3:40 p.m., Jan. 7, 2010----The University of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players (REP) opens the new year with the uproariously funny romp She Stoops to Conquer on Jan. 21 and the show will play through Feb. 20 at the Roselle Center for the Arts on the UD campus in Newark.

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Called a “laughing comedy” by playwright Oliver Goldsmith, the play provides a raucous tale of mistaken identities, spirited hijinks, and a good dose of lighthearted romance.

Charles Marlow, bashful around women of his own upper class -- yet quite frisky amongst the serving girls -- is on his way to the Hardcastle household to court Kate, the daughter of a county squire.

Hilarity ensues when a bit of tomfoolery causes Marlow and his friend Hastings to mistake the home for an inn, the squire for the inn keeper, and Kate for a serving wench. Kate quickly realizes that a saucy servant is just the role needed to woo her beloved in this rollicking misadventure.

“She Stoops to Conquer is one of the most popular comedies in the English language after Shakespeare's plays,” says REP Artistic Director Sandy Robbins, “and it's no wonder because the play has the best combination of humor and charm. Unlike other plays of its time period which tend to be cynical and sarcastic, She Stoops is big-hearted, warm and very, very funny.”

REP company member Stephen Pelinski, co-director of the production along with Robbins, states, “It's the perfect antidote to these gray winter days and troubled times.”

The REP, established in 2008, is the professional component of the University of Delaware's nationally acclaimed graduate conservatory, the Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP).

Featuring some of America's most experienced and respected stage actors and actresses, the REP and the theatre conservatory are similar to interconnected professional companies and training programs found at Harvard and Yale universities, among many others.

Performances run from Friday, Jan. 22, through Saturday, Feb. 20, with a preview performance on Thursday, Jan. 21. Tickets are $16 to $22, with discounts for students, seniors and University of Delaware faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased by calling the REP box office at (302) 831-2204, in person at the Roselle Center for the Arts, 110 Orchard Rd., Newark, or online at the REP's Web site.

The performance schedule for She Stoops to Conquer is as follows: Jan. 21, 22, 23, 29 and 30, and Feb. 18, 19 and 20, all at 7:30 p.m.; and Jan. 23, 30 and 31 and Feb. 20 at 2 p.m.

Prior to the 2 p.m. performance on Jan. 30 is the REP Prologue, a free and informal 20-minute presentation about the production, designed to enhance patrons' enjoyment and understanding of what they are about to experience. A talk-back with the cast will take place following the evening performance on Feb. 18.

The Roselle Center for the Arts is located at 110 Orchard Road, on the corner of Orchard Road and Kent Way, in Newark. A convenient parking garage is attached to the center. Six- and four-show subscriptions for the REP's 2009-2010 season are still available.

Subscribers enjoy significant savings on tickets, the best choice of seats and a liberal ticket exchange policy.

A complete schedule, directions, and information on purchasing tickets can be found at the REP's Web site or by calling the REP's box office at (302) 831-2204.

Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson