HIGH POINT, N.C., Feb. 10, 2016 – Two queens meet at the pivotal point of life or death as High Point University presents “Mary Stuart,” Feb. 29 through March 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Empty Space Theatre. A limited number of complimentary tickets are available by contacting the HPU Box Office at 336-841-4673.
The HPU Department of Theatre and Dance will bring an imagined meeting between Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I to life through this production. Although historically the queens did not meet before Mary was executed under Elizabeth’s authority for plotting to usurp the crown of England, Peter Oswald’s gripping adaptation of the Friedrich Schiller classic drama reaches its climax when Mary gets a final chance to convince her cousin to spare her life.
Directed by assistant professor Doug Brown, the production stars sophomore Ceili Lang as Mary Stuart and senior Mackie Quirk as Queen Elizabeth.
“In the small Empty Space Theatre, the audience will be in the heart of the action and intimately experience the emotional world of this play,” says Brown. “’Mary Stuart’ is a classical play with a modern edge. It provides our student actors with roles that are emotionally complex and gives them the experience of working with language that is rich and intense. As actors, they must find the emotional honesty of their characters and present it with clarity and emphasis using the colorful, classical language of the playwright.”
The cast includes senior Fletcher Armstrong as Burleigh, sophomore Graham Baker as Leicester, freshman Paul Way as Talbott, sophomore Jared Lindsay as Mortimer, junior Alex Rubato as Paulet, junior Heather Rossi as Hannah, freshman Olivia Scrivener as Melvil, freshman Steffen Haugsted as Davison, sophomore Rory Knox as Drury, freshman Sean Wrinkle as Earl of Kent, senior Charlie Burton as Aubespine, senior Cara Kramer as Bellievre, and freshmen Molly Maguire and Alex Fundora in the ensemble.
The stage manager is sophomore Victoria Dixon. Set and light design are by Matthew Emerson; costume design is by Gay Hensley; sound design is by Russ Hill; and the dramaturg is Nathan Hedman – all HPU faculty and staff.