Carnegie Mellon School of Drama to Perform "The Duchess of Malfi" December 2-4 and 7-11, 2004
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Carnegie Mellon School of Drama to Perform "The Duchess of Malfi" December 2-4 and 7-11, 2004


The Duchess of Malfi stars Jenny Gammel as The Duchess of Malfi; Will Reynolds as Ferdinand; Aimee Deshayes as Julia; and Andrew Gehling as The Cardinal.

The second production in the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama 2004-2005 season will be "The Duchess of Malfi," by 17th-century English playwright John Webster. Guest director Di Trevis will direct this production. "The Duchess of Malfi" will run in the Philip Chosky Theater in Carnegie Mellon's Purnell Center for the Arts from December 2-4 and 7-11, 2004.

This production of "The Duchess of Malfi" is set in fascist Italy in the 1930s. It has no equal for its vivid and horrifying portrayal of the corruption of the criminal heart, the recklessness of the mighty and the depths of depravity to which the human mind will sink in the pursuit of pleasure. The play follows the mysterious and tragic story of the ill-fated Duchess, who defies a powerful and murderous family to find an island of solace and sanity with the man she loves. The Carnegie Mellon School of Drama production promises to recreate the dark power and poetry of a play that continues to fascinate modern audiences worldwide.

"The Duchess of Malfi' is an infrequently performed Jacobean tragedy of consummate power. The School of Drama is privileged to welcome special guest director Di Trevis, who will adapt this classic text to create a seamless and unique theatrical journey," said Elizabeth Bradley, head of the School of Drama.

Trevis has enjoyed success as both an actress and a director and was the first woman to attain the position of associate director of the Royal National Theater. She first won international acclaim for her adaptation (with Harold Pinter) and direction of Marcel Proust's "Remembrance of Things Past" at London's Royal National Theatre. Trevis is currently the head of the directing program at the distinguished Drama Centre conservatory program in London, one on England's premier professional training programs.

Carnegie Mellon University's School of Drama, established in 1914, is the oldest and one of the most distinguished degree-granting theatre programs in the United States. The School of Drama is one of five schools within Carnegie Mellon's College of Fine Arts, which also encompasses the schools of Architecture, Art, Design and Music. The College of Fine Arts also sponsors arts-affiliated programs and research centers.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. on Fridays, and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturdays. To purchase tickets for "The Duchess of Malfi" or any other School of Drama production, call the box office at 412-268-2407. For more information about the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, visit www.cmu.edu/cfa/drama. For more information about the College of Fine Arts, visit www.cmu.edu/cfa or contact Eric Sloss at 412-268-5765 or ecs@andrew.cmu.edu.

Eric Sloss


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