Passion Play fall Theater Department production

The Skidmore College Department of Theater presents its fall 2011 mainstage production, Sarah Ruhl's Passion Play, directed by Carolyn Anderson, Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 1-4. All shows are in the Janet Kinghorn Bernhard Theater at 7:30 p.m. except Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. 

The play takes us behind the scenes of three communities in different eras of time who are attempting to stage the death of Christ. Charles Isherwood, writing in The New York Times, notes, "The travails of performing in the ancient Christian drama of the title are a recurring theme in Sarah Ruhl's Passion Play, an epic-length but light-spirited romp through several centuries of religious pageantry, individual morality and global politics."

Director Anderson said, "I am drawn to this work because of Sarah Ruhl's unique poetic voice and her ability to plunge into complex and controversial issues with simplicity, biting humor and poignancy. One major challenge is designing the right rehearsal strategies, which allow us to tell many stories that continue across a vast expanse of time. The actors have embraced the complexity of this epic work with a commitment to an ongoing exploration of the vast landscape Sarah Ruhl puts before us."

For reservations, call the Skidmore Theater Box Office at (518) 580-5439 or email boxoffice@skidmore.edu. Tickets are $12 general admission and $8 for students and senior citizens. For group sales, contact Kathy Mendenhall at (518) 580-5431 or kmendenh@skidmore.edu.