Pitt Rep showcases Shakespeare’s greatest hits

“Shakespeare’s Lovers & Fighters”

Henry Heymann Theatre in… “Shakespeare’s Lovers & Fighters”

Henry Heymann Theatre in the Stephen Foster

Memorial

Matinees are scheduled for 2 p.m. on Oct. 16 and 24

$8 for students

412-624-PLAY (7529)

www.play.pitt.edu

Often, the best way to gain exposure to an artist is through a “greatest hits” compilation. With its “Shakespeare’s Lovers & Fighters” series, Pitt’s Shakespeare-in-the-Schools Program — along with Pitt Repertory Theatre — hopes to expose students to Shakespeare’s work using just such an idea.

The production — which, according to Shakespeare-in-the-Schools’ director Tamara Goldbogen, includes an electric guitar sword fight — is a “greatest hits” production of all of Shakespeare’s most famous works, designed to introduce an unexposed audience to the Bard.

Adapted by Pitt graduate student Chip Crane and directed by Sam Turich, a teaching artist at Pitt, the 45-minute production features 10 of Shakespeare’s best-known romance and fight scenes, including excerpts from “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet,” “Macbeth,” “Julius Caesar” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Immediately following each production is a talkback session for students in introductory classes to teach the plays as they are performed.