HAMLET, MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA & More Set for Quintessence Theatre Group's 2013-14 Season

Quintessence Theatre Group proudly announces its fourth season of classic plays remixed for the Contemporary Stage: HAMLET, SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, and MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA. Each play is a masterwork, pushing the limits of the theatrical art form through poetry, passion and spectacle. In partnership with its diverse audience, built over three years of visceral, actor and text driven progressive classics, Quintessence hopes to further ignite the Philadelphia theatre scene through the essential and complex art of adapting the classics for the Contemporary Stage.

HAMLET by William Shakespeare
October 9 - November 23, 2013
Opening Night: October 12, 2013
Prince Hamlet returns from university to bury his father and to attend the surprising and hasty marriage of his mother to his uncle. The ghost of his father visits the grieving Hamlet and reveals a mystery that could destroy not only his family, but the sovereignty of Denmark. Betrayed by family, lovers, and friends, Hamlet's quest for truth and vengeance takes him and the audience, deeper into danger and the labyrinth of his own mind. Prepare to be thrilled by the legendary speeches and unstoppable force of Shakespeare's great revenge tragedy as Artistic Director Alexander Burns presents a two-hour cutting, destroying the myth of the "Man Who Could Not Make Up His Mind." Ensemble member, Josh Carpenter, will play the role of HAMLET, with fight choreography by Philadelphia's Fight Master Ian Rose.

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER by Oliver Goldsmith
October 16 - November 24, 2013
Opening Night: October 26, 2013

In the company of barmaids and tavern wenches, Young Marlow is an incorrigible and self-assured rogue. In the presence of the beautiful gentlewoman Kate Hardcastle, he is reduced to a stammering, stuttering boy. Fortunately, Kate isn't afraid to dirty her hands to get what she wants and decides to "stoop" by disguising herself as a maid to woo, win and educate her future husband. Oliver Goldsmith's SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER is one of the English language's most uproarious comedies and a tale of true love, mistaken identities, and the never-ending battle of the sexes. This satirical look at materialism, romance and social etiquette will prove as funny to Philadelphia audiences today as it did at its premiere nearly 200 years ago.

CREATING A COURTYARD THEATRE FOR PHILADELPHIA
Inspired by Michael Boyd, the emeritus Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company in England, Quintessence will continue to test the limits of the theatrical medium by reformatting the Sedgwick Theater into a Courtyard style theater, a venue used in the Elizabethan era, for its fall repertory. At the Sedgwick the seated audience will be placed on elevated risers around the central stage, allowing the audience to look down on the action. With an eye toward removing the "fourth wall" and further engaging the audience in the theatrical event, the remainder of the audience will stand in the "pit" around the stage platform and be encouraged to interact with the production, much like the groundlings at Shakespeare's Globe.

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS by Kenneth Grahame, Adapted by Alan Bennett
December 11, 2013 - January 5, 2014
Opening Night: December 14, 2013
In Quintessence's first foray into family entertainment, we bring to the stage Kenneth Grahame's THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, the delightful story of Toad, Mole, Rat, and Badger and their woodland escapades. Mole is fed up with spring-cleaning and wants to see the world. He meets the water-loving Rat and the pair immediately strike up one of English literature's most enduring friendships. Meanwhile, Toad's latest fancy has landed him in hot water with the law, and Badger just wants to be left alone. Battle the nefarious weasels, mess about in boats, and charm the washerwoman's daughter as you make your way into the English countryside. Whether you travel by car, train, or boat, don't miss this holiday adventure in the epic Quintessence style. This masterful adaptation by Alan Bennett, the author of People, History Boys, and The Madness of King George, is sure to thrill children of all ages, and provide a new family opportunity for holiday theatregoing.

MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA by Eugene O'Neill
April 2 - April 27, 2014
Opening Night: April 5, 2014
Quintessence presents an American classic for the first time, by a master of 20th century tragedy. The ancient story of Aeschylus' The Oresteia is brought into contemporary New England in Eugene O'Neill's three-part masterpiece of tragic melodrama,MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA. General Ezra Mannon and his son Orin return home as war heroes, only to find that their once-proud home is stricken with the festering wounds of bitterness, infidelity, and unbridled lust. A shocking murder sets off an unrelenting chain reaction of madness and retribution. With the searing pain that only family can inflict, O'Neill takes us into the darkness of our deepest secrets. Lock the door, nail down the shutters, and prepare for the ancient to collide with the modern as Quintessence promises an epic and devastating theatrical experience you will never forget. Quintessence favorite Janis Dardaris will lead the ensemble as Christine Mannon.

General Admission tickets are $25. Youth tickets (21 and under) are $15. Groundling (standing room) tickets for the Hamlet Conquers Repertory are $10. Individual tickets go on sale September 1, 2013 and will be available via box office, website, or phone.

Subscriptions to Season Four are on sale now. Subscribers save up to 30% on the cost of tickets, may exchange tickets up to 24 hours before the performance, and receive discounts at local Mt. Airy restaurants and businesses. To purchase a subscription visit: www.QuintessenceTheatre.org or call 215.987.4450, Ext. 1.

Group rates and special student matinees are available. For information on group sales please call 215.987.4450, Ext. 5 or email Quintessence at BoxOffice@QuintessenceTheatre.org.

$10 rush tickets for industry professionals and students with ID are available at the box office one hour before performances depending on availability.

The first preview for each Quintessence production is a Pay What You Can performance and is open to the general public.

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