UCSB Department Of Theater and Dance presents A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE and KING LEAR In Repertory

UCSB's Department of Theater and Dance presents two tragedies that rip through the heart of the family: one distinctly modern and very American, the other ancient and timeless. Both Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge and Shakespeare's King Lear will be staged on successive nights between November 3 and 19 in the Performing Arts Theater. The patrons will also have a unique opportunity to see both plays in the same day on November 5, 11, 18, and 19.

A View from the Bridge is set in the mid-1950's in Red Hook, a dockworker's community in Brooklyn, and tells the story of longshoreman Eddie Carbone and a fatal mistake that changes his family forever. This raw, gritty, and explosive story, with its themes of immigration, community, pride, and secret love, remains as relevant today as on the day it opened on October 11, 1956.

NAKED SHAKES presents the ninety-minute adaptation of King Lear, in which two casts alternate nightly to explore the story of a king igniting a chain reaction of chaos with the simple question: "Tell me my daughters, which of you doth love us most?" In Shakespeare's great tragedy, King Lear discovers his own humanity and mortality as he teeters on the brink of madness. As the Santa Barbara Independent noted: "The NAKED SHAKES approach is like reading in the steady illumination of a substantial lamp. The words come first; the truth of their sense gives rise to everything else, from physical action to intonation and emotional engagement." Returning from the Czech Republic, NAKED SHAKES celebrates its 12th season by presenting energetic, exciting, raw and vibrant Shakespeare like King Lear using the power of the actors and the language.

UCSB professor Irwin Appel is directing these two powerful and intimate pieces. Appel partners with Vickie J. Scott (lights and set) and Ann Bruice (costumes) to take on A View from the Bridge, while King Lear is designed with the help of the actors. "What I think makes a Naked Shakes production great is that the audience hears Shakespeare in a fresh way, and they go, 'Wow,' says Irwin Appel, Director of the BFA Acting Program at UCSB. "In a way it's very visual and wildly theatrical, but I feel like if we're doing our job right you could close your eyes and listen like it's on the radio. It would invade your soul. You may not understand every word, but hopefully that doesn't stop the enjoyment."

See how the themes of family, loss, and power intertwine and echo each other in haunting ways that can only be experienced by seeing them in this unique repertory opportunity.

The Department of Theater and Dance is introducing assigned seating in the Hatlen Theater, as well as two seating tiers (blue and gold) in all venues. Please not that there is no late seating in the Performing Arts Theater. Advance tickets for blue seating are $12 for students, faculty, staff, alumni, seniors and children; and general admission tickets are $16. On the day of the show, prices are $15 and $20, respectively. More information about is available at theaterdance.ucsb.edu

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