Central Wisconsin News

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Department of Theatre and Dance is set to present staged readings of "A Cry of Players," a play that explores the early life and relationships of William Shakespeare. The performances will take place from February 6 to February 9 across the university's campuses in Marshfield, Stevens Point, and Wausau.

The play, penned by American writer William Gibson, will be performed at UWSP at Wausau on Thursday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m.; at UW-Stevens Point on Friday, February 7 and Saturday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m., with additional matinee shows on Saturday afternoon in Stevens Point and Sunday afternoon in Wausau.

Tickets for the event 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. Tickets will also be available one hour before each performance at the respective venues.

William Shakespeare's life remains largely undocumented, which has led many historians and writers to speculate about his early years. Greg Pragel, who directs this production and serves as a faculty member in the Department of Theatre and Dance, commented on this aspect: “Since very little is known about Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway’s early life together, their relationship has been the subject of much discussion and speculation by many historians and writers through the years.”

Staged readings differ from traditional theater productions as they do not involve sets; actors read both their lines and stage directions aloud. According to Pragel: “Except for the players portraying Shakespeare and Anne, each of the other players will perform multiple roles and they will not know what characters they will be reading until they arrive.” He emphasized that embracing this theatrical approach was crucial to conveying the spirit of "play" during performances.