THEATRE

 Adapted from the 18th-century masterpiece, “She Stoops to Conquer,” Divine Stage Works’ STOOPS! will bring to life Oliver Goldsmith’s original farcical plot, featuring an ensemble of colorful characters, mistaken identity, upper class frivolity, trickery, and bawdiness! This fresh take on the old play will enliven the story’s theme of identity through use of pop music, choreography, and open-space staging within an intimate and unconventional performance space.

Uppercrust bachelorette Kate Hardcastle poses as a maid to woo Marlow, who is ill at ease with upper class ladies. Marlow, tricked by the mischievous playboy Tony Lumpkin into mistaking the Hardcastle estate for an inn, behaves rather improperly to Kate’s impressionable father and his staff, but as night falls, and as Kate’s designs to entice Marlow take shape, the house is upturned with laughter and shenanigans.

STOOPS! explores the theme of identity: how other people see us and how we see ourselves; the side of our self that we show to others and the side that we hide; and who we become to fill the various roles that we play. Gender (male, female or something more?), social status, time and place, rich or poor, and young vs. old are all factors in this. Who are you behind your mask? Is it possible to be two people at once? STOOPS! plays with these ideas, casts a light upon them, questions them, and ultimately laughs at them.

CAST: Lauren Bunny Murphy (Kate), Christian Masters (Marlow), Jennifer Bean (Mr. Hardcastle), Rodney Raftery (Mrs. Hardcastle), Liz Laneri (Tony Lumpkin), Angel Veza (Constance), Matt Gelman (Hastings), Amber Candy Dixon (Stingo, the DJ), Audrey Stuck-Girard (Tony's Friend), Porcelain Dalya (Tony's Friend), Allison Tucker (Roger), Ben Medeiros (Diggory), Shari Caplan (Pimple), Liz Bean (Jeremy), Adam Sell (Sir Charles Marlow)

STAFF: Peyton Pugmire (Director/Sound Designer), Kristin MacDougall (Production Assistant), Elissa Jordan (Stage Manager), Laurie Fisher (Choreographer), Jason Hoagland (Publicity Manager), Arika Nabutovsky (Costume Designer), Patrick Gegen (Set/Lighting Designer), Catherine Moniz (Hair & Make-up Designer), Caroline Fox (Box Office Manager), Jason Dawson (Sound Designer & Engineer)

The performances will be held April 26 & 27, and May 2, 3, & 4, 2013. Curtain at 8 p.m.

Tickets for all shows are $17 and can be purchased at divinestageworks.com or 1-800-838-3006.

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