Point Park's Conservatory Theatre Presents Illyria and Twelfth Night 11/11-20

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company presents Illyria at the Pittsburgh Playhouse Nov. 11 - 20 with a preview on Nov. 10. The musical, written by Peter Mills and Cara Reichel, is adopted after Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and will be directed by Scott Wise and choreographed by Jeremy Czarniak.

Since its inception in the 1600s, Shakespeare's comedy, Twelfth Night, has inspired works around the world on stage, screen and in song. Perhaps none is as original as Peter Mills' Illyria, which is given its name by the mysterious land shared with Twelfth Night, "a land of fools, where clarity's a rarity and madness rules." A story of love and longing, secrets and antics, Illyria's energetic musical score transcends Shakespeare's play, taking the audience to a place as extraordinary as the mythic land.

Illyria debuted off-Broadway at The Hudson Grill Theater in New York City in 2002 and made its regional premier at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in 2004. Peter Mills received the 2003 Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award from The ASCAP Foundation, and received a 2002 grant from the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation.

Scenic design is by Gianni Downs; costume design is by Michael Montgomery; lighting design is by Andrew David Ostrowski; and sound design is by StEve Shapiro.

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company will also be performing Shakespeare's Twelfth Night Dec. 9 - 18. Tossed ashore in a shipwreck, Viola masquerades as a man, becomes a trusted confidante of the Duke and finds herself in the middle of a triangle filled with mistaken identity, secret love and plenty of merriment. Perhaps Shakespeare's most festive comedy, Twelfth Night features debauchery, trickery and general marauding by a colorful crew of miscreants. The play's themes are often referenced in more contemporary works, including the films, Shakespeare in Love and She's the Man, as well as the musical, Illyria.

Illyria will run Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets range in price from $18 to $20 and can be purchased by calling the Pittsburgh Playhouse box office at 412-392-8000 or online at www.pittsburghplayhouse.com

The ‘pay what you will performance' will be on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.

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