Music snobs are quick to decry greatest hits collections as being far inferior to an artist’s or band’s individual albums, but as the Montford Park Players know, there’s a certain appeal to encountering the best of someone’s works in one sitting. Celebrating that mindset, the local acting collective opens its outdoor season Friday, May 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Hazel Robinson Amphitheater. The production, The Asheville Shakespearience, is a collection of some of William Shakespeare’s most notable scenes. Directed by Christine Eide, Caleb Owolabi and Adrian Suskauer and starring many Asheville favorites and MPP regulars, performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays until May 28. The shows are free and open to the public.
Back by popular demand after a five-year absence, The Asheville Shakespearience not only provides audiences with an assortment of The Bard’s standout creations, but gives the actors a chance to stretch their onstage muscles in ways a single full-length play can’t. By experimenting with Shakespeare’s text and scenes through means often ill-fitted to the production of just one of his works, the Montford Park Players actors grow as performers and give themselves a creative head start on the season to come.
Upcoming shows include Much Ado About Nothing (June 3-July 2), Titus Andronicus (July 8-30), Measure for Measure (Aug. 5-27) and Pride and Prejudice (Sept. 2-24). Advanced seating reservations may be made at montfordparkplayers.org. — E.A.
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