The Serpent Lady is a commedia dell’arte fairy tale; in many ways this is a play about the magic of theatre. In our production, the story is told by a group of fairies in collaboration with a troupe of actors whose origins in commedia have adapted and changed over time. Our ensemble draws on a variety of theatrical and literary traditions beyond commedia, including melodrama, Greek tragedy, blason poetry, epic, and myth. At its core, The Serpent Lady is a story about how love can conquer not only death, but immortality. Farruscad and Cherestani must place their faith in each other, a lesson that proves more difficult for Farruscad than for Cherestani.
Casting an ensemble of sixteen women and one man represents an effort to challenge traditional gender roles and to practice resistant reading. Working with a new translation has allowed us to mine the improvisational spirit of the play, and to bring contemporary humor to a piece that inhabits the world of fairy tales: “Once Upon a Time, in a faraway land...”
Translated by Daniel Smith and Valentina Denzel
Directed by Daniel Smith
Performances held in the Studio 60 Theatre in MSU Auditorium from March 18-23.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 7:30pm
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at 7:30pm
*Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 7:30pm
†Friday, March 21, 2014 at 8:00pm
Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 2:00pm
Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 8:00pm
**Sunday, March 23, 2014 at 2:00pm
* Post-Show Discussion on Thursday, March 20, 2014 (Following the Performance)
† Theatre and Translation Symposium, Friday, March 21, 2014, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, RCAH Theatre.
Keynote Address by Dassia Posner, Assistant Professor of Theatre at Northwestern University.
** Pre-Show Discussion Sunday, March 23, 2014 at 1:15 PM, Studio 60 Theatre
Tickets are available from the Wharton Center Box Office; 1.800.WHARTON; www.whartoncenter.com.
Box office at Auditorium opens 1 hour prior to each performance with house doors opening 30 minutes prior.
General Admission $10.
The Studio 60 Theatre, MSU Auditorium (in the basement; near the Arena)
Michigan State University, 542 Auditorium Rd, East Lansing, 48824.
For more information about the department and the entire 2013-14 season visit theatre.msu.edu
Casting an ensemble of sixteen women and one man represents an effort to challenge traditional gender roles and to practice resistant reading. Working with a new translation has allowed us to mine the improvisational spirit of the play, and to bring contemporary humor to a piece that inhabits the world of fairy tales: “Once Upon a Time, in a faraway land...”
Translated by Daniel Smith and Valentina Denzel
Directed by Daniel Smith
Performances held in the Studio 60 Theatre in MSU Auditorium from March 18-23.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at 7:30pm
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at 7:30pm
*Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 7:30pm
†Friday, March 21, 2014 at 8:00pm
Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 2:00pm
Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 8:00pm
**Sunday, March 23, 2014 at 2:00pm
* Post-Show Discussion on Thursday, March 20, 2014 (Following the Performance)
† Theatre and Translation Symposium, Friday, March 21, 2014, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM, RCAH Theatre.
Keynote Address by Dassia Posner, Assistant Professor of Theatre at Northwestern University.
** Pre-Show Discussion Sunday, March 23, 2014 at 1:15 PM, Studio 60 Theatre
Tickets are available from the Wharton Center Box Office; 1.800.WHARTON; www.whartoncenter.com.
Box office at Auditorium opens 1 hour prior to each performance with house doors opening 30 minutes prior.
General Admission $10.
The Studio 60 Theatre, MSU Auditorium (in the basement; near the Arena)
Michigan State University, 542 Auditorium Rd, East Lansing, 48824.
For more information about the department and the entire 2013-14 season visit theatre.msu.edu
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