Notre Dame Film, Television, and Theatre Presents Brian Friel's THE BEAR and AFTERPLAY

Notre Dame's Department of Film, Television, and Theatre (FTT) announces THE BEAR and AFTERPLAY by Brian Friel, in the Philbin Studio Theatre at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, tonight, February 18, through February 28, 2016.

Brian Friel, who died in 2015, is widely considered one of Ireland's greatest playwrights and often described as "the Irish Chekhov." Both of these comic one-acts, presented together as one evening of theatre, are based on plays by the noted Russian playwright Anton Chekhov (1860-1904). THE BEAR is inspired by Chekhov's one-act of the same title; AFTERPLAY brings together characters from two different Chekhov plays - Sonya Serebriakova from Uncle Vanyaand Andrey Prozorov from Three Sisters.

Directed by FTT faculty member Carys Kresny, the production is part of a campus-wide celebration of Irish history and culture, led by Notre Dame's Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, that coincides with the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising.

FTT has a departmental history with Friel's work that spans more than 30 years, having produced Friel's The Freedom of the City in 1985, Lovers in 1992, and Dancing at Lughnasa in 1993, all directed by Professor Reginald Bain in Washington Hall.

"Thanks to our affinity for all things Irish," says FTT's Director of Theatre, Kevin Dreyer, "Friel's work has had a special resonance on our campus for many years. We were greatly saddened by his loss last October, and we're grateful to have this opportunity to honor him with this production."

Performances run: Thursday, February 18 - Saturday, February 20 at 7:30 pm; Wednesday, February 24 - Saturday, February 27 at 7:30 pm; and Sunday, February 21 and Sunday, February 28 at 2:30 pm. Tickets: Student $7, Faculty/Staff/Senior (65+) $12, General $15. Additional discounts available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets may be purchased online at performingarts.nd.edu, by phone at 574-631-2800, or in person at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center ticket office. Ticket office hours are Monday-Friday, 12:00-6:00 pm.

Free parking is available daily after 5:00 pm in the Stayer Center parking lot, just north of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, and in the gated lot just east of DPAC on the corner of Eddy Street and Holy Cross Drive. An accessible lot for disabled patrons is available immediately adjacent to the center; a valid hangtag or license plate is required. There is a ten-minute parking zone on the north drive of the center for ticket pick-up; during inclement weather you are welcome to drop off guests in this area and proceed to parking. Non-campus parking (free for the first two hours) is also available at Eddy Street Commons, just south of the center.

Notre Dame's Department of Film, Television, and Theatre seeks to inspire intellectual inquiry and nurture creativity. We offer both a scholarly and a creative context for the general liberal arts student at Notre Dame as well as those students seeking intensive preparation for advanced study in these fields. The hands-on nature of our curriculum, coupled with a very high degree of student-faculty interaction, provides students with a singular educational opportunity at a university known for its teaching excellence. The FTT performance season is a direct outgrowth of the department's academic program and an integral component of our students' artistic development.

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