Shakespeare Festival returns to Penn State Fayette
The 46th Annual Shakespeare Festival is being presented Oct. 9-10 at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. A display of Shakespeare-related projects will be shown at the campus library Oct. 9-13. The festival features free performances of "Othello'' and "Alice in Wonderland.''
This portrait of William Shakespeare was painted by Justin Foster, a former student of Dr. Dennis Brestensky, who founded the Shakespeare Festival at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. The painting will be included in a display of Shakespeare-related projects that will be shown at the campus library Oct. 9-13. The 46th Annual Shakespeare Festival is being presented Oct. 9-10 at campus and features performances of "Othello'' and "Alice in Wonderland.'' All performances are free.
Colin Hovde
The National Players will perform Shakespeare’s “Othello’’ at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9, in the Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium during this year’s Shakespeare Festival at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
The 46th Annual Shakespeare Festival is being presented Oct. 9-10 at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. A display of Shakespeare-related projects will be shown at the campus library Oct. 9-13. Pictured with some of the exhibits are (from left) Amy Mihalko, library assistant; Dr. Dennis Brestensky, festival founder; and Rebecca Johnson, co-curricularm programs coordinator.
The National Players will perform "Alice in Wonderland'' at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10 as part of the Shakespeare Festival at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus. This 70-minute adaption, which is on a world premiere tour, is enjoyed by all ages but particularly selected for middle school audiences. Artistic director Jason King Jones said, "When you get down to it, it’s the story of a girl struggling with growing up. The world is changing around her and she doesn’t understand the rules.’’ Pictured are (from left) Amy Desrosiers, Kenn Hopkins Jr., Kelsey Godfrey, Emily Brown (as Alice), and Melissa Carter.
There’s a lesson that can still be learned in Shakespeare’s “Othello,” which will be featured in the 46th Annual Shakespeare Festival, held Oct. 9-10 at Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
Jason King Jones, artistic director for the National Players and director of this production of “Othello,” said it’s about confirmation bias, which is a penchant to search for and recall information that confirms someone’s beliefs.
“It’s the tendency when we want to believe something that we only pay attention to evidence that reflects our point of view,” said Jones, adding, “We tend to reject news or information that doesn’t align with our beliefs. We call it fake news. It’s a human failing that Shakespeare identified 400 years ago.”
In this Shakespeare play, Othello is an Army general who is tricked by his ensign Iago into believing that his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful. Manipulated by Iago who wants revenge, Othello eventually sees only what he wants to see.
The result is tragedy.
“Othello” is one of two plays being presented free to the public during the festival. “Othello” will be shown at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9. It is a two-and-a half-hour production.
“Alice in Wonderland,” a 70-minute production directed by Natsu Onoda Power, is being presented at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 10. The show makes use of technology with live video, projections and puppetry.
“Audiences have been receiving it very well. Folks of all ages are finding great joy in seeing the production,” said Dylan Arrendondo, company manager, who noted the different uses of technology “create a unique multi-media-based performance.”
The National Players will perform both plays in the Maggie Hardy Magerko Auditorium in the Community Center of the campus, which is located at 2201 University Drive, along Route 119, in Lemont Furnace.
The National Players are an outreach of the Olney Theatre Center in suburban Washington, D.C., that is in its 69th season. They have performed in 41 states, the White House, for American military in Europe and in the Arctic Circle. This touring company is bringing 10 actors to Fayette County.
Dr. Dennis Brestensky, of Hopwood, retired professor who founded the festival, said this is the 19th year that the National Players have visited the campus.
“They’re always excited to come. They enjoy working with The Lion Players,” Brestensky said of the campus’ Shakespeare company. “They’re energetic, enthusiastic. They’re young and they’re never in a hurry.”
Brestensky was also referring to two free workshops the National Players will give during the festival. They are “Commanding the Room” at 11:15 a.m. on Oct. 9 and “From Page to Stage” at 12:15 p.m., both in the Magerko Auditorium. The Lion Players make use of the workshops for insight for their annual spring production but they are open to everyone.
The National Players’ production of “Alice,” which is on its world-premiere tour, is receiving a lot of attention locally with several schools sending students. More than 300 are scheduled to attend, including students from Geibel Catholic in Connellsville, Laurel Highlands Middle School in South Union Township and St. John Regional Catholic School in Uniontown. Mount Carmel Christian School from Bullskin Township is sending students to “Othello.”
Jones noted that “Alice” was selected with an eye towards middle school audiences, saying, “When you get down to it, it’s the story of a girl struggling with growing up. The world is changing around her and she doesn’t understand the rules.”
Brestensky said Penn State provided bus stipends for schools to bring their students, part of the effort to give a theater experience to local audiences.
“It’s important to us to keep things free and open to the public,” said Rebecca Johnson, the campus’ co-curriculum program coordinator, who added the Shakespeare Festival “is helping to keep the arts alive.”
Brestensky also recognized those who have helped make the festival a success, including the Maggie Hardy Magerko Endowment, Dr. W. Charles Patrick, chancellor and chief academic officer for the campus; Chad Long, manager of student affairs; Johnson; Mihalko and Gerry Dorobish from the campus library; John Skinkis, multi-media specialist from the Information Technology Services department; and Lynn Petko from the English department.
The festival also includes an exhibit of Shakespeare-related projects created through the years by Brestensky’s former students that will be shown at the campus library Oct. 9-13. Library hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. Amy Mihalko, library assistant, said, “Most of them are pictures and posters. There are a couple of clay pieces and a replica of the Globe Theatre.”
The show includes a photo exhibit called “Shakespeare’s Strafford,” taken by Bresentensky, who made trips to England in 1993 and 2005, as well as material from Jeffrey Martin, retired Albert Gallatin School District English teacher and Shakespeare popular culture collector.
In addition, the library offers books, videos, DVDs and an audio collection of Shakespeare’s plays that are available to the public.
Admission to all events is free but officials ask audience members to call ahead for reservations to the plays. For more information or to make reservations, call 724-430-4244.