Annual Shakespeare Festival returns to Penn State Fayette
The National Players, including Walter C.A. Riddle as Moth, Melanie A. Lawrence as Peaseblossom, Ariya Hawkins as Mustardseed, Savannah Gomez as Titania, Taylor Ryan Rivers as Puck and Lorenzo Miguel as Oberon in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" will perform at the annual Shakespeare Festival at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, running Nov. 8 to 12.
The National Players, including Sabrina Lynne Sawyer as Snout, Walter C.A. Riddle as Starveling, Taylor Ryan Rivers as Puck, Jason King Jones as Bottom, Ariya Hawkins as Snug, Melanie A. Lawrence as Peter Quince in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" will perform at the annual Shakespeare Festival at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, running Nov. 8 to 12.
The Shakespeare Festival is returning to Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, and will celebrate its 49th year of bringing The Bard蘑菇视频 work to the stage.
In 1972, Dennis Brestensky, a now-retired English professor at the Lemont Furnace campus, started the festival knowing that William Shakespeare wrote all his plays to be performed because many find read reading the works somewhat intimidating.
鈥淚 thought if I can get a good acting group to come in and perform Shakespeare, maybe I can convert some people,鈥� said Brestensky, who is the festival chairperson.
For 22 years, the National Players, which is the longest-running touring company in America, have performed at the Shakespeare Festival, a free event open to the public.
鈥淚f you see them perform, you鈥檇 want to see them perform again,鈥� Brestensky said of the company, based at the Olney Theatre in Olney, Maryland. 鈥淭hey are a young, professional, dynamic acting company with a cast of 10 that appeals to all ages. They can do Shakespeare really well.鈥�
This year marks the debut of the Nitwittany Players, a cast of four alumni of the campus-run organization of The Lion Players, all of whom Brestensky knows.
鈥淚鈥檝e seen all of them act, and they鈥檙e fantastic,鈥� he said.
The schedule for the festival includes:
Nov. 8 through Nov. 12: Shakespeare displays at the library and the Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium Lobby;
Nov. 9 from 10 to 11 a.m.: 鈥淐ommand the Room: Movement鈥� demonstration from the National Players at the Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium Community Center;
Nov. 9 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: 鈥淪peak the Speech Shakespeare鈥� demonstration from the National Players at the Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium Community Center;
Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.: 鈥淎 Midsummer Night蘑菇视频 Dream,鈥� a 90-minute performance followed by a question and answer session with the National Players at the Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium Community Center. Reservations are suggested;
Nov. 10 at 11 a.m.: 鈥淎 Raisin in the Sun,鈥� a 90-minute performance followed by a question and answer session with the National Players at the Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium Community Center. Reservations are suggested;
Nov. 12 at 7 p.m.: 鈥淐lassics I: Shakespeare, God, and Demons and Angels Between Heaven and Hell,鈥� a 60-minute performance by the Nitwittany Players followed by a question and answer session.
鈥淚 think people like to have opportunity to see Shakespeare performed live by a good company,鈥� Brestensky said. 鈥淚t蘑菇视频 a top-knotch cultural event in Fayette County, where we normally don鈥檛 have the opportunity.
Brestensky said the cost to put on the festival is about $4,000, but the festival is free to attend because of grants from co-sponsors Maggie Hardy Magerko Foundation Fund and the Casteel Family Advised Fund held by the Community Foundation of Fayette County.
He also gave credit to the campus蘑菇视频 director of student affairs, Chad Long, for his work, adding that Long has been indispensable for the festival to both occur and succeed.
The festival was canceled last year due to COVID-19, and Brestensky said people who attend the festival are required to wear a mask due to campus regulations.
For performing events, reservations are suggested by contacting Holly at 724-430-4271 or hlh5158@psu.edu.