Yale Bulletin and Calendar

April 26-May 3, 1999

Volume 27, Number 30

Drama School to present 'Life is a Dream'

A prince's search leads him to explore the blurred line between dreams and reality in "Life is a Dream," the School of Drama's next stage production.

The work will be presented Monday-Saturday, April 26-May 1, at the University Theatre, 222 York St.

K. Elizabeth Stevens is directing the classic play from the Golden Age of Spanish drama as her thesis project. The work was written by Calderón de la Barca and translated by Edwin Honig.

The play, says Stevens, "grapples with the pivotal issues of mortality and morality. Using the metaphor of dreaming for life, we watch how a half-human beast becomes a man. The fleeting nature of a dream exemplifies what it is like to live in the face of death, and to strive to do good in the face of our appetites."

The play offers a "metaphysical journey from dreaming to waking, from darkness to light," adds Stevens, who also notes the "humor and style" of Calderón's verse.

Alternating between the splendor of the Polish court and the isolation of a barren prison tower, "Life is a Dream" focuses on the struggle of Prince Segismundo. The prince has been imprisoned in a tower and is unaware of his royal birthright because his father, King Basilio, is fearful of a prophecy that his heir will kill him in battle. With the exception of a tutor, Segismundo lives without human contact as half-human beast, learning from the nature around him.

But King Basilio soon is faced with challenges to the throne from various heirs, a situation which forces the king to restore Segismundo to his rightful position. Segismundo defies the expectations his new role demands, however, and Basilio again banishes the young prince -- leaving Segismundo's brief moment of grandeur to seem like just a dream. Segismundo's internal struggle to find true nobility is finally resolved when the citizens of Poland rise up in civil war and declare Segismundo their only ruler.

Brennan Brown plays Segismundo, while Nicholas Pepper plays the king. The tutor, Clotaldo, is portrayed by Keith Davis. Also in featured roles are Kate Nowlin, Claudia J. Arenas, Austin Jones and Geraldine Kok. James Bellavance, Pun Boonyarata-Pun, Zachary Jacobson, Megan O'Sullivan and Erin Roberts have featured ensemble parts.

The splendor of the court and starkness of the tower are dramatized by Heesoo Kim's red-and-black set and Matthew Richards' lighting. Costumes were designed by Jacqueline Firkins, and Brian MacQueen serves as sound designer.

Performances begin at 8 p.m. with the exception of opening night (April 26), when the performance will begin at 7 p.m. Ticket prices range from $12 to $15, with discounts for students, senior citizens and groups of 10 or more. For more information or to make reservations, call 432-1234, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays; and 10 a.m. until show times on performance days.

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Alumna Jackson Lee recalls days when 'We had to change the world'
Staff member leads campaign to 'smart-wire' children in first years of life
Poets Ashbery and Hollander to read from their works
Drama School to present 'Life is a Dream'
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Campus Notes