Living Room Theatre Presents LIGHT at Grant-Humphreys Mansion Through 11/24

Living Room Theatre, in conjunction with the Grant-Humphreys Mansion, will present Light, a play about Voltaire, on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, November 6 - 24 at the Grant-Humphreys Mansion. This historic Denver landmark is located at 770 Pennsylvania Street in Denver.

The elegant reception room will stand in for settings in Voltaire's world, The Age of Reason. The play by Jean-Claude van Itallie depicts "three 18th century superstars - Voltaire, Frederick the Great, and Emilie du Chatelet," as described by the playwright. He explains, "The play explores how the ultimate blossoming of Voltaire's pioneering social activism, which led to the French Revolution, was fertilized by his passionate affairs." Light is an intimate love story involving three people who changed the world. Their longings, lusts, rivalries, intelligence, and wit reveal the humanity of these titanic figures.

Edward Osborn directs the production in a three-dimensional environmental style he devised for ten productions at the Byers-Evans House Museum and Grant-Humphreys Mansion in the 1990s and in the 2010-2011 production of Turn of the Screw. In the staging, the audience is seated in the middle of the action as the actors unfold the story. "We are playing with the aesthetic distance between actor and audience, which is like that in traditional theatres, whether proscenium or round, large or small, except that at Grant-Humphreys, that distance is sometimes only a matter of inches," Osborn says. This creates an intimacy with characters, setting, mood, and story that is intensely visceral and exciting." "The Grant-Humphreys Mansion is ideal for this story," Osborn says. "It's a natural wedding of venue and play."

Guy Williams plays Voltaire, Irish Augustine is Emilie, and J. Nick Dickert portrays Frederick. The actors have performed extensively in the Denver area throughout their careers. Travis Yamamoto accompanies the play on harpsichord.

The play is suited for mature theatergoers. Seating capacity is limited, and reservations are strongly recommended. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, and at 3:30 p.m. on Sundays. For information and reservations, call the Byers-Evans House Museum at 303-620-4933.

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