Synopses & Reviews
Sensual gaiety is at the heart of this comic masterpiece which continues the merry tale of the little barber of Seville, a clever common man whose wits overcome his superiors who would suppress him. In paring down the number of players, presenting the scenes more economically, and offering a translation that removes archaic phrasing, Mr. Sahlins delivers a script that can be comfortably staged by present-day theatres.
Synopsis
College instructors as well as respected artistic directors from San Diego to Washington's Arena Stage, from the A.R.T. and Manchester's Royal Exchange to Grand Rapids, continue to choose our versions for their production and classroom use. It's because Plays for Performance are specially designed for contemporary production and study, and presented with production values uppermost in mind. Dialogue is attuned to contemporary speech and aware of modern sensibilities, allowing for comfortable performance before American audiences. Books are printed in good-sized type with wide margins, lending themselves to easy production use. The series is edited by Nicholas Rudall, former artistic director of the Court Theatre at the University of Chicago, and professor of classics at the University; and Bernard Sahlins, founder and director of The Second City.