September 24, 2004

Stage set for Shakespearean shake-up

Dashing swordplay, mistaken identities, gender confusion and witty interweaving of Shakespearean and contemporary language make the theatre department’s opening play of the season, Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), a can’t-miss show. Adding to the appeal will be the chance to see the play for free during special preview performance at 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 14 in the Playwrights’ Theatre. Regular performances start at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 15 and continue with 2 p.m. matinees on Oct. 16, 17 and 24, and 8 p.m. shows Oct. 16 and 21 to 23.

Cast of Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)

The comedy by Canadian playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald is an innovative farce that turns Othello and Romeo and Juliet inside out. Desdemona, the tragic heroine of Othello, and Juliet from Romeo and Juliet come face to face with Constance Ledbelly, a modern-day, nerdy academic who has somehow fallen into the melded world of two of Shakespeare’s best. Together they embark on a transformative journey filled with nonstop physical comedy and sharp wit.

“I found great delight in the unexpected spins MacDonald puts on some of Shakespeare’s sweet and demure ingénues,” says director Gina Kaufmann, a Sacramento State professor. “This farce presents Desdemona as a feisty warrior and Juliet as a seducer while the central character, Constance, faces her own dilemma of unrequited love.” Set designs by Sacramento State student Melissa Jernigan continue the fun, transforming objects from Constance’s everyday office world into objects appropriate for Shakespearean times.

Tickets are $15 general, $8 for students and seniors, and available from the CSUS Ticket Office at (916) 278-4323 or Tickets.com.

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