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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 23, 2005
CONTACT: Michael
Rothmayer, (515) 271-3118, michael.rothmayer@drake.edu
Daniel Finney, (515) 271-2833, daniel.finney@drake.edu
DRAKE THEATRE TO PRESENT 'ARTS AND LEISURE'
The
Drake University Theater Arts Department will present playwright Steve Tesich’s
meditation on emotional disconnection, “Arts and Leisure,” opening
Thursday, Oct. 6 in the Studio 55 of the Harmon Fine Arts Center, 25th Street
and Carpenter Avenue.
“All the world’s a stage,” William Shakespeare opined in his play “As You Like It.”
Alex Chaney, the lead character “Arts and Leisure,” takes Shakespeare’s maxim to next level – going through the world with an almost clinical detachment from everything and everyone around him. While that has made him a well-known and respected critic, it’s made him emotionally dead.
Chaney critiques his life as if it was a performance on stage, because he can no longer tell the difference. As his mother, ex-wife, daughter and finally, his maid confront him, the audience sees how his emotional paralysis has destroyed the lives of those around him. This production contains adult themes and language not intended for children.
Tesich developed his gift for play writing while doing postgraduate work at Columbia University. He struggled with commercial success until his 1979 screenplay "Breaking Away" won an Oscar. Other screenplays include an adaptation of "The World According to Garp." His plays include "On the Open Road," "Division Street" and "The Speed of Darkness." He died of a heart attack in 1996 at the age of 53.
Michael Rothmayer, assistant professor of theatre arts, directs the Drake University Theatre production. Performances will start at 8 p.m. Oct. 6, 7 and 8 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, in Studio 55 of the Harmon Fine Arts Center, 25th Street and Carpenter Avenue. Tickets are $5 for the general public, $3 for students and senior citizens and $1 with a Drake ID. Reservations are required due to limited seating. Call the Drake Fine Arts Box Office at (515) 271-3841.
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