Shakespeare's AS YOU LIKE IT Comes To Ruyard Kipling 5/28-6/6

Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble returns with another classic in our inimitable garage band theater style: William Shakespeare's As You Like It, arriving at the Rudyard Kipling May 28 through June 6.

Still a relevant story? It seems to us to be a tale about people finding love despite pretty severe financial troubles caused by political double-crossing. And, of course, the caprices of professional wrestling. What could be more relevant?

So we'll make our pitch simple:

-we'll set it in the 19th Century American West. The Rudyard Kipling is a saloon, after all. Plus, no tights - a good rule of thumb.

-six actors will play all twenty characters, using traditional masks and puppets, handmade here in our own workshop.

-we'll write and perform original music.

-In the name of historical accuracy, you can drink during the show, just like a real Elizabethan groundling.

Le Petomane, variously called:

"The thinking person's favorite performers" and "the well-honed edge of cutting edge theater" (LEO),

"Louisville's finest alternative theater company" (Velocity),

"fine, fast and funny...ensemble comedy of the first order" (Courier-Journal),

said to "radiate . . . sheer brilliance" (TheatreLouisville.org),

and named as one of the top five theatrical experiences of 2007 by Baltimore's

CityPaper;
has done stranger things, frankly. But not by much.

As You Like It opens May 28 and plays Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through June 6. All performances are at 7:30 pm at the legendary Rudyard Kipling (422 W. Oak St.); tickets are available at our reliable $8-$20 pay-what-you-like sliding scale*. For more information, please contact Us@LePetomane.org or (502) 609-2520, or visit www.LePetomane.org. For pre-show dinner reservations, please contact the Rudyard Kipling at (502) 636-1311.
A special note:

In these difficult economic times, we of Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble continue on our mission to make our work economically accessible to as many people as possible. (When some mad sugar daddy will let us do this without charging for tickets at all, we'll do it.) We could perform at larger or more "prestigious" local theatres, but we don't, as we'd have to pass the rental costs on to our patrons. We could paste up billboards, but for the same reason, we choose not to. We continue to strive to make our name and our place in the community primarily through our work.

Any ways in which you, in whatever capacity in which you report or review the arts in Louisville, can help us get the word out is appreciated not only by us but by the public. At the risk of sounding scmaltzy, everyone could use some comedy about now, preferably live, in a room with other people, laughing together.

Our Mission: Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble is a Louisville-based ensemble of performing artists dedicated to the creation of new theatrical works and the reconsideration of classic works and forms, with the primary goal of making all of our offerings both artistically and economically accessible. We believe that quality is always innovative; that by disregarding the de rigeur we can give audiences unrepeatable experiences; that by remaining actively involved in our place and time and maintaining an awareness of our community's personal, political and economic realities we can speak clearly to that community.

The Shorter Version: Comedy allows one to do all sorts of deeply sneaky things for/with/to an audience. And physical comedy is even more fun and even more challenging. And we like to work together.

* a word or two about the sliding scale: one pays what one a) thinks fair and b) can afford; we make a reasonable amount either way. The low end is no higher than the price of a movie ticket; the high end is not such an issue, as we will gleefully accept any amount above $20 one cares to give.

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