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BSC winter theater production runs through Sunday

Published: Dec 08 2016
BSC winter theater production runs through Sunday - Photo
Bismarck State College presents its winter play, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,” Dec. 8-11 under the guest direction of Timothy Rosin, a BSC alumnus.
 
Shows are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Sidney J. Lee Auditorium.
 
The show’s title is taken directly from the final scene of William Shakespeare's “Hamlet.” When it premiered in 1966, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern” was a critical and commercial smash, and vaulted playwright Tom Stoppard to international acclaim, and won the author numerous international awards, including a Tony Award for Best Play in 1968. Considered a masterpiece of absurdism and a high water mark in the development of modern theatre, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” has enjoyed lengthy runs in the West End, on Broadway, and across the world in the 50 years since its debut.
 
The play, structured as the inverse of “Hamlet,” concerns the misadventures and musings of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two minor characters from “Hamlet” who are childhood friends of the prince. The title characters are the leads, not supporting players, and Hamlet himself has only a small part. Despite asking some weighty questions, the show is still a comedy. Stoppard flippantly quipped that his show was about two friends who get invited to a castle, go on a boat ride and then die.
 
“This play has been a labor of love; the actors have all been some of the hardest working and most talented actors I’ve had the pleasure of working with,” says Rosin.
 
The 17-member cast consists of mostly current BSC students, along with BSC alum Brandon Wetsch of Bismarck and community members Zachary Watson, Jak Newall and Ty Betts.
 
Margaret Brink (Bismarck) plays Rosencrantz and Adam Michal (Mandan) portrays Guildenstern.
 
Supporting roles are played by Carly Willoughby and Meghan McNeil (Bismarck), Timothy Bjugstad, Jasmyn Williams, Tanner Hostetter and Robert Day (Mandan), Hannah Hertz (Carson), Krissy Claymore (Kenel, S.D.), Alicia Billock (Mott), Tinashe Mukoyi (Dickinson) and Alexis Larson (Carrington).
 
This winter’s production is produced by BSC Professor of Theatre Dr. Danny Devlin and is designed by technical director Dean Bellin. Student Frank Vondra (Park River) provided music composition and sound design and student stage managers are Elley Cannard (Mandan) and Shayna Crimmins (McClusky).
 
Reserved seat tickets can be purchased in advance online at bsctheatre.com, by calling the box office at 224-5677 or visiting the BSC Campus Information Center in the Student Union on campus. Tickets also can be purchased on performance days at the box office in Schafer Hall.