"Pericles" is not one of William Shakespeare's best-known plays. But it is one of his liveliest. The story of the prince of Tyre is full of ocean storms, shipwrecks, pirates, priestesses and prostitutes.
Duke's Theater Studies Department is staging the play in Sheafer Theater from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2. The Nov. 28-Dec. 1 shows are at 8 p.m.; the Dec. 2 show is at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission; tickets for students and senior citizens are $5.
"'Pericles' is a very rich piece," says John Clum, chair of the theater studies department. "On the surface, it seems like a fairy tale with not much at stake, but really it is a life-and-death struggle. If you dig beneath the surface and mine it for meaning, it is a play about meeting misfortune with grace and nobility and discovering that patience will be rewarded."
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Clum is co-directing the play with Duke senior Shaun Dozier in a production that draws upon the talents of many Duke faculty members, graduate students and undergraduates.
"It has been a great opportunity to work with professor Clum and with this ensemble," Dozier says. "I want to be a film director and I have learned a lot working with this cast. It has been an excellent experience."
The play tells the complicated story of Pericles, the young prince of Tyre in Phoenicia. It follows the protagonist on adventures in several Mediterranean countries over many years and has dozens of characters. In this production, the students will work as an ensemble and play multiple roles. Jeff A.R. Jones, a visiting lecturer, is teaching stage combat and shaping the movement for the production. Audiences can expect some raucous scenes with pirate raids, jousting tournaments, assorted betrayals and acts of treachery.
As part of the production, the student actors took a course taught by Clum and Sarah Beckwith, a professor of English and theater studies. Beckwith also worked on the production.
George Lam, a Ph.D. candidate in music composition at Duke, composed the score for the play, which participants jokingly call "Pericles -- the Musical."
"'Pericles' lends itself to music," Clum says. "There are references to music on practically every page of the script. All the actors will sing and play instruments."
The play will be performed in the round, which is how it would have been done in Shakespeare's day. Scenic designer Amir Ofek also wants the students to be challenged.
"There is nowhere to hide in the round," says Ofek, a visiting lecturer in theater studies. "But it will give the actors a chance to shine."