MOLIERE ONE ACTS, DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS and More Set for A Noise Within, April-May 2014

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre company, announces two free readings, a special free family event for Shakespeare's birthday at the theatre, and added dates for our critically acclaimed production of Molière's Tartuffe upcoming in April and May.

Two Free Readings:

Molière One Acts, Wednesday, April 9 at 7pm - The Flying Doctor and The Imaginary Cuckold
A Noise Within presents a free reading of two Molière One Act comedies - The Flying Doctor and The Imaginary Cuckold. The reading of these Molière one acts complements the main stage presentation of the French comedy master's Tartuffe, now performing. Alison Elliott and Stephen Rockwell direct. Kelly Ehlert produces. Cast to be announced.

The Flying Doctor: Valère is willing to go to any length to marry his sweetheart, Lucile. His only obstacle is her father, Gorgibus. Fortunately, Valère has a clever servant named Sganarelle who is willing to help. Sganarelle creates a diversion by convincing Gorgibus that he is a great doctor. Everything goes according to plan until Gorgibus discovers Sganarelle without his doctor costume. In the end, Valère and Lucile marry, and Sganarelle is rewarded for his cleverness.

The Imaginary Cuckold: Gorgibus wants his daughter, Celie, to marry a rich man, Valère, instead of Lelie, whom she loves. Celie faints; Sganarelle, who happens to be passing, runs over to hold Celie while her maid runs for aid. Sganarelle's wife, however, sees him holding Celie and suspects the worst. She finds a portrait of Lelie, dropped by Celie when she fainted, and admires his good looks. Confusion reigns until Celie's down-to-earth maid resolves everything by setting everyone straight. Just then Valère's father arrives to announce that he has discovered that his son married secretly four months ago, freeing Celie and Lelie to marry.

Dark at the Top of the Stairs by William Inge, Wednesday, May 14 at 7pm
A Noise Within presents a free reading of Dark at the Top of the Stairs by William Inge. The Dark at the Top of the Stairs is Inge's 1957 play about family conflicts during the early 1920s in a small Oklahoma town. It was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play in 1958 and was made into a film in 1960. The reading complements the main stage presentation of Inge's Come Back, Little Sheba, performing in April and May. Deborah Strang directs. Cast to be announced.

Admission for the readings is free. Please RSVP via phone to 626-356-3100 x1 to reserve your seat.

Shakespeare's 450th Birthday Day Party

A Noise Within celebrates the Bard's 450th birthday on Thursday, April 24 from 5:30-7pm, in front of the theatre and in our lobby, with a family event for you and your children. Come experience our bouncy castle! See sword fight demonstrations and take a lesson. Leave an insult on our Shakespearean Insult wall. Try on period costumes. Sing Happy Birthday to William Shakespeare, who will appear to blow out his candles. Share some birthday cake with the Bard. Free to the public - just show up!

Added Tartuffe Dates

Due to the popularity of our production of Tartuffe by Molière - we have added two additional performances: one on Saturday, April 19 at 2pm and one on Friday, May 23 at 8pm. Tickets for these added performances are now on sale - starting at $34. Call 626-356-3100 x1 or visit www.anoisewithin.org.

About A Noise Within: A Noise Within performs and promotes classical theatre as an essential means for our community to confront the universal human experience, expand personal awareness and challenge individual perspectives. A Noise Within's mission is to produce world-class performances of the great works of drama in rotating repertory with a resident company; to educate and inspire the public through programs that foster an understanding and appreciation of history's great plays and playwrights; and to train the next generation of classical theatre artists.

A Noise Within was founded in 1991. Operating out of a former Masonic Temple in Glendale, they staged a production of Hamlet that was accessible and relevant at a time when classic theatre was not widely performed in Los Angeles. The twenty-year evolution from a small neighborhood theatre to the current acclaimed repertory company has been marked by constantly raising the bar on what great classical theatre can be. The move to a new, permanent home provides A Noise Within with expanded artistic possibilities, a greater scope of educational opportunities, and the capacity to meet demand and reach its full potential.

A Noise Within Producing Artistic Directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott both hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Florida and a Master of Fine Arts from San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre. In 1991, with a mere $3,000 from their personal savings account, they set an ambitious vision for ANW: to establish a home for the classics that would present a challenging repertory, take artistic risks, and ensure accessibility to diverse audiences. Through their passion and persistence, the theatre now ranks as the leading presenter of great world drama in Southern California. A Noise Within is located on the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Sierra Madre Villa Avenue at 3352 East Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107.