The Lion In Winter

by James Goldman
Directed by Richard E.T. White
Starring SSC Artistic Director, Marco Barricelli

July 20 – August 29  •  In the Mainstage

This quintessential drama of family strife will keep you on the edge of your seat using crackling dialogue, biting cleverness, and delivered with historical and psychological insight. James Goldman’s The Lion In Winter depicts the battle between Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine as they pit sex and politics against each other to choose which of their three scheming sons will be the next heir to the British throne.

Turning domestic toil into a heightened art form, the events in The Lion In Winter unfold as though they take place in 21st century America, rather than 12th century Europe: insecure siblings fighting for their parents’ attention; bickering spouses who can’t stand to be together or apart; adultery and sexual experimentation; and even the struggle to balance work and family.

THE LION IN WINTER is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

Love’s Labor’s Lost

Directed by Scott Wentworth

July 21 – August 29  •  In the Festival Glen

King Ferdinand, of Navarre, decrees that he and his three lusty, young, noble lords shall forswear the distraction of women and devote themselves to intellectual studies. Not surprisingly, their reluctant scholarly pursuits are all but shattered upon the arrival of the Princess of France and her entourage of lovely, nubile women, with whom the lovesick men immediately fall in love.

This bittersweet, romantic – and at times, hysterically funny – play is Shakespeare’s most timeless and modern comedy, replete with witty debates, dazzling wordplay, and strongly drawn comic characters.

Othello

Directed by Pam MacKinnon

August 3 – 29  •  In the Festival Glen

Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian Army, has wed Desdemona, the daughter of a Senator. Their love should have been celebrated as a triumph over racial intolerance, but instead Iago – Othello’s deceitful, reckless aide – seizes the opportunity to exact a vain and illogical revenge upon him. Shakespeare has set Iago’s pathological fiendishness against Othello’s honesty, love, and integrity – examining the inner workings of a sick mind with astounding detail, and exploring how the power of suggestion can transform a perfect love into murderous jealousy.

Having created one of his most hateful villains and one of his most poignantly tragic heroes, Othello is a triumph – surely one of Shakespeare’s greatest works.

La Ronde

By Arthur Schnitzler
Directed by Kirsten Brandt

August 17 & 24, 2010  •  In the Festival Glen

Set in late 19th-century Vienna, La Ronde examines sexual morals and class ideology. Featuring characters from across all levels of society, ten interlocking scenes depict couples in various stages of pre- or post-coital liaisons.

Written in 1900 by Arthur Schnitzler, La Ronde sparked violent critical and popular reaction when first performed publicly in 1920, and the playwright was attacked as a “pornographer.” Only later in the 20th century did the play find popularity, spawning numerous theatrical adaptations and more than a dozen film adaptations.