UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 26, Page 5
April 7, 1994
Spring play fest during April, May

     Four classics of the British stage will burst into bloom during the
University's "Spring Festival of Plays," scheduled April 14 through May 7
by the Professional Theatre Training Program.
     Major Barbara, Heartbreak House, The Rivals and Way of the World will
be presented in rotating repertory Tuesdays through Sundays. Single tickets
and subscriptions to the series are available. All performances will take
place in Hartshorn Hall.
     Major Barbara is George Bernard Shaw's scintillating comedy of ideas
and social satire. Barbara, an idealistic major in the Salvation Army,
invites her father to visit her mission, bringing about a great debate on
the issue of poverty and redemption. Barbara is one of Shaw's most touching
female characters, and her story is timeless.
     Play dates for Major Barbara are Thursday, April 14, Friday, April 15,
and Saturday, April 23, all at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 23, Sunday,
April 24, Sunday, May 1, and Saturday, May 7, all at 12:30 p.m.
     The series also includes another Shaw favorite, Heartbreak House, the
story of Shotover, an eccentric retired sea captain and his bizarre
collection of friends and visitors. The play follows the characters through
a series of hilarious and touching arguments.
     Heartbreak House will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19,
Wednesday, April 20, Sunday, April 24, Friday, April 29, Saturday, April
30, and Wednesday, May 4.
     The Rivals, a boisterous blend of high comedy and farce by Richard
Brinsley Sheridan, lampoons the excessive sentimentality and
pretentiousness of 18th-century English society. The cast includes Mrs.
Malaprop, whose ludicrous distortion of the English language makes her one
of the most famous characters in English drama.
     Playgoers can attend a performance of The Rivals at 7:30 p.m. on
Saturday, April 16, Sunday, April 17, Wednesday, April 27, Thursday, April
28, and Friday, May 6.
     William Congreve's Way of the World completes the quartet of spring
plays. Known for its brilliant dialogue, delicate style and dazzling
repartee, the play tells the tale of the courtship of Millamant and
Mirabell and the way of the world in which they live.
     Way of the World will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 21,
Friday, April 22, Tuesday, April 26, Sunday, May 1, Thursday, May 5, and
Saturday, May 7; and at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 30.
     Subscription series tickets are available for all four shows or
through a voucher plan that allows the subscriber to use four tickets in
any combination. Prices for a regular subscription are $35 for the general
public, $27 for University faculty, staff and senior citizens and $15 for
students. The voucher system is available for $40 for the general public,
$32 for University personnel and $18 for students.
     Single tickets for the general public are $12 for Friday and Saturday
evenings, $11 for weeknights and $9 for Sunday evenings and matinees.
Prices for University personnel are $10 for Friday and Saturday evenings,
$9 for weeknights and $7 for Sunday evenings and matinees. Students may
purchase tickets for $8 for Friday and Saturday evenings, $5 for week
nights and $4 for Sunday evenings and matinees.
     Tickets and more information may be obtained by calling the Hartshorn
box office at 831-2204.