Rogue Shakespeare, the 2013–2014 MFA company of Mary Baldwin University’s Shakespeare and Performance program, in association with the American Shakespeare Center, is proud to announce the fourth in their five-play season of treason, Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.
The company of actors will collaboratively mount the play with no director or designers and only two weeks of rehearsal in an attempt to recreate Shakespeare’s staging conditions. Inspired by the American Shakespeare Center’s Actors’ Renaissance season, this production creates a fresh experience that truly unfolds in front of the audience as the actors explore current theories of early modern improvisation practices.
After selling her soul to the Devil, Faustus spends 24 years with Mephistophilis acting as her servant until the time comes to pay up. In a rare and daring twist, Rogue Shakespeare re-genders the roles of Faustus and her protégé, Wagner, to women in order to explore the desire for power and wealth from a woman’s point of view. The play also features examples of early modern special effects.
Dr. Faustus will be performed at 8 p.m. on January 27 and January 28 at the Blackfriars Playhouse. Admission is by donation with a suggested amount of $10 for adults and $5 for students.
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