Spring lineup at Robsham Theater

“Accidental Death of An Anarchist,” which runs February 20-23 in the RTAC’s Bonn Studio Theatre, is based on the true story of Giuseppe Pinelli, a suspected Italian anarchist who died under suspicious circumstances while in police custody. Written by playwright Dario Fo and based on the December 1969 Piazza Fontana bombing in Milan, Italy, the play uses farce and physical comedy to examine our relationship with justice, government, and oppressive systems. Fo’s play premiered in 1970 and has been performed in more than 40 countries.  

“Each year the faculty selects one student from applicants, who have taken our directing courses, to direct a show as part of our season,” said Theatre Department Chair and Professor of the Practice Luke Jorgensen. “This year’s workshop show is directed by senior star Tyler Dean, who has been extremely active in our theater community. This play is a hilarious physical comedy that satirizes police corruption and a mysterious individual known only as ‘the Maniac.’”  

From March 20-23, Bonn Studio will be the venue for an interpretation of “Macbeth” directed by Monan Professor in Theatre Arts Dawn Meredith Simmons, who Jorgensen describes as “a prodigious director and theater maker in Boston whose ‘Ain’t No Mo’ is receiving rave reviews at the city’s SpeakEasy Stage.”

Titled “Inverness Unravels,” with a script by BC students in the Theatre Department’s Devising class, the production takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s famed tale of a prophecy made by three witches to General Macbeth that he will be king. Rather than waiting for the prophecy to unfold, Macbeth takes matters into his own hands to kill the king and take his place—a decision that leads to paranoia, division, and the breakout of war.  

A colorful production of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” will be presented on the RTAC main stage from April 24-27. Directed by Theatre Department Associate Professor Courtney Mohler, this “far-out take” on the classic comedy is set in late 1960s San Francisco, according to the Theatre Department, “where the Forest of Arden is refuge to counter-cultural peaceniks who imagine a less corrupt, less patriarchal, more peaceful world.” Rosalind, banished by her uncle to the forest after Orlando falls in love with her, disguises herself as a boy. Orlando, hiding from his murderous brother, finds her in Arden but is fooled by her disguise. Meanwhile, unrequited love afflicts others in the forest.

“Bob Dylan is in the air right now, and fittingly ‘As You Like It’ is set in the Haight-Ashbury 1960s vibe,” said Jorgensen. A live band made up largely of BC faculty, he noted, will play as characters sing songs by Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, The Doors, The Byrds, and others from that period “while waxing poetic the words of Shakespeare. The costumes, scenic designs, and music will transport the audience.”

For more on all Theatre Department/Robsham Theater Arts Center productions, including performance times and ticket prices or other information, go to bc.edu/theatre. For tickets, see bc.edu/tickets or call ext. 2-4002.