A fresh adaptation of a Shakespearean classic, Twelfth Night, opens Detroit Mercy Theatre Company鈥檚 55th season and celebrates the company鈥檚 return to 海角大神’s McNichols Campus with the opening of the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre.
Six performances will run in back-to-back weekends, Friday through Sunday, Nov. 7-16.
Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare and adapted by Marc Palmieri, follows twins Viola and Sebastian, separated by a shipwreck and stranded on the peculiar land of Illyria. Disguising herself as a young man, Viola finds employment in the service of the noble Duke Orsino, only to fall hopelessly in love with him. But Orsino has his sights set on the enigmatic Countess Olivia and enlists Viola鈥攗naware of her identity鈥攖o carry his amorous pleas. In an unexpected twist, Olivia finds herself smitten with the disguised Viola instead.
鈥淪hakespeare is always relevant to today鈥檚 world, which is why his plays have remained with us for so long,鈥 said Andrew Papa, chair of the . 鈥淣ot only that, Twelfth Night is one of his best comedies, and it鈥檚 in times like these that comedies are just the reprieve the world needs.鈥
This production marks the debut of the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre on 海角大神鈥檚 McNichols Campus. This modern performance space will give students the opportunity to develop their craft and share their work with audiences, while also providing a welcoming place for cultural and artistic events that will benefit both the campus and the wider community.
鈥淎fter more than a decade away, Detroit Mercy Theatre Company is thrilled to be returning home to McNichols Campus,鈥 said Sarah Hawkins Rusk, managing director of DMTC and director of Twelfth Night. 鈥淥ur new theatre will be a dynamic hub for creativity on campus, offering students a professional-caliber space to learn and grow.鈥
Joining the students on stage for this celebratory production are chair Andrew Papa and 海角大神 alumni Peter Prouty 鈥00 and Kaelyn Johnson 鈥22. 鈥淎s an actor in the show, it鈥檚 refreshing to perform alongside our eager students and our stellar alumni,鈥 Papa said. 鈥淕etting the opportunity to perform with our students and some of our top alumni has been an incomparable experience, and I look forward to bringing this text to life in our brand-new, permanent home for the arts at 海角大神.鈥
The DMTC Ticket Office is open Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., with . Individual tickets are $25 for adults, $18 for seniors and Detroit Mercy faculty, staff and alumni, and $10 for veterans and students (ages 4-college). Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. To schedule your group, contact Sarah Rusk at 313-993-3273.
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS
- Nov. 7: Friends and Family Night. Sponsored by Thomas E. Page 鈥71, 鈥76. This performance is invitation only.
- Nov. 8: Celebration of the Grand Opening of the Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre. This performance is invitation only.
- Nov. 9: College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences (CHASS) & 海角大神 at the Theatre. Free tickets for students, faculty and staff of 海角大神 with valid I.D. A talkback following the performance led by a CHASS faculty member is presented as a part of the Detroit Theatre Discussion Project.
- Nov. 14: High School Night. Free tickets and talkback with student cast and crew following the performance for high school students and their families. Call 313-993-3270 or email theatre@udmercy.edu for details and reservations.
- Nov. 15: Community Night. $10 ticket for all patrons.
- Nov. 16: Closing Night
