The Athenian Players invite you to join them for their Spring 2021 performance of Love’s Fire: Seven Plays Inspired by Seven Shakespeare Sonnets, featuring original works by Eric Bogosian, William Finn, John Guare, Tony Kushner, Marsha Norman, Ntozake Shange, and Wendy Wasserstein. Described as “a reimaging of Shakespeare’s poems through the creative minds of seven of the best playwrights in the late 20th Century,” according to Dr. Hugh Long, Associate Professor of Drama and English at Athens State University, Love’s Fire explores the timeless romantic and sexual love inspired by the sonnets. Originally commissioned by The Acting Company in 1998, this extraordinary project attempts to answer the questions of “How does Shakespeare’s sonnets examine our concept of Love?”, “Are the sonnets relevant in today’s world?”, and “Why after 400 years does Shakespeare still dominate our understanding of Theatre?” With individual and unique voices, these amazing playwrights engage these questions and pay homage to Shakespeare’s poems.
Directed by Dr. Hugh Long and Lauren Cantrell Salerno, Love’s Fire will run from April 15-17. The April 16 and 17 performances will also be live streamed to the Athens State University YouTube channel. Details and link to the Athens State University YouTube channel will be available at https://www.facebook.com/athenianplayers.
Love’s Fire’s talented cast includes Chelsea Baker, Mickenzie Bowman, Mannie Galen, Trey Gulley, William Jenkins, Anna Grace Letson, Rachel McPeters, Vicki Montgomery, Marcus Patten, Collin Riddell, Madi Rost, and Katie Springer.
Performances will take place in the Studio Theatre of the Performing Arts Center at the Alabama Center for the Arts, 133 2nd Avenue, Decatur. General Admission tickets are free, but audience members are required to wear masks, have their temperature checked, and adhere to socially distanced seating in the Studio Theatre.
This production is rated Theatre-MA for Mature Language and Adult Themes. Audience discretion is advised.