Actors from the London Stage at Utah State University

Award-winning Actors from the London Stage (AFTLS) presents Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” Feb 18, 20-21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Morgan Theatre of the Chase Fine Arts Center (approximately 1110 E. 610 North, Logan) on the Utah State University campus. The company’s performance and residency on campus are presented by the Department of Theatre Arts through the Caine School of the Arts and by a grant from the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation.

Tickets are $15 and are available by calling the Caine School of the Arts Box Office at 435-797-8022 or visiting the box office online.

 

One of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, Much Ado About Nothing is performed at USU by five professional actors from London’s most prestigious stages as they bring to life every role in this family-friendly tale of love and mischief.

 

Actors from the London Stage is based in London and presented on campuses throughout the United States by Shakespeare at Notre Dame. AFTLS sends a new, self-directed ensemble of five professional actors to the United States twice a year to perform at universities. AFTLS, whose members hail from such prestigious theater companies as the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre of Great Britain and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, has called Notre Dame its American home since 2000.

 

“The Actors from the London Stage have proven repeatedly not only their outstanding artistry on stage but also their educational worth,” said Kevin Doyle, professor of theatre arts at USU. “The company is committed not merely to performing but, even more, to teaching. The company’s visits have always been sponsored jointly by the departments of Theatre and English.”

 

During time on campus, members of the group log more than 40 hours of classroom workshops covering multiple areas in both disciplines. One actor may teach classic acting technique in one class and then delve into Dylan Thomas in the next. In the end, however, their charge is to teach Shakespeare and illustrate their teaching by performing one of Shakespeare’s plays. As all are working professionals in classic theater (and film and television) in England with many international credits, students get the best of both the teaching and witnessing world-class performances.

 

 

Writer: Sally Okelberry (435) 797-1500, sally.okelberry@usu.edu
Contact: Kevin Doyle, kevin.doyle@usu.edu