Beowulf Alley Theatre Presents LEAR, Closes 11/20

Beowulf Alley Theatre will present a contemporary adaptation of King Lear by William Shakespeare at the theatre, 11 South 6th Avenue for a 4-weekend run. Tickets are on sale online and by phone now for this production, which runs from October 27 through November 20.

Lear's decision to divide his kingdom among his three daughters ignites a firestorm of greed, betrayal, and murder. Cast out as patriarch, upended by pride and anger, Lear walks into the night with a madman and a fool. Shakespeare's tragedy strips away the trappings of society to reveal the unforgiving truth about the human condition: love and deceit, power and poverty, good and evil. This play's special understanding of old age explains in part why this most devastating of Shakespeare's tragedies is also perhaps the most moving.

Director Michael Fenlason describes this piece as follows:

"King Lear by William Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest plays written in our language. And it was written in our language. So often we're a little frightened by Shakespeare because of the poetry and the renaissance grammar. But Lear is very clear, very evocative and very much about the characters in the story. The reason I submitted this play and intend to perform it in modern dress is that many of the themes Shakespeare portrays are still with us today in stark forms: political divineness, the gap between rich and poor, the myriad issues of aging parents, the pervasiveness of greed. The characters in Lear are in the news, they are your neighbors, they are your friends, they are timeless. Whether its ambitious, ruthless Edmund or honest and decent Cordelia, whether it's the brave Kent or the ungrateful Goneril, they are fully realized. The bad have some good in them, the good some bad. It's often said that if Shakespeare were alive today he would be a heck of a screenwriter. His plays, this one in particular, are full of action, intrigue, suspense and sensuality. After all, what is theatre, but hi-def, 3-D entertainment and you don't have to wear funny glasses. There's not a bad seat in the house at Beowulf Alley Theatre. Lear will be all those things: funny, tragic, sexy, action-packed, shocking, but mostly, it will be Shakespeare's play, a towering achievement to our language and our humanity."

Fenlason recently earned the Arizona Theatre Company's "2011 Arizona Playwright of the Year" award for his play, The Last Red Book. He directed the MAC Award-nominated Seascape by Edward Albee for Beowulf Alley Theatre in the fall of 2010. Michael has directed at such diverse theaters as The Van Brugh in London and Raw Space in New York. He is a founding director of The Unlikely Theatre Company and Joan is Burning Content. He currently serves as BATC's Development Director, co-chair of Late Night Theatre and Chair of Page on the Stage and is an active member of the Artistic Development Committee.

The cast includes Bree Boyd, Jacob Brown, Kate Cannon, Cody Davis, Bill Epstein, Bri Giger, Alex Greengaard, Aaron Guisinger, Mark Klugheit, and Amy Loehrs. The production team includes Nicole Scott and Tristyn Tucci.

Performance Dates/Times:

Preview -
7:30pm Thursday, October 27

Evenings -
7:30pm Fridays, October 28, November 4, 11 and 18
7:30pm Saturdays, October 29, November 5, 12 and 19

Matinees -
2:30pm Sundays, October 30, November 6, 13, and 20

Approx. Running Time: 2 hours and 35 minutes, including intermission

Tickets:

Preview -
$15 by phone, online, at the door

General -
$20 in advance, $23 day of performance by phone or at the door.

Specially priced reserved tickets for each performance may be purchased on our website at www.beowulfalley.org or by phone at (520) 882-0555 until 4 hours before the performance, then tickets are available by phone or at the door only for $23.

Want to help a high school student enjoy this production? A donation of $10 will ensure a seat for a high school student to experience this educational production of Lear. We will provide our local schools the ability to offer this exquisite literary piece to their students. Donations of $50, or five tickets, will allow the donor to choose the school. Please help us put arts education back in the schools. Our children need your support! Please call the theatre at (520) 882-0555,

Location, Accessibility, Parking and Other Information:

- Beowulf Alley Theatre is located at 11 South 6th Avenue, just off-Broadway.
- We are wheelchair accessible. Please call the box office at (520) 882-0555 for assistance.
- Parking is available at street meters (no fees on weekdays after 5 p.m., all weekend days. The County lot at 6th Avenue and Broadway is open during those hours as well.
- Secured parking in several City garages within a short walk is available for an after-hours fee of $3.

Leave home a little early to enjoy the active, vibrant Downtown shops, restaurants and bars before and after the play and find a great parking spot! For parking locations and a map, please use the City's website at http://parkwise.tucsonaz.gov/index.pho?q=parkwise

Sponsored in part by The Janet S. Brunel Residuary Trust.

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