Theater Presents 'The Threepenny Opera'

Ithaca College Theatre will present Bertolt Brecht's The Threepenny Opera. Performances will be held at 8:00 p.m. on November 5, 7, 8, and 9. There will be 2:00 p.m. matinees on November 9 and 10. All presentations will take place in the Hoerner Theatre.

Tickets can be purchased at the Ithaca College ticket office in Dillingham Center, the Clinton House ticket center, and Cornell University's Willard Straight Hall. Prices range from $4.50 to $10.00. The Ithaca College ticket office is open Monday through Friday, noon to 5:00 p.m., beginning October 28. For information call 274-3224. Discounts are available for groups of 15 or more by calling 274-3796.

Brecht based his script for The Threepenny Opera on The Beggar's Opera by John Gay. Kurt Weill wrote the score, which includes the "Ballad of Mack the Knife," the edgy song that introduces the ruthless criminal who is the play's central figure. The Ithaca College production of The Threepenny Opera uses the gritty Michael Feingold translation, which gives the original German text a contemporary resonance.

The director of the play is associate professor of theater arts Susannah Berryman. A member of Actors' Equity, Berryman considers her artistic home to be the Kitchen Theatre Company, where she performs regularly and recently directed Bed and Sofa. Her other acting venues include the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia; the American Stage Company, located in Teaneck, New Jersey; and the Tampa Playmakers. Berryman has also directed at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, Central Casting, and the Cider Mill Playhouse.

Other members of the artistic team are musical director Beth Burrier-Bradstreet '03 and choreographer and associate professor of theater arts Mary Corsaro.

Cast members for The Threepenny Opera include Justin Packard '04 as Macheath, Kaitlin Stilwell '05 as Polly, Bruce Warren '03 as Mr. Peachum, Maria Portaro '03 as Mrs. Peachum, Nick Farco '03 as Tiger Brown, Kimberly Burns '03 as Lucy, and Sara DeLaney '05 as Jenny.

The design and technical team includes scenic designer Michael Hemmenway '03, costume designer Jessica Frish '03, lighting designer Steve TenEyck, sound designer Josh Liebert '03, technical director Derek Brashears '03, props master Hayley Sims '04, and stage manager Morgan Dentch '03.