Harvey Weinstein. Ryan Seacrest. Charlie Rose. Les Moonves. The long list of men leveraging their power for sex with unwilling, sometimes unwitting partners continues to grow, revealing the sickeningly large statistic of perpetrators and helping to galvanize the Me Too Movement. But their heinous behavior has been with us for much longer than Me Too—in fact, Shakespeare, in his 1604 play Measure for Measure, explores this very topic with disturbing prescience.
“At In/Visible, we strive to produce work that is timely and relevant,” said Karen Sabo, Artistic Producer of In/Visible Theatre. And while Measure for Measure has been for decades a favorite of In/Visible Theatre Artistic Director Derek Davidson’s, in 2018 its themes are especially timely.
“We want to demonstrate that the arts engage with issues our audience is grappling with, talking about, living,” Davidson said. “But we also feel a responsibility to offer up the best work possible. Shakespeare is, well, Shakespeare; theatre can’t get much better and Measure for Measure is one of his best. So to do Shakespeare that speaks to our lives in 2018 feels not only artistic but ethical.” Davidson adds that it’s exciting for In/Visible Theatre to be able to show how a classic play can connect us to conditions women faced four hundred years ago. “To see strong women encountering and bringing to light men’s bad behavior—in the hands of Shakespeare!—well, there is something rejuvenating, empowering in that.”
In the play Measure for Measure, the Duke of Vienna has a problem. The citizens of his fair city have fallen into irresponsible behavior with no thought about the consequences of their actions. In an attempt to restore order and morality, the Duke appoints someone to oversee the problem, one Angelo, a righteous man of unswerving morals, and–as it turns out–the worst man for the job. Measure for Measure is a 400 year old play that audiences will swear was pulled from today’s headlines.
Measure for Measure is directed by In/Visible Theatre Artistic Director Derek Davidson, and features Derek Gagnier, Sabrina Palazzo, Logan Frazier, Lara Marshall, Michael Navarro, Mark Suggs, Teresa Lee, Doc Pope, Anisha Sharma, L.J. Faircloth, Laura Price, Ryan Ball, Shane Buchheit, Zoe Dean, and Morgan White. Choreography by Elaine Topodas, costumes by Rebecca Cairns with help from Anne Hoskins. Tabitha Wallace has joined the team as our stage manager and lighting designer.
The show plays for four performances only, from August 15-18, and is at the I.G. Greer Studio Theatre on the campus of Appalachian State University. Tickets are $18 in advance or $21 at the door. Student discount tickets are available.
In/Visible Theatre of Boone gives voice to unheard voices through work that encourages audiences to experience the world in new ways. They encourage participants to try on new perspectives that access deeper truths and create a more engaged, empathetic, introspective populace.
For more information, visit www.invisibletheatreNC.org, email info@invisibletheatreNC.org, or call 828.278.4448.
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