Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE – The Grace College Languages, Literature and Communication Department will present the first week-long celebration of Shakespeare at Grace.
The campuswide series of events will celebrate the best of Shakespeare through speaking, music and performances, Oct. 18 to 21.
Actors From The London Stage (AFTLS), one of the oldest and most established touring Shakespeare companies in the world, will perform “Measure for Measure” in Grace College’s Little Theatre, Philathea Hall, 1499 Alpha Drive, Winona Lake. Performances will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 19, 20 and 21. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 general admission, and available through Eventbrite.
“We’re thrilled to host some of the world’s best, classically trained Shakespeare performers and share their talent with the community,” said Dr. Lauren Rich, chair of the Languages, Literature and Communication Department at Grace College.
Rich urges community members to purchase tickets soon. “We expect to sell out quickly,” she said. “You won’t want to miss this exceptional show. We’re bringing truly world-class theater to our own Little Theatre.”
AFTLS is housed in England with academic tours booked through the University of Notre Dame. AFTLS tours the country in the spring and fall, visiting almost 20 universities per year.
Grace College is one of eight schools AFTLS will visit on their fall 2017 tour.
In addition to performances, AFTLS will conduct a week-long residency program at Grace. “It’s our pleasure to host AFTLS in this capacity,” Rich said.
“While at Grace, the team will provide workshops and other learning experiences to classes all over campus and at some local high schools,” Rich said.
Sponsors for Shakespeare at Grace include the following: The Grace College Languages, Literature & Communication Department; Grace's Office of Faith, Learning & Scholarship; and the Elener R. (Norris) Grossman Excellence in Languages, Literature & Communication Fund. The Elener R. (Norris) Grossman Fund honors Grace alumna Elener “Ellie” Grossman (BA ’53, S ‘63). Ellie was a lifelong learner and consummate educator who taught English and journalism at the college and high school level for nearly a quarter of a century, including several years as an assistant professor at Grace College. Begun by her husband Gilbert and continued by her son Luke and daughter-in-law Dawn, this fund invests in the students and faculty of Grace College by sponsoring unique cultural and educational experiences.
The campus is offering a parental advisory for some of the material that will be featured. Like many Shakespearean plays, the plot of “Measure to Measure,” though compelling and interwoven with important topics like sin, grace and justice, is less likely to suit a young audience.
Rich suggests young children do not attend, due to the play’s mature content and themes.
For more information, email Dr. Lauren Rich at richlg@grace.edu or call 574-372-5100, ext. 6151.
