Walden Theatre Presents Young American Shakespeare Festival

Walden Theatre is proud to announce the annual Young American Shakespeare Festival. This year's festival runs May 12-22 in the Victor Jory Theatre at Actors Theatre of Louisville and features three great plays by Shakespeare performed in repertory: Othello, Twelfth Night, and Antony and Cleopatra.

"Working with Shakespeare," said Charlie Sexton, Artistic Director at Walden Theatre, "gives students the ability to see the world from a a variety of perspectives, and it deepens their understanding of a range of ideas and subjects. The themes that Shakespeare explores cover the whole spectrum of human experience."

In the tragedy Othello, the Moor of Venice, a general sails off to war accompanied by his wife and a military cohort, but dishonesty, jealously, and betrayal among his staff portend trouble. Before long, Othello finds his life and everything meaningful to him methodically, cruelly wrenched away through the machinations of a trusted companion.

Love is excessive, love is crazy, love is painful, and love is confusing. And among Shakespeare's comedies, love triangles don't get much more entertaining than in Twelfth Night; or What You Will. A young woman masquerading as a man is caught between her love for the duke Orsino, for whom she's a messenger and confidante, and the affections of the countess Olivia who's fallen (in more ways than one) for the disguise.

Brilliant general Antony has repeatedly given himself over to the charms of Cleopatra and the languor of Egypt, even as events around the Mediterranean require his intervention. Maneuvering among the three co-successors to Julius Caesar threatens both a major military showdown and great personal tragedy for all involved. Antony and Cleopatra features honor, might, and love - with all the Roman world for a stage.

The professional-quality plays in the Young American Shakespeare Festival are performed by students enrolled in Walden Theatre's nationally-recognized Conservatory Program. The festival represents the culmination of a year of scene-work, rehearsals, and main-stage performances of classic and contemporary works.

GENERAL INFORMATION

All public performances take place at the Victor Jory Theatre at Actors Theatre of Louisville, 316 West Main Street, Louisville, Ky.

Othello directed by Charlie Sexton
May 14, 15 @ 2pm
May 17, 20, 22 @7:30pm

Twelfth Night directed by J. Barrett Cooper
May 13, 15, 18, 21 @7:30
May 22 @2pm

Antony & Cleopatra directed by Alec Volz
May 12, 14, 16, 19 @7:30
May 21 @ 2pm

For information, please contact Walden Theatre at 502-589-0084 or mail@waldentheatre.org.

Tickets are general admission, and all performances are fully accessible. For tickets, call The Actors Theatre box office at 502-584-1205. Evenings: adults $15, students/seniors $10. Matinees: adults $10, students/seniors $8. Special rates are available to ArtsCard holders.

For group rates, please contact Dan Welch in the Walden Theatre administrative offices.

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