Bard in the Barn - October 13-14, 2007

This year's Bard in the Barn lineup will feature three plays by Shakespeare: a comedy, a history, and one of his best known tragedies.

Saturday, October 13 at 12:00 Noon: Richard II

Richard II tells the remarkable story of the royal family's struggle for control of England in the late 14th century. Richard of Bordeaux and Henry Bullingbroke, both grandsons of a great king, lay claim to the nation's throne. The rival cousins battle for the support of the aristocracy and the commoners, calling the divine right of kings into serious question. Assassination plots, family divisions and treachery pepper this historical drama.

Saturday, October 13 at 4:00 P.M.: Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night, a gender-bending comedy full of pranks and mistaken identity, tells the story of a shipwrecked young woman who dresses as a boy in order to make her way in a dangerous foreign land. Her double life becomes difficult to sustain when she begins working as a servant for a lovesick duke, delivering his love messages to a beautiful woman---who falls in love with the messenger.

Sunday, October 14 at 2:00 P.M.: Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is, of course, one of the best known plays in the world---but it promises to be full of surprises when performed Unrehearsed. Two teenagers from feuding families fall in love, and desperately try to stay true to their secret marriage while their world disintegrates around them. This masterpiece's web of poison, sleeping potions, daggers and swordfights, naughty comedy and tragic loss make it an extraordinary theatrical experience.

The plays will be performed at the Flack Barn, 1200 North and 1600 East in Macomb, IL

Regular tickets are $5 for one; $10 for all three shows
Student tickets are $2 for one; $4 for all three shows

Tickets are available at the Macomb Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (309-833-1315) and the College of Fine Arts and Communication, Browne Hall 117, Western Illinois University (309) 298-1618

Proceeds from ticket sales go to the Lori Dianne Haney Scholarship Fund.

The Barn at the Barn project is funded in part by the Performing Arts Society.