Center Stage presents As You Like It by William Shakespeare January 15 – February 14 in the Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre.
Center Stage has taken up residence on the campus of Towson University…at least temporarily. The State Theater of Maryland has moved into TU’s Center for the Arts for the spring semester while their historic building at 700 N. Calvert Street undergoes major renovations. The theatre company will perform two productions while at TU: As You Like It and Detroit ’67 in the Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre.
The first preview performance for As You Like It will be this Friday, Jan. 15 at 8 p.m.
As part of the Center Stage residence at Towson University, students, faculty and staff can purchase $20 tickets for the productions.
Besides sharing Towson’s stage, the Center Stage/Towson University collaboration provides numerous opportunities for Towson theatre arts students to participate in rehearsals, performances, workshops, class visits, technical production and more. There are six Towson students in the As You Like It production: Rose Hahn, Sydney Faith Pope, Allie Press, Yakima Rich, Kathleen Whitby and Mani Yangilmau. Additionally, Towson University Department of Theatre Arts alumnus Jenna Rossman appears as Phebe in the production.
As You Like It (Jan 15–Feb 14) by William Shakespeare; Directed by Wendy C. Goldberg
Shakespeare’s crowd-pleasing comedy takes Center Stage by way of a new production that turns the Elizabethan tradition of all-male casts on its head. Performed by an all-female company of actors, As You Like It tells the story of lovers Rosalind and Orlando who, when forced to flee into the Forest of Arden, become ensnared in a game of romance and mistaken identity. Frenzied and beguiling, in As You Like It all the world’s a stage as understandings of love, gender roles, nature, and politics are up for grabs. Join us as we journey deep into the fertile Forest of Arden and explore this beloved comedy in a whole new light.
Detroit ’67 (Apr 8–May 8) by Dominique Morisseau; Directed by Kamilah Forbes
After the death of their parents, siblings Chelle and Lank (named for poet Langston Hughes) make ends meet by hosting late-night parties in the basement of their childhood home. In 1967 Detroit the latest sounds of Motown echo from the record player, but the risk of their unofficial nightclub is high, given the intensifying police presence in the all black neighborhood. The danger increases when Lank rescues a battered white woman, and relationships between black and white, brother and sister, friend and stranger begin to shift. The music and politics of the Motown era sizzle in the background of this sharp-eyed drama that explores our shared humanity, across family and across race.
Discounted tickets are available through the Center Stage box office 410-332-0033 or visit centerstage.org and use promocode 16TOWSONU. Students, faculty and staff must present Towson ID at pickup. Two tickets per ID. Not valid on previous purchases or Opening Night. Cannot be combined with other offers. Subject to availability.
