09/30/11

Story by Diane Carroll

Aquila Theatre

Aquila Theatre to present Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde plays

The Aquila Theatre Company, a professional company in residence at New York University, will perform two shows as part of the Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College.

Shakespeare’s Macbeth comes to the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, in Polsky Theatre of the Carlsen Center. The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, will be at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, in Polsky Theatre.

A pre-performance talk by a member of the theatre company begins at 6 p.m. Oct. 27 and at 7 p.m. Oct. 29.

Tickets, which are $35, are available by calling the box office at 913-469-4445 or visiting jccc.edu/TheSeries.

Aquila, which is in residence at the university's Center for Ancient Studies, presents a season of classical plays at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. It also tours nationwide to more than 60 cities a year.

The New York Times has described Aquila's productions as "Gleefully engaging…almost unbearable fun…directed with inspiration and a beautiful use of physical humor," while The New Yorker described their productions as "The classics made relevant with superb acting and clever staging."

• In Aquila Theatre’s rendering of the chaotic world of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, nothing is as it seems and men combat their own madness and fates. The play centers on the victorious Scottish general Macbeth, who chances upon three mysterious witches in the forest during his journey home from war. The witches offer Macbeth an intriguing prophesy, tempting the skeptical man with the promise that he will one day become King of Scotland. Upon hearing the news, Lady Macbeth urges her husband into murderous action, and what follows is a wild and maddening descent into war, insanity and demons.
• In a delightful production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Aquila Theatre charms audiences with humor, elegance and romantic comedy. Since its first performance on Feb. 14, 1895, Wilde's masterpiece has become a respected piece of literature and has delighted audiences with its wit and wisdom.

The Importance of Being Earnest tells the tale of Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, both young men who have taken to bending the truth to add a dash of excitement to their lives. However, their deceptions eventually cross paths, resulting in a series of hilarious discoveries that threaten to spoil their romantic pursuits.

Aquila Theatre's mission is to make classical works accessible to the greatest number of people possible.

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