Hamlet at ECU--Thursday, November 4 at noon!

You are invited to a free, one-hour presentation of:

     The Time is Out of Joint: A Study of Hamlet

       on Thursday, November 4, 2010,  at 12:00 noon

       in the Ataloa Theater of the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center,

       presented by the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival.

ECU’s Department of English and Languages and the Center of Continuing Education and Community Services host the 15th Annual Oklahoma Literary Arts Festival next Thursday, which offers workshops for high school students and teachers from 8:30-11:30 a.m.  Then, the general session is from 12:00-1:00 p.m., and features the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival’s touring version of Hamlet. The front section of the Ataloa Theater is reserved for the registered high school participants, but we are delighted to open up the rest of that beautiful auditorium to any ECU students, faculty, staff, or community members who would like to enjoy an hour of award-winning Shakespearean Theatre:

Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival presents the award-winning production of The Time Is Out of Joint: A Study of Hamlet.  This 50-minute version of Shakespeare’s classic provides all the pageantry, drama, and action of the original but in an abbreviated format.  Six highly talented actors play multiple parts in this touring production.  This show, under the nationally award-winning direction of Dell McLain, provides a fresh but respectful interpretation of one of the greatest dramas of all time.  McLain is a member of Actor’s Equity Association, the National Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, is a recipient of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Bronze Medallion and National Directing Fellowship, and is the Associate Artistic Director for the Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival.

The Time Is Out of Joint:  A Study of Hamlet was originally created by the late OSF Artistic Director Dr. Molly Risso.  McLain divided the role of Hamlet itself among three actors who collectively represent the besieged young prince of Denmark.  “I went back to the work of legendary theatre innovator of the 60’s and 70’s Paul Baker,” McLain added.  “Baker was Molly’s mentor and had begun experimenting with this division of the part prior to founding the Dallas Theatre Center.”  McLain recently directed the production at the Blackbird Theatre in New York City.

  Admission is free.  If you have any questions, please call Ms. Charlee Lanis at 580-559-5457 (clanis@ecok.edu) or Dr. Teresa Rothrock at 580-559-5439 (trothrock@ecok.edu).