News Release| Maritare; Cal State L.A.

January 22, 2010

Notes:  Full cast listing follows calendar listing and photo captions. (High- and low-resolution photos attached.) Director Theresa Larkin can be reached for interviews at the following – [email protected] [email protected],  office: 323-343-4103.

‘Maritare’ to put marriage & love through prism on intimate stage

In 50 roles, 16 students bring the bard, Shaw, sages to Cal State L.A. for three-night run starting Jan. 29

Los Angeles, CA –  As it takes to the stage, “Maritare” draws upon one of the first words on marriage, adds some ancient and modern ones, and does not even try to get the last word in on the subject.

The staging features 16 Cal State L.A. student-actors in 50 different roles. Performances will be in the Intimate Theatre of the University’s Luckman Fine Arts Complex Jan. 29-31 – Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

More than a dozen characters will project William Shakespeare’s take on marriage, including Romeo and Juliet, Kate and Petruchio (from “The Taming of the Shrew”), Benedick and Beatrice (from ”Much Ado About Nothing”), and Katherine of Aragon (“King Henry the Eighth”). Other perspectives will come from George Bernard Shaw, the Devil, St. Thomas, Margaret Mead, and Rumi.  (See spotlight article for full cast and roles: /univ/ppa/spotlight/archive/2010/Maritare.php.)

“Maritare” was conceived and compiled by Professor Theresa Larkin of Theatre Arts and Dance. Also its director, Larkin describes the ensemble piece performance as “an exploration, a meditation, a debate, a celebration – and a revelry of song, dance, sonnet, soliloquies, and scenes from some of the most brilliant passages on marriage and love from the dramatic canon of the ages.”

“The controversy of whether love should reign supreme above the states’ laws” currently stewing around the world gives the staging additional modern relevance, she says.

Also the production’s director, Larkin says that by taking aim at marriage from an array of angles, the script “examines what marriage has been through the ages and how it has evolved into a legal, fiduciary and sexual contract.”

It incorporates the Christian teachings of St. Paul, the Gnostics, and goddess culture; and the student cast also performs Shakespearean segments (including from “Merchant of Venice,” “Julius Caesar” and “Antony & Cleopatra”) and selections of Shaw (from “Candida,” “Don Juan in Hell” and “Getting Married”) in a variety of highly eclectic performance styles.

“The common theme in the performance approach is eloquent, truthful and articulate speech acts delivered in a heightened emotional performance style,” says Larkin. “The overall goal is an evening filled with passionate portrayals from the actors. Commitment, verve, and classical style all wrapped up into an engaging discussion of two very important aspects of society: Love and marriage.”

"Tickets are $16 general; $12 for seniors and students; and $8 for CSULA students. They are available at www.calstatela.edu/academic/al.  For details, call (323) 343-4110.

calendar listing

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“Maritare” Directed by Professor Theresa Larkin and featuring Cal State L.A. students, this original performance showcases classic works depicting marriage, love, passion, envy, and a dash of socialism, conceptualized for our contemporary society.
Friday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 30, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 31, at 2:30 p.m.
Intimate Theatre, Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Cal State L.A.
Tickets: $16 General, $12 Seniors & Students, $8 CSULA Students only.
Available at www.calstatela.edu/academic/al.  For details, call (323) 343-4110.

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Working for California since 1947: The 175-acre hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 205,000 alumni—with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds—reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Six colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and to a unique university center for gifted students as young as 12. Programs that provide exciting enrichment opportunities to students and community include an NEH- and Rockefeller-supported humanities center; a NASA-funded center for space research; and a growing forensic science program, housed in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. www.calstatela.edu