Baylor Theatre Presents ‘Mary Stuart: Historical Revival of Power and Passion’

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WACO, Texas (Feb. 5, 2016) – Baylor University Theatre will begin the spring 2016 season with a rendition of Friedrich Schiller’s “Mary Stuart,” the story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her sudden incarceration and pending execution at the hands of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
David Jortner, Ph.D., play director, offered the idea to set the production at a modern-day political convention, a means of discussing the play’s political elements.
“Being in a modern political world, live video, projection, commercials and Twitter had to be part of the process,” he said.
The modern take on the 1800 German-language drama will include large video screens that offer close-up views of the performers and scrolling tweets from fake Twitter accounts created to enhance the production’s contemporary feel.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, through Saturday, Feb. 13; and 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13, and Sunday, Feb. 14 in the Mabee Theatre of Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center.
"'Mary Stuart' is an extraordinary play that explores the nature of who and what we want in our leaders," said David Jortner, Ph.D., play director. "Schiller’s dramatic clash between Mary and Elizabeth beautifully illustrates the dynamics of faith and power, the true cost of leadership and the battle between idealism and pragmatism."
Devin Perry, a senior theatre performance major from Alhambra, California, plays Mary Stuart.
"I feel extremely lucky to get to work on this project," Perry said. "I was enraptured by the play and the plight Mary endured from the moment I read it. I wanted desperately to fight for her story and consider myself incredibly lucky to do so."
Perry has been cast in many Baylor productions, including "Goldfish," "Legally Blonde," "Arabian Nights," "Into the Woods," "Appropriate" and "Love’s Labour’s Lost."
"I am grateful Baylor trusted us with this material, being undergraduate students, as it is dense and at extremely difficult at times," Perry said. "I hope we are able to do these historic women justice and hope the audiences will enjoy watching it as much as we enjoy performing it."
Jortner said that he was extremely proud of the students' hard work and talent.
"We have crafted a thought-provoking production which sees parallels in the classical world within our 21st century," he said.
Hooper-Schaefer is located at 60 Baylor Ave. Tickets are $20 or $17 with a valid Baylor ID. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a discount. Purchase tickets online here.
For more information, call 254-710-1865 or email Patrick Hill.
by Bethany Harper, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.