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Thursday, October 22, 2009 Strayer-Wood Theatre to present Tony Award-winning work CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The Strayer-Wood Theatre will present the political drama "The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade," by Peter Weiss, Friday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Nov. 15, on the University of Northern Iowa campus. Also known as "Marat/Sade," Weiss's play was the recipient of four Tony Awards in 1966, including best play and best director.
Mixing fact and fiction, "Marat/Sade" uses a play within a play to tell a story of the Marquis de Sade's activities during a stay at the Asylum of Charenton, where he was committed by his family in 1803. During his time at Charenton, de Sade was encouraged by the asylum's director to direct the other inmates in plays to which the public was often invited. In Weiss's play, de Sade's subject is the French Revolution and the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat, a radical journalist and supporter of the people. "History, fantasy and musical theatre intertwine in this groundbreaking work that changed the way modern theatre explores what it means to be human," said Jascenna Haislet, director of marketing for the Strayer-Wood Theatre.
Directed by Jay Edelnant, UNI professor of theatre, and Gwendolyn Schwinke, UNI assistant professor of theatre, the production also incorporates the use of modern technologies by allowing the audiences to receive a portion of the show via cell phone text messaging. Audience members may register their cell phone numbers with the box office when purchasing tickets if they wish to participate.
"Marat/Sade" will feature the unique costume designs by guest artist Cat Chow, a nationally-known fabric and garment artist from New York. Supporting the directors' vision of the production are the scenic design of Mark A. Parrott, UNI assistant professor of theatre; lighting design of Eric Lange, UNI head and associate professor of theatre, and Chad Albert, a senior theatre major from Pittsburgh; and hair and makeup design by Amy S. RohrBerg, UNI associate professor of theatre. Music directors for the production are Julie Baldwin, senior theatre major from Cedar Falls, and Katy Slaven, senior theatre major from Mason City.
The cast of "Marat/Sade" features Sam Lilja, a freshman theatre major from Cedar Falls, in the role of Jean-Paul Marat and Benjamin Sheridan, a senior theatre major from Urbandale, as the Marquis de Sade. Diana Garles, a junior theatre major from Fairfield, plays the role of Charlotte Corday, Marat's assassin. Joining them is a 26-member cast that includes (NAME) , a (YEAR) (MAJOR) major from (HOMETOWN) .
The Strayer-Wood Theatre production of "Marat/Sade" is part of the "Cat Chow Project," sponsored in part by the Iowa Arts Council (IAC) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation; Max & Helen Guernsey Charitable Foundation; Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG); UNI Museums; UNI Gallery of Art; UNI Department of Design, Textiles, Gerontology & Family Studies; the UNI Department of Theatre; College of Humanities and Fine Arts (CHFA); and College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (CSBS).
"Marat/Sade" will be performed at the Strayer-Wood Theatre Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 6-7 and 13-14, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 8 and 15, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $14 for the general public and free for UNI students. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Strayer-Wood box office at (319) 273-6381 or online at www.uni.edu/theatre.
NOTE TO THE EDITOR: Listed below, in alphabetical order by hometown, with Iowa residents listed first, are the names of the cast members of "Marat/Sade." Please check for towns in your coverage area.
HOMETOWN NAME/ MAJOR/ YEAR
BURLINGTON Jeremy Dixon/ theatre/ senior
CEDAR FALLS Jonathan Hudspeth/ theatre/ senior
Andrea Morris/ theatre/ junior
CEDAR RAPIDS Amber AJ Smit/ theatre/ junior
DUBUQUE Sarah Buelow/ theatre/ senior
Ryan Decker/ theatre/ sophomore
DES MOINES Kenosha Carr/ theatre/ sophomore
Valerie Vivian/ theatre/ freshman
KINGSLEY Sarah Williams/ theatre/ senior
LA PORTE CITY Ben Schulz/ theatre/ senior
LEMARS Sam Pelelo-Ray/ theatre/ freshman
MARION Brett Jones/ theatre/ freshman
Briar Kleeman/ theatre/ freshman
MASON CITY Abbie Gobeli/ theatre/ freshman
OKOBOJI Dani Jo Stephenson/ theatre/ senior
PERRY Elizabeth Cook/ theatre/ senior
READLYN Rachel Rathe/ elementary education/ junior
ROLAND Hannah Titus/ elementary education/ junior
SPIRIT LAKE Michael Owen Achenbach/ theatre/ junior
TOLEDO Nicholas Chizek/ theatre/ junior
TRIPOLI Eden Neuendorf/ theatre/ senior
WALL LAKE Riley Germann/ theatre/ junior
WATERLOO Megan Catherine Moore/ theatre/ sophomore
WEST DES MOINES Allison Krois/ communication theatre education/ senior
WINTERSET Ashley Armstrong/ theatre/ sophomore
OUT-OF-STATE
BELVIDERE, ILL. Michaela Nelson/ theatre/ sophomore
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