Red Monkey Theater Group Presents “King Lear” at the College of Mount Saint Vincent
12/3/2013
Riverdale, N.Y. – Red Monkey Theater Group (RMTG), the University of Mount Saint Vincent’s theater company-in-residence, is proud to present King Lear by William Shakespeare, January 18 through 26, in the College’s Cahill Theater. The show will perform at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. A special FREE preview performance of King Lear will be given on Saturday, January 11 at 1:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site, 897 South Columbus Ave in Mt. Vernon, NY.
Part folk tale, part searing psychological study, Shakespeare’s masterpiece of suffering, ambition, loss, and reconciliation is a formula for making peace with our own histories. Sisters Cordelia, Regan, and Goneril go to war for vengeance and forgiveness. Artistic Director Tal Aviezer sets the play in a ravaged post-apocalyptic landscape, leaving characters at the mercy of the elements and of each other.
The cast includes Lawrence J. Reina in the title role, with Julie Thaxter-Birley, Holland Renton, and Chelsea Niven as his daughters Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia. The roles of Kent, Edgar, and the Fool, traditionally played by male actors, will be performed in this production by women: Elizabeth Mialaret, C.C. Kellogg, and Riverdale resident Sandra Ehrlich. Rounding out the cast are Bronx resident Elliott Robison as Gloucester, Riverdale resident Matt Gordon as Edmund, Riverdale resident David Wetter as Albany, Charlie Scatamacchia as Cornwall, David Ryan as Burgundy, and Louis Lavoie as Oswald and the King of France.
King Lear is the second of RMTG’s 2013-2014 “Season of Sisters” performance series, an exploration of the bonds and barriers of sisterhood through three masterpieces of the stage. The series began with Three Sisters by Anthon Chekhov and will continue with productions of Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley, in April 2014. All performances will be held in the newly-renovated Cahill Theater at the University of Mount Saint Vincent. This 75-seat venue, featuring an intimate thrust stage and raked seating, is ideally suited to the personal, thoughtful performance style and voyeuristic staging that have long been RMTG hallmarks.
Tickets are on sale at www.redmonkeytheater.org for $20 general admission, $15 for students and seniors. University of Mount Saint Vincent students and staff will be admitted free with IDs.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.