Last modified: Monday, October 24, 2011
New adaptation of 'The Three Musketeers' coming to IU Theatre
WHAT:
The Three Musketeers. By Robert Kauzlaric, adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas. Directed by Murray McGibbon.
WHEN: Opens Friday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. Additional performances: Nov. 12, 15-18 at 7:30; Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: All performances take place at the Ruth N. Halls Theatre, Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, 275 N. Jordan Ave. No photography or recording of any kind is permitted during performances.
TICKETS: Regular admission is $25 for adults, $15 for students, $20 for senior citizens; Student Rush tickets are $10 cash with a valid IU Bloomington student ID on the day of each performance.
OTHER: Thursday, Nov. 10, at 5:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre of the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center, Theatre Circle, the member-driven donor group who supports the programs of the Department of Theatre and Drama, will present "Fighting the Good Fight," a demonstration by Adam Noble, fight choreographer for The Three Musketeers and assistant professor of stage movement for the Department of Theatre and Drama. Free and open to the public. The Studio Theatre is located on the second floor of Theatre West, the original building that housed the Department of Theatre and Drama. Visit the school's website for directions.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 24, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Theatre's 2011-2012 season continues with a production of a new, staged translation of The Three Musketeers by emerging Chicago playwright/actor Robert Kauzlaric. Opening night is Friday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre.
The story of The Three Musketeers revolves around D'Artagnan, a Gascon youth who dreams of fighting alongside the musketeers and quickly teams up with musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The four men become entangled in a plot surrounding the evil Cardinal Richelieu, the sly Milady de Winter and a romance between the Duke of Buckingham and Queen Anne.
"Everybody knows of The Three Musketeers, but most people rarely know the story behind it. Most people have never read Alexandre Dumas' novel, which is quite complex," IU Theatre faculty member and director Murray McGibbon said.
One of the largest challenges facing McGibbon and the cast and creative team are the nearly 100 locations all across Europe visited throughout the show. That's a challenge McGibbon said is solved through the magic of live performance.
"The script is written very cinematically. So the challenge is: How do we theatrically change locations almost one hundred times on a unit set? We use words, we use props, we use light and sound cues. The rest is up to the audience," McGibbon said. "We are asking people who come to see this show to bring an active imagination with them because this is very theatrical. Where else but on the stage can you have one set but go from England to France in a matter of seconds?"
Kauzlaric's adaptation of The Three Musketeers was commissioned by the Illinois Shakespeare Festival in 2010, and opened to positive reviews. Other Kauzlaric adaptations include H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau, Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. His plays have been performed all around the U.S., as well as in Canada and the United Kingdom.
Making their IU Theatre debut in The Three Musketeers are: senior Macaulay Richards as D'Artagnan; first-year M.F.A. actor Aaron Kirkpatrick as Athos; freshman Luke Denison as Aramis; and first-year M.F.A. actor Andrea Mellos as Milady. Joining them are junior Taylor Crousore (Harold Hill in The Music Man) as Porthos; senior Andrew Benowich (Roy Cohn in Angels in America) as Richelieu; sophomore Aaron Densely (Happily Ever Chloe, Rent) as Buckingham; senior Maddy King (The Winter's Tale, As You Like It) as Anne; and sophomore Courtney Lucien (Language of Angels, Hay Fever) as Constance. Remaining cast members include: junior Thomas Beaver, junior Joshua Burkholder, senior Ross van Dongen, senior Ryan Dooley, first-year Ph.D. Eric "C" Heaps, sophomore Harry Holmes, junior John Machesky, senior Sean Magill, junior Brianna McClellan, sophomore Samuel Platt, junior Kurt Semmler, junior Eric Sigmundsson, senior Matthew Tepperman, senior Tad Tobey and senior Amy Tilles.
Working alongside McGibbon are third-year M.F.A. lighting designer Abby Wells, second-year M.F.A. costume designer Katie Cowan, third-year M.F.A. scenic designer Tim Barbiaux, senior sound designer John Allerheilgen and third-year M.F.A. technical director Scott Wolfson. IU assistant professor of sound design Andrew Hopson composed a music score specifically for this production.
In conjunction with the opening, Theatre Circle will present "Fighting the Good Fight" at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, in the Studio Theatre of the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center. IU Theatre assistant professor and Three Musketeers fight choreographer Adam Noble will discuss and demonstrate the fighting styles and swordplay used for the production.
