Mon February 24, 2020

By Shelly B Short

Shakespeare in the Park “Cymbeline (Imogen)”

March 6, 2020

1940 WPA Gym: 7:30 pm –10 pm

Enjoy an evening performance by the American Shakespeare Center 2019/20 Mortal Fools Tour at Historic Washington State Park. Performance begin at 7:30 p.m. with a pre-show performance at 7 p.m. in the 1940 WPA Gym. Doors open at 7 p.m. On Friday, March 6, Cymbeline (Imogen) will be performed.

Cymbeline is best known as “Shakespeare’s fairytale.” King Cymbeline promises to marry his daughter Imogen to his stepson Cloten, while Imogen has secretly eloped with her best friend, Posthumus. Disguises, mistaken identity, a missing head, and nefarious plots complicate this tale of love and purity.  With Cymbeline, ASC introduces audiences to a riveting tale of romance and adventure in one of Shakespeare’s least-produced but most enticing plays. 

“Imogen is at the center of Shakespeare’s play and we’ve given her top billing,” says director Vanessa Morosco (Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Theatre of NJ) about the decision to rename Shakespeare’s Cymbeline after the princess, Imogen: “I suspect that Shakespeare knew the title King Cymbeline would well serve his audiences (nearly 450 years ago) but the play he wrote is about the lionhearted young daughter of a king, who defies polite society by marrying for love, turns her world upside-down -- and gets a second chance at life.”

Since 1988, the American Shakespeare Center has toured the country with shows incorporating Shakespeare’s staging conditions. Based out of Staunton, VA, the company mission is to recover the joys and accessibility of Shakespeare’s theatre, language, and humanity by exploring the English Renaissance stage and its practices through performance and education. The organization can be found online at www.americanshakespearecenter.com.

Four afternoon workshops on Saturday, March 7, led by the American Shakespeare Troupe, will be provided covering topics of how to perform Shakespeare on the modern stage. They are: Shakespeare & Word Play @ 11 a.m.; Shakespeare & Editions @ 1 p.m.; Playing Multiple Roles in Shakespeare @ 2:30 p.m.; and Stage Cues in Shakespeare @ 4 p.m. Workshop admission is $5 per person for ages 14 and older. 

On Friday, March 6, Cymbeline (Imogen) will be performed. On Saturday, March 7, A Midsummer Night’s Dream will be performed. Tickets for the performances are $10 adult and $5 for children ages 6-12. Call 870-983-2684 to reserve tickets. Tickets may be picked up at the 1874 Courthouse Visitor Center. Event doors open at 7 p.m. Williams Tavern Restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. till 7 p.m. before the performance begins.

Historic Washington State Park, a restoration village preserving one of Arkansas’ most prominent 19thcentury towns, is located on US 278 nine miles north of Hope and can be reached by taking Exit 30 off Interstate 30. For more information visit www.HistoricWashingtonStatePark.comor call (870) 983-2684.

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