STC Academy's THE ROVER, OR THE BANISH'D CAVALIERS at Shakespeare Theatre Company

The Rover, or The Banish’d Cavaliers

Directed by Eleanor Holdridge By Aphra Behn

Virginia Woolf wrote of Aphra Behn, “All women together ought to let flowers fall on the tomb of Aphra Behn…For it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.” The first English woman to earn her living openly as a writer, Behn wrote The Rover in 1655, and won great acclaim for its bawdiness, fun, and daring.

Taking place during Carnival in Spain, The Rover deals with sexual intrigue, mistaken identities, and uncontrollable desire as the characters struggle to find love and societal acceptance. The story reminds us that even in the 17th-century, women were fighting for agency, freedom, and equality.

Performance Dates

July 18 at 6pm July 21 & 24 at 7:30pm July 26 at 8pm July 27 at 2pm

The Shakespeare Theatre Company Academy is a Master of Fine Arts program that trains actors to work with classical language and embody mythic storytelling. After completing a one-year intensive program of coursework spanning classical text study, stage combat, and more, the class of 2024 performs two plays in repertory as the culmination of their training.

For the first time in our 24 years as a program, STC Academy is delighted to bring their Repertory productions to the mainstage at the Klein Theatre. This is classical work in its purest form: energetic and lean, with a focus on actors, language, and story.