. The Love Potion transports Machiavelli’s 16th Century comedy (originally titled "La Mandragola", or "The Mandrake Root") to 1960 Naples at the height of La Dolce Vita. Emmitt, who also wrote the adaptation, chose this iconic era because “when I think of Italy, my mind goes to the world of Three Coins in a Fountain and Roman Holiday; espressos in a sidewalk cafe in the piazza, a stroll past old stucco buildings and street vendors, fresh pasta and moon-lit serenades. There’s also a brilliant parallel between the era of La Dolce Vita and the beginning of the Renaissance (when the piece was originally written), both eras saw a shift to a more humanistic way of thought, tradition and guilt were being replaced with a more liberal way of thinking.” The plot of the Love Potion revolves around lovesick Callimaco (Medina) who is willing to go to ridiculous lengths to win the affection of the fair Lucretia (played by Emily March). The only problem? She’s married. Soon a classic “commedia” story unfolds to win the Lucretia’s heart with the help of a bunch of hilariously unsavory characters like a not-so-holy friar (Cardell) and self-serving mother (Linda Suttle). “People only familiar with The Prince will be surprised what a great comedian Machiavelli was,” Emmitt says. “The show has all the makings of a romantic comedy peppered with just of enough darkness to keep things interesting-- and really funny.”

The Love Potion is enticing audiences now through August 25th. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm at their new space at 985 Santa Fe Drive. For tickets or more information, contact the box office at http://sparktheater.org/tickets/.

Spark Theater, established in 2011, is one of Denver’s youngest and most exciting theater companies. Its first season saw an intimate adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons, a fly-on-the-wall version of Rear Window,  a frat boy twist on Shakespeare, a hit, original comedy about Craigslist and an award-nominated five woman version of Chekhov's Three Sisters. In addition to The Love Potion, Spark’s Season Two has eight productions including Rebecca, Marie Antoinette: the color of flesh, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and the original comedy The Singing Room. As part of Spark's mission statement of  making theater accessible for all, every Thursday performance of every show is only $10.

The cast of the Love Potion