Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts surprises modern audiences with some of the issues that it discusses, including out-of-wedlock children, venereal disease, incest, infidelity, and euthanasia. It is the story of a woman, Mrs. Alving, who is preparing for the opening of an orphanage in memory of her husband, Captain Alving, on the tenth anniversary of his death.
Julius Caesar is Shakespeare’s fascinating tale of political intrigue, betrayal, and vengeance — set against the rich tapestry of ancient Rome.
Othello is William Shakespeare’s tragedy of the Moor who “loved not wisely but too well.” In Venice, Othello elopes with Desdemona, the daughter of a Venetian senator. Iago, who hates Othello and who feels he has been passed over for a promotion, plots to bring down Othello. Through Iago’s lies and manipulation, Othello believes that Desdemona has been unfaithful and kills her. When the truth comes out, Othello stands on his honor and kills himself.
George Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara has been called the most controversial of Shaw’s works. The play was first produced at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 1905, and early reviews were decidedly mixed. Shaw’s seeming criticism of Christianity caused some to accuse him of blasphemy, while others defended what they saw as Shaw’s realistic presentation of religion.
Antigone tells Ismene of her plans to bury their brother Polynices in defiance of Creon’s orders. When Ismene refuses to join her sister, pleading their weakness as women and subjects of Creon, Antigone leaves her angrily, determined to bury her brother, even if it means her own death.
In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a long feud between the Montague and Capulet families disrupts the city of Verona and causes tragic results for Romeo and Juliet. Revenge, love, and a secret marriage force the young star-crossed lovers to grow up quickly — and fate causes them to commit suicide in despair.
Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler introduces a woman who is bored with her new author husband and to life itself. Hedda reunites with a friend who overcame alcoholism to write his own book.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet follows the young prince Hamlet home to Denmark to attend his father’s funeral. Hamlet is shocked to find his mother already remarried to his Uncle Claudius, the dead king’s brother. And Hamlet is even more surprised when his father’s ghost appears and declares that he was murdered. Exact dates are unknown, but scholars agree that Shakespeare published Hamlet between 1601 and 1603.
a psychological drama in one-act (2008)
Aliena, a drug addict desperately attempting to pull herself from the pit of substance abuse, has returned home to care for her ailing mother and reconnect with her past, looking for validation that she can be a good person as she once was. But with her mother suffering from dementia, Aliena struggles to rediscover the good person inside that she thought she was.
