Purdue News
Purdue News
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January 29, 2004 Purdue Theatre stages Shakespearean masterpieceWEST LAFAYETTE – Purdue Theatre will present William Shakespeare's tragic masterpiece "King Lear" from Feb. 20-28 in Stewart Center's Loeb Playhouse. Guest artist Peter Forster from Chicago will direct the production, which features costumes by guest designer Daryl Stone from New York City. Widely hailed as Shakespeare's crowning artistic achievement, "King Lear" is a tale of loss and despair. The scenes in which a mad Lear rages against his deceitful daughters and nature itself are among the finest examples of tragic lyricism in the English language. "'King Lear,' mighty and devastating, tells a story about losing everything," says Forster. "It begins shockingly: the king suddenly dismembers his kingdom. He also, just as suddenly, shatters his family. It is about mistakes, tragic mistakes with enormous consequence, which can never be taken back. And in the very moment of thinking that nothing worse can happen, something worse happens. In the very moment of thinking that no more can be lost, more is lost." A Chicago-based agent and freelance director, Forster is the former resident director of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble in Glen Elyn, Ill., and the founder and former artistic director of Off Limits Theatre Company in London. His productions of "The Fancy Man" and "Sea Marks" were both nominated for Jeff Awards for excellence in Chicago Theatre. He holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and history from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, a master's in English literature from the University of Illinois and a diploma in directing from The Drama Studio in London. "King Lear" opens Friday, Feb. 20, at 8 p.m., with performances at 8 p.m. Feb. 21 and Feb. 27-28, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sun., Feb. 22. Tickets are on sale now at campus box offices. General admission is $15 and $17. Senior citizen tickets are $11 and $13, and student tickets are $10 and $12. Tickets may be purchased at the Loeb Box Office in Stewart Center, or by calling (765) 494-3933 or toll-free at (800) 914-7469. Tickets also are available online at TicketMaster.com. Processing fees apply. Groups of eight or more can reserve discounted tickets by calling (765) 494-3084. Group tickets are $11 for the general public and $7 for students. Weekday school matinees will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, and Wednesday, Feb. 25. Each student attending the production will receive a study guide created for this production. For information, teachers can call Lori Sparger, Purdue Theatre public relations director, at (765) 494-3084 or visit the theatre web site. "King Lear" is presented with support from the Tippecanoe Arts Federation, the Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by the Shaw-Burckhardt-Brenner Foundation. Writer: Reni Winter, (765) 496-3133, rwinter@purdue.edu Source: Lori Sparger, (765) 494-3084, theatre@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu Note to Journalists: Photographers may take rehearsal photos from 7-10 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 17, in Stewart Center's Loeb Playhouse. Call Lori Sparger at (765) 494-3084 to make arrangements.
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