Shakespeare meets rock ‘n roll in an upcoming performance from the Messiah College theatre department
March 17th, 2011
GRANTHAM, Pa. (March 17, 2011) — The department of theatre at Messiah College will put a new twist on medieval theatre by integrating the performance of Shakespeare’s comedy, “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” into their original rock concert. Performances will run from April 7 to 9 and 14 to 16 at 8 p.m., and two matinee performances will be held at 3 p.m. on April 10 and 17. All performances will take place in Miller Auditorium, located in the Climenhaga Fine Arts Center on Messiah’s Grantham campus. Tickets are $7 for students and seniors and $11 for adults and can be ordered by visiting messiah.edu/tickets or by calling 717-691-6036.
About the performance
The Messiah College theatre department will bring William Shakespeare’s finest romantic comedy, “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” to life by performing scenes from the play throughout a high-octane rock concert. The performance, directed by James Knipple, will feature original musical compositions, creating a strong rock concert-feel, “complete with a confetti cannon.”
The play, “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” is the humorous story of twins who are separated by shipwreck and swept onto the shore of the enchanting kingdom of Illyria. Assuming that her brother has been drowned in the wreck, the female twin Viola resorts to disguising herself as a man to find work. The plot continues to unveil comical love triangles, rowdy clowning and sword-fighting due to confusion and disguise.
About the director
James Knipple is the founding artistic director of the Run of the Mill Theatre Co. in Baltimore, Md. and co-creator of “The Variations Project,” an annual theatrical event that has won multiple awards including Baltimore’s Best Production of 2006. In addition to directing multiple plays for productions and festivals throughout the country, Knipple has also co-founded World Premiere Weekend, a play festival that has premiered plays from writers across the nation. Knipple spent almost a month in Ecuador in 2009 as a part of Dramatic Adventure Theatre’s “ACTion: Ecuador” where he co-created and directed an original piece in Ecuador and off-Broadway. Last year, Knipple directed Messiah College’s “Fertile Ground” as a part of the college’s centennial year celebration.
About Messiah College
Messiah College, a private Christian college of the liberal and applied arts and sciences, enrolls more than 2,900 undergraduate and graduate students. Established in 1909, the primary campus is located in Grantham, Pa., near the state capital of Harrisburg. A satellite campus affiliated with Temple University is located in Philadelphia.
