PRO RATA CONTINUES ITS 10th ANNIVERSARY WITH A FLAME-FUELED CARTHAGINIAN TRYST!

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1 PRO RATA CONTINUES ITS 10th ANNIVERSARY WITH A FLAME-FUELED CARTHAGINIAN TRYST! December 22, 2010 (Twin Cities, Minnesota) -- On March 5th, 2011, Theatre Pro Rata will open Dido, Queen of Carthage by Christopher Marlowe at the Gremlin Theatre in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This production marks the area premiere for this play, and is the latest programming in Theatre Pro Rata s 10th anniversary celebration. Six years after Troy s destruction at the hands of the Grecian army, Aeneas and his waning crew of former-trojans shipwreck upon the shores of Carthage and are eventually welcomed into the court of the country s beautiful queen: Dido. What should have only been a brief respite quickly turns complicated, as a secret pact between the Roman goddesses aim to entrance Dido with her new Trojan guest and keep Aeneas from leaving Carthage to found Rome. As the divine intervention slowly comes to light, a heartbroken Aeneas resolves to return to the sea; a decision which literally destroys the Cupid-incensed Dido, Queen of Carthage Release, page 1 of 5

Although Dido is a piece of classical theatre, it was the challenge of the play s highly-dynamic staging which cinched it on a Pro Rata season, a similar hook in more contemporary Pro Rata

2 Dido and sets the stage for Carthage s future hostility with Rome. It s been around for 400 years for a reason, explains Carin Bratlie, director of Dido and Artistic Director of Theatre Pro Rata, for an Elizabethan audience, these were their blockbusters. Although Dido is a piece of classical theatre, it was the challenge of the play s highly-dynamic staging which cinched it on a Pro Rata season, a similar hook in more contemporary Pro Rata programming like Trainspotting (2002), Metamorphoses (2008), and Killer Joe (2008). Marlowe s characterization of Dido was equally alluring and how he realized her Cupid-aided passion, which Bratlie describes as white-hot. It s transfixing in the same way a car wreck is transfixing, she explains, you know it s going to end badly, but you can t help but watch. Although Dido, Queen of Carthage is based on the fourth book of Virgil s The Aeneid, Marlowe embellishes many of Virgil s antique themes, like the Dido, Queen of Carthage Release, page 2 of 5

3 juxtaposition of petty gods and god-like humans, and Dido s fiery self-destruction (which, in Marlowe s version, consumes more than Dido herself). Coincidentally, this production concludes a larger mythological trilogy presented by local Minnesota theatres, with Park Square Theatre s The Odyssey (based on The Odyssey by Homer, closing February 6th), 20% Theatre Company s Helen (inspired by The Iliad by Homer, closing February 12th), and Dido, Queen of Carthage (based on The Aeneid by Virgil). Together, these three epic poems chart the transition from romantic Greece to mighty Rome. Dido, Queen of Carthage will feature performances by Becka Linder (Dido), Christopher Kehoe* (Aeneas), Amber Bjork* (Anna), Gabriel Murphy (Iarbus), Jaime Kleiman (Cupid), Noë Tallen (Juno), and Andy Chambers* (Jupiter). The production team includes Julia Carlis* (scenic design), Stephanie Drinkard* (lighting design), Forest Godfrey (sound design), Mandi Johnson* (costume design), Christine Kit Gordon (dramaturgy), and Lydia Bolder* (stage management). Asterisk denotes Pro Rata company membership. Members from the cast or production team are available for interview/comment by request. Dido, Queen of Carthage Release, page 3 of 5

4 Since 2000, Theatre Pro Rata (Latin for in proportion ) has been dedicated to intimate, captivating theatre, using a love for the play as the primary connection between the stage and the audience. This has allowed Theatre Pro Rata, over its eleven-year history, to pursue both classics and contemporaries, tragic dramas and black comedies. Recent accolades for Pro Rata include set design for Killer Joe (2008, City Pages), Julie Ann Nevill s cross-gender performance in The Life of Galileo (2009, Lavender Magazine) and overall production for Metamorphoses (2008, Lavender Magazine). Theatre Pro Rata utilizes a unique sliding scale for all ticketing, allowing patrons to name their own price from $14 to $41, and features complimentary preshow sensory tours for blind or hard-of-sight patrons (by appointment only). This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota Stage Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, *** FULL PERFORMANCE CALENDAR DETAILED ON NEXT PAGE *** Dido, Queen of Carthage Release, page 4 of 5

5 Press one-line: A secret affair between two ancient warriors undoes a queen and fates an entire country against the Roman Empire. Press blurb: In his dynamic re-telling of Virgil's classic The Aeneid, Marlowe spins a story of temptations featuring his sole female protagonist. Dido, the ruthless warrior princess, would lead her country to prosperity until scheming Cupid intervenes. Her resulting fanatical love for Aeneas and the anguish his betrayal conceives can only end in death and destruction. This passionate mythological tale begins with the fall of Troy and finishes in epic bloodshed. Saturday, March 7:30pm Sunday, March 2:00pm Monday, March 7:30pm (opening night 6:30pm) (ASL-interpreted and audio-described) (pay-what-you-can performance) Thursday, March 7:30pm (ASL-interpreted) Friday, March 7:30pm Saturday, March 7:30pm Sunday, March 2:00pm Thursday, March 7:30pm Friday, March 7:30pm Saturday, March 7:30pm Sunday, March 2:00pm All performances at the Gremlin Theatre,, St. Paul, MN General admission tickets are sold on a sliding scale from $14 to $41, cash or check. For reservations, please call (612) or info@theatreprorata.org, or visit our website at for more information. ### Dido, Queen of Carthage Release, page 5 of 5

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