|
Aug. 16, 2010
The Morningside College English and theatre departments are sponsoring a trip to Spring Green, Wis., Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 to see classical plays produced by the professional American Players Theatre (APT) company. The trip is open to the public, including high school students.
This year's plays include two Shakespeare comedies and an existentialist work by Samuel Beckett.
Shakespeare's "As You Like It" sends several characters, including Rosalind dressed as a boy, into the Forest of Arden in search of identity, truth and love. Hilarity ensues as identities and labels are mistaken and twisted.
"All's Well That Ends Well" features one of Shakespeare's most unconventional heroines, Helena, who is fiercely determined to get what she wants – the enigmatic Bertram. The play deals with the complexities of relationships and ethics, showing that, as Shakespeare says, "The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and ill together."
Considered one of the most influential plays of the 20th century, "Waiting for Godot" asks how do we get up every morning, fight through every day and go to sleep every evening, never knowing whether our hopes and dreams might be granted. A very human play, its two main characters, Estragon and Vladimir, find each day full of the comic, the appalling and the tedious as they wait for the Godot who never appears.
APT's open air theatre, where the group will see the Shakespeare plays, is located in a wooded area along the Wisconsin River. It features comfortable seating, a bus to take people up the hill, a snack bar and a gift shop. "Waiting for Godot" will be presented in APT's new indoor theatre space. The trip will allow free time for exploring the area, as well as a chance to talk with the theatre’s actors and technical staff.
"The APT experience combines the best classical theatre professionally produced with the beauty of nature," said Marty Knepper, trip organizer and chair of the English department. "The Spring Green area is full of wonderful arts and crafts shops, outdoor opportunities such as golfing and hiking, and major tourist attractions such as the House on the Rock and the Frank Lloyd Wright School.”
The group will leave Sioux City on Thursday, Sept. 30, at 4 p.m. and travel by car pool to Spring Green, returning on Saturday, Oct. 2, at about midnight. The group will stay at Spring Valley Inn, a hotel designed in Frank Lloyd Wright style.
Information on the trip, including a registration form, is available in the "Activities" section of the English department website: webs.morningside.edu/English. The deadline for trip registration is Sept. 13. There is room for 25 people on the trip, so those interested should sign up early.
|
