Scapin, a comedy by Jean Baptiste Moliére adapted by Bill Irwin and Mark O’Donnel, will come to the Whittier College stage on April 13-16 at 8 p.m. and April 17 at 2 p.m. in the Ruth B. Shannon Center for Performing Arts, Studio Theatre, 6760 Painter Ave., Whittier, CA 90608. General admission, $15; faculty/staff, $5; and students/seniors. $9; For additional information, directions, or to purchase tickets, please call (562) 907-4203, or visit online, www.shannoncenter.org.
This adaptation of Molière's 325-year-old farce Les Fourberies de Scapinfollows—with some interesting alterations—the play's original structure. It keeps the play in period setting while adding a late twentieth century spin to the language and action, and borrowing some final lines from Molière'sLa Contesse D'escarbagnas.
The story itself is a crafty and whimsical tale about the deceitful Scapin, a pompous and intelligent trickster who uses his talents to manipulate various situations. However, he is not all bad. Scapin ultimately creates crazy scenarios using his witty ways to help a pair of young lovers achieve happiness.
This production features an all student cast and is directed by Gil Gonzalez, assistant professor of theatre and communication arts. Each year the theatre department produces up to four faculty directed productions in the Ruth B. Shannon Center for the Performing Arts. These productions afford students the opportunity to engage in theatre as a collaborative process.
