Parson’s Nose Theater Kicks Off 2015 with
The Barber of Seville by Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais
Saturday, January 17th to Sunday, January 18th
Parson’s Nose Theater (PNT), the acclaimed classical comedic theater company, continues its 15th Season with Beaumarchais’ The Barber of Seville, opening Saturday, January 17th. Adapted by Artistic Director, Lance Davis, this 60-minute performance is presented as a part of the theater’s “Pay What You Will” Readers’ Theater Series.
“Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais was a true Renaissance scoundrel of 18th Century Paris,” explains Artistic Director, Lance Davis. “A wizard clockmaker and spy for Louis XV and XVI, a gunrunner to America, an incurable philanderer and a comic playwright. The Barber of Seville was the first of his trilogy that inspired Mozart and Rossini for their comic operas. The plot stolen from Moliere and the Italians: a passionate young Count desires an innocent girl who’s jealously secluded by her lascivious old guardian for his own marital intentions.
“I’m afraid my wife married a Francophile. We celebrated our anniversary in September by staying at the Hotel Caron de Beaumarchais in his old neighborhood, the Marais of Paris. The rooms are tiny, but furnished in delightful 18th Century touches. And while sitting on the balcony, adapting his text, I could feel his gaze on my shoulder.
“Disguise, improvisation, and the first appearance of the fearless servant, Figaro, with a shot of Fragonard for good measure. Join us and get to know this French maestro.”
Parson’s Nose Theater’s 2014-15 Season continues with The Barber of Seville by Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais, January 17th at 7pm and January 18th at 3pm.
Parson’s Nose Theater performs at Lineage Performing Arts Center located at 89 South Fair Oaks, Pasadena, CA 91105
Parson’s Nose Theater presents The Barber of Seville as part of their Readers’ Theater Series. Readers’ Theater Series productions are rehearsed staged readings, omitting props and set pieces, to carry the audience through story by means of language and acting. All performances are “Pay What You Will” and reservations may be made online at www.parsonsnose.com or by calling 626-403-7667. Tickets may also be purchased at the door, but advanced phone reservations are encouraged. Ages 11+.
Calendar Listing: Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais’ The Barber of Seville
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE by Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais
Adapted by Lance Davis
Performances at Lineage Performing Arts Center, 89 S. Fair Oaks, Pasadena, CA 91105
Parson’s Nose Theater Office, 1325 Monterey Rd., South Pasadena, CA 91030
Dates:
Saturday, January 17 at 7:00pm
Sunday, January 18 at 3:00pm
Tickets and Information:
Website: www.parsonsnose.com
Phone: 626-403-7667
Prices: Pay What You Will
Tickets may be purchased online, over the phone, or at the door. Reservations Encouraged. Ages 11+.
About Parson’s Nose Theater
Parson’s Nose Theater is a non-profit, 501(c)3 theater company located in Pasadena, CA dedicated to introducing classical theater to modern audiences. Through condensed adaptations of the works of Shakespeare, Molière, Shaw, Goldoni, Goldsmith and more, lives of the old, young, and in-between are enriched with this introduction to the works of some of the greatest writers who’ve ever lived. Productions are presented in a fun, commedia dell-arte style that makes them both engaging and easy to understand. Parson’s Nose believes the classics are stories that have endured because they speak illuminating truths to each generation. The joys and problems of 17th Century parents and children form a bridge to the 21st.
Parson’s Nose Theater was founded in 2000 by Lance Davis and Mary Chalon Davis. After previous relationships with InterACT Theater and The Geffen Playhouse, Parson’s Nose took up residency at Lineage Performing Arts Center in Pasadena, CA. Parson’s Nose takes pride in paying actors above the Actors Equity requirements because they believe artists should be paid appropriately for their talents. To date, Parson’s Nose has introduced approximately sixty-five fun, condensed, professional presentations of thirty-two comedies to over 60,000 kids and adults. Parson’s Nose takes pride that no one is ever turned away from attending a production because they could not afford a ticket. Parson’s Nose is the only company in America devoted to this new way of experiencing the classics.
Parson’s Nose Founder and Artistic Director, Lance Davis, is a classically and comically trained actor who spent over twenty years working in New York. A guest teaching opportunity brought Lance to Los Angeles where he quickly realized that many students had little, if any, experience with live theater, and none with live classical theater. Many of his own friends admitted that they too never experienced Shakespeare or other classical theater out of fear they wouldn’t understand it. With the help of his wife, Mary Chalon Davis, and the generosity of Terry Perl, they founded Parson’s Nose Theater in 2000 to inspire the young and reward the old, by developing in them an appetite that would lead to further exploration of the unique art form, ‘Theater’.
