Another British invasion will hit American shores when five distinguished British actors will give a public performance of Shakespeare's As You Like It at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Schwab Auditorium.
As You Like It is a play about Duke Frederick who usurps his older brother and banishes him to the forest of Ardenne. Frederick goes on to banish his older brother's daughter, Rosalind. Frederick's daughter, Celia (Rosalind's cousin) flees her evil father with Rosalind, and they head (along with Touchstone, the clown) to the forest of Ardenne. Before leaving, Rosalind falls in love with Orlando and he with her after he beats Charles in a wrestling match.
Orlando had rebelled at being kept a virtual prisoner by his older brother, Oliver. Duke Frederick and Oliver had hoped Orlando would've been killed in the match, but Orlando managed to beat Charles. Orlando and Adam also flee to the forest of Ardenne. Duke Frederick, upon finding Celia, Rosalind and Orlando missing, orders Oliver to find them, or face banishment himself.
The five-member troupe called ACTER or "A Center for Theatre, Education and Research," has been in existence for the past 25 years, visiting various American universities where they give public performances of entire Shakespeare plays in addition to visiting different classrooms.
"Students in a variety of English, theatre and other classes can again look forward to the extraordinary experience of meeting, performing with and even directing scenes in class with stars like Julian Glover," said Judd Arnold, associate professor emeritus of English.
Arnold teamed up with the Center for the Performing Arts and the Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies to bring ACTER back to Penn State.
The troupe visited Penn State quite frequently during the 1980s. According to Bryan Rissel, a graduate student involved with the project, ACTER visited Penn State in 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987 and 1988, and performed plays like The Merchant of Venice, King Lear, Twelfth Night and Much Ado About Nothing.
Many distinguished and celebrated actors such as Patrick Stewart, Ben Kingsley and David Suchet were all affiliated with the program at some time during its existence, Rissel said.
"Our program gives the actor a unique platform which to explore with teachers and students what he or she does, and why it is done. That exciting exchange is what we in ACTER would like to bring to your campus," said Patrick Stewart, one of the organization's founding members.
ACTER works as a division of the Royal Shakespeare Company based in England and aims to give quality performances and educational experiences for those in North America.
Traditionally the actors from the troupe perform a Shakespearean play in its entirety, but do not have extensive props or sets that would detract from the students seeing how the actors create and portray their respective characters.
According to Amy Vashaw, educational director for the Center for the Performing Arts, the actors are expecting visits from approximately 40 different classes during the week of Oct. 2 through Oct. 7.
"Their ability to interact within the classroom setting is phenomenal. If you are a student in a class that will be having one of the performers visit, consider yourself lucky," Rissel said. She said the actors are highly trained and able to completely engulf the audience.
"Perhaps the most amazing element of these ACTERs is that they make learning interactive which creates a positive dynamic that can reach even the most apathetic students," she said.
Tickets are still available for a reduced price for Penn State students at $5 per ticket at the Eisenhower Auditorium box office or by calling (814) 863-0255. The general ticket price for non-Penn State students is $15.
