Ever wonder what characters in a play might be like off-stage? Or, how they might relate to each other or characters from other plays?
VIVA/Society for Creative Aging’s upcoming presentation, “Outrageous Fortune”, provides an opportunity for the audience to join Romeo, Juliet, Ophelia, Desdemona, the Macbeths and other Shakespearian tragic characters as they seek support at a Tragedians Anonymous meeting.
They proceed to confront other characters in their plays, as well as their own fatal flaws, as they come to life onstage! When the confrontations don’t work out as planned, the tragic characters seek revenge which makes for an outlandish comedic introduction to Shakespeare’s tragedies.
It also re-familiarizes us with the storylines and characters of some of Shakespeare’s greatest works.
Be prepared! Shakespeare’s tragedians and scoundrels, along with their fatal flaws, provide unlimited entertainment. The slow-motion fight sequence and gender-bend-ing casting are not to be missed.
“Outrageous Fortune” is a love letter to Shakespeare penned by Colorado playwright Rebecca Salomonsson. She fell in love with Shakespeare when she was 8 years old. Her mother covered the arts for the Colorado Daily and took Rebecca and her sister to a production of Romeo and Juliet. The death of Tybalt brought tears to young Rebecca’s eyes. Her mother asked her if she wanted to leave, but she responded with a resounding “No-oo!”; but continued to sob until they closed the curtain.
This memorable evening led to a lifelong interest in all things Shakespeare. Salomonsson went on to study at the National Shakespeare Conservatory in New York and the University of Massachusetts where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in theater arts. Most recently she studied with Janet Suzman of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
The play is performed in the newly renovated Grace Gamm Theater at The Dairy Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. The new comfy seats, complete with cup holders, and the stadium seating design provide better sight lines as well as increased seating capacity.
Evening performances are 7:00 p.m. Saturday, November 19; and Friday, November 25.
Matinees are 2:00 p.m. Sunday, November 20; Saturday, November 26; and Sunday, November 27.
Tickets: $12 for seniors and students, $15 general admission and are available at www.thedairy.org.
For additional information, please visit the Society for Creative Aging’s website at www.s4creativeaging.org, call 303-443- 3993 or e-mail info@s4creativeaging.org/.