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Tony-winning Elizabethan spoof staged in York Theatre

Feb. 12, 2007

KALAMAZOO--Celebrating its 100th season, University Theatre at Western Michigan University presents seven performances of Tom Stoppard's Tony-award winning "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" through Sunday, Feb. 18.

Performances in York Arena Theatre begin at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 15-17, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 18. The show opened with three performances this past weekend.

Paying homage to Beckett's hapless wayfarers in "Waiting for Godot," Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" is an Elizabethan spoof, full of quick wit and an everlasting love of the theatre. Much like his screenplay for the Academy Award-winning "Shakespeare in Love," Stoppard takes us behind the scenes of one of Shakespeare's most well-known plays, letting the king, the prince and the queen orbit as satellites around the luckless heroes. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" put Stoppard on the map as a playwright with four Tony Awards, including Best Play for 1968.

Joan Herrington, chair of the Department of Theatre, directs the ensemble including WMU seniors Justin Goodemoot, Paul Culos, Sandy Zwier, Jillian Kurtz and Michael Todd, Jr. The creative team includes students Brenna C. Cronin, assistant director, Hope Glomski, stage Manager, Jason Stark, vocal assistant, Melanie A. Berg, assistant lighting designer and Palmer F. Jankens, sound designer, as well as WMU faculty member Micha Espinosa, vocal coach.

Tickets for University Theatre productions can be purchased by calling (269) 387-6222 or by visiting the Gilmore Theatre Complex Ticket Office weekdays between noon and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Senior citizens and WMU students, faculty and staff receive discounts on the regular ticket price of $17 each.

For more information on the University Theatre season, visit www.wmich.edu/theatre.

Media contact: Jason Nuzzo, (269) 387-3227, jason.a.nuzzo@wmich.edu

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