February 11, 2009

The Rivals. Download image.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB Theatre presents "The Rivals," written by Richard Sheridan and directed by guest director Jason King Jones, at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25-28 and at 2 p.m. March 1, in the Alys Stephens Center's Sirote Theatre, 1200 10th Ave. S. General admission tickets are $12 and $15; tickets for UAB and BACHE students are $6; tickets for UAB employees/senior citizens are $10. Call 205-975-2787. Visit the UAB Theatre Web site at http://theatre.hum.uab.edu/.

First performed in 1775, "The Rivals" was Sheridan's first play and is among his most famous. Sheridan's delicious comedy of manners is a biting satire on sentimentalism and sophisticated pretensions. The fashionable 18th-century town of Bath crackles with wit as wealthy Captain Jack Absolute, intent on winning the favor of love-silly Lydia Languish, pretends to be a poor soldier of the type she obsesses over in popular novels. Her guardian, Mrs. Malaprop, desiring a financially beneficial marriage for Lydia, interferes with a delightful "derangement of epitaphs."

Jones is artistic associate at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey where he recently directed "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)" on their outdoor stage. As a guest artist, Jones has directed "Pride and Prejudice" (Fairleigh Dickinson), "Women of Troy" (Purdue), "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Nebraska Wesleyan).

The cast is Jon Prensner of Colorado Springs, Co., Lindsay Allen of Tuscaloosa, Emily Parks of Huntsville, Daniel Martin of Trinity, Trista Baker of Corner, Jordan Reeves of Hueytown, Tim Craig of Birmingham, Noah Holcomb of Sumiton, Donald Martin of Montgomery, Haley Zuckerman of Homewood, Taylor Campbell of Arab, Peter Krothapalli of Montgomery, Crystal Lee of Long Beach, Ca., Zack Steele of Dora and Hannah Hughes of Vestavia Hills.