Aurora Theatre Company Continues 20th Season With THE SOLDIER'S TALE

Aurora Theatre Company continues its 20th season celebration with an enchanting, one-of-a-kind collaboration between Artistic Director Tom Ross and former San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Muriel Maffre with a re-imagined production of Igor Stravinsky's THE SOLDIER'S TALE.

Workshopped at Aurora in December 2010, this piece "to be read, played, and danced" will feature four musicians performing Stravinsky's visionary score, two actors, a life-size puppet, and Maffre dancing in her Aurora stage debut, as well as acting as master puppeteer.

Written in 1918, and set to music by Igor Stravinsky (The Rite of Spring), with libretto by Charles Ferdinand Ramuz, THE SOLDIER'S TALE is based on a Russian folk tale about a soldier who makes a deal with the devil, trading his fiddle for a book that predicts the future. The narrative is an anti-war Faustian fable, making the piece a highly relevant work for today.

Maffre, who retried as a principal dancer from the San Francisco Ballet in 2007, will serve as choreographer for THE SOLDIER'S TALE and as co-director along with Tom Ross. The production will also feature a special musical collaboration with San Francisco's acclaimed avant garde chamber music collective Earplay, under the musical direction of Mary Chun. Bay Area stage luminaries L. Peter Callender (Permanent Collection) and Joan Mankin (Bosoms and Neglect) return to Aurora to round out the extraordinary ensemble.

DATES: Previews: November 11, 12, 16 at 8pm; November 13 at 2pm; November 15 at 7pm
Opens: November 17, 2011
Closes: December 18

SHOWS: Tuesday at 7pm; Wednesday through Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 2pm and 7pm

WHERE: Aurora Theatre, 2081 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA

TICKETS: For tickets (Students $10-15; Previews $34; Regular Performances $30-48; Limited Opening Night Seating $55) the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org. Half-off tickets for Under 30 and group discounts available.