Theatre for young audiences production directed by Chris Clark
Brigham Young University’s Young Company will present a theatre for young audiences production of “Pericles,” William Shakespeare’s classic tale adapted by Chris Clark, Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 24-Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m. in the Nelke Theatre, Harris Fine Arts Center.
There will be matinees on Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. There will be no performances on Sundays or Mondays. Tickets are $11, or $7 weeknights and $8 weekends with a BYU or student ID. Matinee seats are $6. Tickets can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, by calling (801) 422-4322 or by visiting byuarts.com.
In this story of shipwrecks, pirates, jousting and love, King Pericles flees mortal danger in his homeland and embarks on a journey around the world. During his travels he wins the hand of a fair princess, fathers a beautiful daughter, wins back his kingdom, loses his family and finds them all over again.
“Like Pericles, each of us has to make a journey through life,” said director Chris Clark. “Nobody gets a smooth ride all of the time, and that’s part of the challenge. There are storms, shipwrecks, loss and sadness, but there is also sunshine, victory, discovery and joy.”
Part of the mystery behind “Pericles” is whether Shakespeare actually wrote it, said Clark. Most scholars agree that the play was co-written, which was not uncommon at the time.
“Pericles” is often categorized as one of Shakespeare’s romance plays written toward the end of his career. Along with “Cymbeline, “The Winter’s Tale” and “The Tempest,” “Pericles” resembles a fairy tale. The romances explore motifs found in folklore and myths such as storms at sea, young princes and princesses, the intervention of gods, separation of families and reconciliation.
The production team includes Matthew R. Carlin as stage manager, Emily Grider Ray as dramaturg, Amerila Schow as costume designer and Rebecca Wallin as theatre outreach coordinator.
The actors will play several roles using character masks. The cast features Alex Ungerman as Pericles and Ashleigh Lutes as Dionyza, as well as Emily Dabczynski, Carson McFarland, Mark Oram, Duardo A. Pérez-Rodríguez, Joel Petrie and Kacey Spadafora.
The production is sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Media Arts.
Writer: Angela Fischer
