Guthrie, TAC Stage 'KING ARTHUR'S COURT' & MACBETH in Rep, Beginning Tonight

The Guthrie Theater and The Acting Company (TAC) reunite for a seventh year to present A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - a satirical story adapted by acclaimed local playwright Jeffrey Hatcher from the novel by Mark Twain - in repertory with Macbeth, Shakespeare's dark and powerful tragedy.

These productions will showcase the talents of University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program graduates, as well as an alumnus of A Guthrie Experience for Actors in Training. Following its two-week engagement at the Guthrie, the company will embark on a three-month national tour.

Single tickets for each production start at $29 ($15 for preview performances) and are now on sale through the Guthrie Box Office at 612.377.2224, toll-free 877.44.STAGE, 612.225.6244 (Group Sales) and online at www.guthrietheater.org.

Adapted by playwright and screenwriter Jeffrey Hatcher (Three Viewings, Compleat Female Stage Beauty, Scotland Road, The Government Inspector and The Turn of the Screw) and directed by Acting Company Artistic Director Ian Belknap (Hamlet, The Comedy of Errors), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a clever satirical romp.

Humorist Mark Twain's 1889 novel is often credited as the foundation for time travel as an important literary genre. Wander with Twain as he time travels from the 19th century to 6th-century England through the eyes of Hank Morgan of Hartford, Connecticut. After a blow to the head, Hank awakens to find himself transported back to the time of legendary King Arthur, where he astonishes the Middle Ages with heroic fireworks, modern medicine and electricity. But will these tricks from the future ultimately help or hinder King Arthur's Court? Meet Lancelot, Guinevere, Merlin, Mark Twain and more, as they expose the foibles and fortes of both ages.

Under the direction of Devin Brain, The Acting Company's sleek, accessible and characteristically bloody Macbeth will thrill, startle and satisfy. It is a 90-minute presentation perfect for both first-timers and Shakespeare buffs.

In one of his darkest and most powerful tragedies, Shakespeare dramatizes the psychological and political fallout when the ambition for power is satisfied through evil means. The three witches' prophecy that he will become King of Scotland, Macbeth's ambition, spurred to action by his wife, leads to his murdering King Duncan and ruling tyrannically through an era of bloodbaths and a civil war. Arrogance, paranoia, guilt, madness and death consume Shakespeare's shortest tragedy.

The cast of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court includes four 2012 University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program graduates: Angela Janas (Jill / Guinevere / Mother Carteloise / Princess Beauteous), Torsten Johnson (Chet / Lancelot / Walter / Ogre), Suzy Kohane (Lanie / Sandy) and Susanna Stahlmann (Carolyn / Maiden / Morgan Le Fay). Additionally, Adam Mondschein (Duff / Arthur / Rustic) participated in the 2011 Guthrie Experience for Actors in Training. Other cast members include Ian Gould (Mr. Olzeski / Merlin / Messenger), Gabriel Lawrence (Randy, Sir Kay, Dungeon Master), Andy Nogasky (Hank), Grant Fletcher Prewitt (Charlie / Clarence) and Joshua David Robinson (Doober / Mordred).

The 10 actors will assume the following roles in Macbeth: Ian Gould (Duncan / Porter/ Seyton / Weird Sister / Other), Angela Janas (Lady Macbeth), Torsten Johnson (Malcolm / Weird Sister / Other), Suzy Kohane (Weird Sister), Gabriel Lawrence (Macbeth), Adam Mondschein (Macduff / Weird Sister / Other), Andy Nogasky (Banquo / Siward / Weird Sister / Other), Grant Fletcher Prewitt (Ross / Murderer / Weird Sister / Other), Joshua David Robinson (Lenox / Murderer / Weird Sister / Other) and Susanna Stahlmann (Fleance / Lady Macduff / Weird Sister / Other).

The creative team includes Neil Patel (Set Design), Candice Donnelly (Costume Design for A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court), Valerie Therese (Costume Design for Macbeth), Michael Chybowski (Lighting Design), Fitz Patton (Sound Designer for A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court), Charles Coes (Composer/Sound Designer for Macbeth), Nathan Roberts (Composer and Sound Designer), Felix Ivanov (Fight Director), Elizabeth Smith (Voice and Speech Consultant for Macbeth) and Frank Oliva (Property Designer). On tour, the company is joined by Mark Bly (Dramaturg), Jereme Kyle Lewis (Stage Manager), Sophie Quist (Assistant Stage Manager), Joseph Mitchell Parks (Company Manager) and Devin Brain (Staff Repertory Director).

The shows will run in rep at the Guthrie from tonight, February 14, to March 1, 2015. Opening night is set for Wednesday, February 18 at 7:30 p.m. (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court). Performance Times: Tuesday through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 7 p.m. Matinees on selected Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Matinees on selected Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. Visit www.guthrietheater.org for the complete performance schedule. The Guthrie Theater -- Dowling Studio is located at 818 South 2nd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415.

The GUTHRIE THEATER (Joe Dowling, Director) was founded by Sir Tyrone Guthrie in 1963 and is an American center for theater performance, production, education and professional training. The Tony Award-winning Guthrie Theater is dedicated to producing the great works of dramatic literature, developing the work of contemporary playwrights and cultivating the next generation of theater artists. With annual attendance of nearly 500,000 people, the Guthrie Theater presents a mix of classic plays and contemporary work on its three stages. Under the artistic leadership of Joe Dowling since 1995, the Guthrie continues to set a national standard for excellence in theatrical production and performance. In 2006, the Guthrie opened its new home on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Guthrie Theater houses three state-of-the-art stages, production facilities, classrooms and dramatic public lobbies. www.guthrietheater.org

THE ACTING COMPANY was founded in 1972 by Margot Harley and legendary producer and actor John Houseman with Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone and others in the first graduating class of Juilliard's Drama Division. Since then it has performed 131 plays to audiences in 48 states and 10 foreign countries. In addition to Kline and LuPone, its alumni include Frances Conroy, Jeffrey Wright, Harriet Harris, Jesse L. Martin, David Ogden Stiers, Richard Ooms, Richard Iglewski, Keith David and Rainn Wilson. The Acting Company was honored in 2003 with a Tony Award for Excellence in Theater. Its artistic director is Ian Belknap.

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