June 29, 2011
The Southern Ohio Light Opera is bringing Gilbert and Sullivan's "Princess Ida or Castle Adamant" to Shawnee State University's Vern Riffe Center for the Arts in July starring Faith Esham as Princess Ida.
"Princess Ida" is based on a narrative poem by Alfred Tennyson called "The Princess." It is the only Gilbert and Sullivan opera in three acts and the only one with dialogue in blank verse. The opera satirizes feminism, women's education and Darwinian evolution, which were controversial topics in conservative Victorian England when the play was written.
In this light-hearted satire, Prince Hilarion thought he was about to meet the beautiful princess to whom he was betrothed to as a baby, but Princess Ida decided not to honor the commitment. Instead, she started a university for women where she teaches her philosophy of women's superiority over men. Wanting to woo her, he and two of his friends decide to dress up as maidens at her school to sneak into the university's compound. There the fun begins!
SOLO presents "Princess Ida or Castle Adamant" Thursday, July 14, Friday, July 15 and Saturday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Vern Riffe Center.
Guest Director Dawn Harris; Guest Conductor J. David Harris; Artistic Director Stanley Workman; and Production Designer John Huston are directing and producing the play.
Tickets are $20 for students; $23 for seniors; $25 for adults; and $50 for SOLO patron. Purchase tickets at the McKinley Box Office at the Vern Riffe Center or by calling (740) 351-3600 or at www.ticketmaster.com or any Ticketmaster location. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.