SC Wisconsin News

A dramatization of William Shakespeare's early life will be presented by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Department of Theatre and Dance. The staged readings of "A Cry of Players," written by American writer William Gibson, are scheduled for February 6-9 across three campuses: Marshfield, Stevens Point, and Wausau.

The performances will begin at UWSP at Wausau on Thursday, February 6, at 7:30 p.m. They will continue at UW-Stevens Point on Friday and Saturday evenings at the same time, with additional matinee shows on Saturday afternoon in Stevens Point and Sunday afternoon in Marshfield.

Tickets for these events are priced at $10 each. They can be purchased online through tickets.uwsp.edu, by phone at 715-346-4100, or directly from the Information and Tickets Office located in the Dreyfus University Center in Stevens Point. Additionally, tickets will be available one hour before each performance at the respective venues.

Greg Pragel, director of the play and a faculty member in the Department of Theatre and Dance, commented on the lack of detailed historical information about Shakespeare's life. "Since very little is known about Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway’s early life together," he said, "their relationship has been the subject of much discussion and speculation by many historians and writers through the years."

In this staged reading format, there is no set design; actors read both their lines and stage directions aloud. Pragel explained that aside from those playing Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, other actors will take on multiple roles without knowing which characters they will portray until they arrive for rehearsal. He emphasized embracing the theatrical nature of this uncertainty as a key element he wanted to convey.