Superstition dictates that instead of wishing actors "good luck," you should tell them to "break a leg" or "stir me with your acting, you beautiful beast." Be moved with this GrouponLive deal to Intrepid Shakespeare Company’s production of Oleanna at SDA Performing Arts Centre in Encinitas. For $17, you get general admission for one (up to a $39.50 value, including all fees). Doors open one hour before showtime. Choose from the following performances:
- Thursday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, April 5, at 8 p.m.
- Saturday, April 6, at 4 p.m.
- Saturday, April 6, at 8 p.m.
- Sunday, April 7, at 2 p.m.
- Sunday, April 7, at 7 p.m.
Although the Intrepid Shakespeare Company specializes in its namesake, a detour into the work of David Mamet isn’t a far stretch. Much like the Bard, Mamet wields his words as a weapon, aiming for the gut rather than the heart with his brutal, profanity-laced poetry, made famous in Pulitzer- and Tony-nominated works such as Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo.
Described as “an 80-minute prize fight” by the Los Angeles Times, Oleanna is one of Mamet's most intense stories, driven by his characteristic quick-fire dialogue and refusal to pander to the audience with pat conclusions. The relationship between a married tenure-track professor and his academically struggling female student, portrayed by acclaimed actors Fran Gercke and Rachael VanWormer, is bordering on impropriety and approaching the boiling point. As the drama unfolds, the two characters become entangled in a complicated web of accusation and deception that leaves neither blameless. A critical look at political correctness and sexual-harassment claims, Oleanna is a riveting drama that sparks controversy and debate in audiences.
Intrepid Shakespeare Company
”Intimate, accessible, affordable” productions fueled by “passion, imagination and language”—that’s the mission of Intrepid Shakespeare Company. In the four seasons it’s existed, the youthful company has specialized in severing Shakespeare from any associations with starched collars and Elizabethan formality, making liberal use of modern costumes, rock soundtracks, and casting that sometimes ignores the traditional gender of the roles. That boldness of spirit has paid off: U-T San Diego praised the company’s debut as an “eye-opening staging” of King John with “good performances . . . too numerous to tally,” and found its Romeo and Juliet filled with “flashes of raw immediacy,” including “realistic and first-rate” fight scenes.
Though this merchant sometimes features a discounted price online, this Groupon still offers the best deal available.