Harold Pinter's Political Plays Staged by the Riverside Players, April 27, 28

Chestertown, MD, April 24, 2007 — Washington College's Riverside Players present "Three Plays by Harold Pinter: 'The New World Order,' 'Precisely,' and 'One for the Road,'" directed by Erika Salomon, Friday, April 27, at 8 p.m., and Saturday, April 28, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the College's Middle Hall Theatre.

Consisting of three separate plays by Harold Pinter, the British playwright and 2005 recipient of the Nobel Prize for literature, the evening commences with "The New World Order." Dark and intense, it centers on a blindfolded man held captive by two women who verbally torture him.

Next in the lineup is "Precisely," a conversation between two women working for the government who want to convince their country to engage in nuclear war. The show culminates with "One for the Road," a series of short interrogation scenes involving one interrogator and one family who vocally oppose their government.

"I fell in love with Harold Pinter's political pieces when I studied abroad at Hull University," Director Erika Salomon notes. "The picture Pinter paints is not a pretty one, but each play that I chose speaks a message that is imperative to today's society. These shows are not specific to any government, time period, or war. They can be any and every society and that was what was most important to me."

The three plays production stars senior Kyle Woerner; junior Rachel Holland; sophomores Hester Sachse and Aileen Brenner; and freshmen Jory Peele, Katie Skarwecki, and Jess Dugger. Admission is $2 for students, $3 for adults, and reservations are required. For reservations, e-mail drama_tickets@washcoll.edu or for more information, please contact Erika Salomon at esalomon2@washcoll.edu.

"The Fantasticks" at Washington College

Chestertown, MD — The Riverside Players will present three performances of "The Fantasticks," Jan. 27, 28 and 29 at 8 p.m. in the Norman James Theater on the campus of Washington College. This musical features accompaniment by Dick Durham, well-known Shore jazz pianist.

The story is simple. A boy and a girl are in love. They think their fathers are against the romance, but in truth the wily dads have set out to engineer the whole affair. The fathers hire El Gallo, a roving bandit, to abduct the girl and be defeated by the boy, thus securing the union. But all doesn't go as planned. El Gallo's assistant in the abduction, an old actor, turns out to be an invaluable character, reminding everyone of the importance of make-believe in a harsh world.

The show, "pure theatrical magic," began its off-Broadway run in 1960 and continues in the Sullivan Theatre in New York today. Eight actors who sing accompanied by piano, harp, bass and drum; some simple props and costumes; and a theaterful of imagination add up to an unforgettable experience for everyone.

Admission to "The Fantasticks" is $5.00. Washington College students pay $2.00. Group rates are also available. Call Lindsay Krieg, 410-778-8773, for more information.