UofL Theatre to show ‘The African Company Presents Richard III’

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    LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The next play in the University of Louisville’s 2014-15 season is a bit meta – it’s the story of a theater troupe preparing for an upcoming show.

    The Department of Theatre Arts and the African American Theatre Program (AATP) will present “The African Company Presents Richard III” from March 4-8 at Thrust Theatre, 2314 S. Floyd St.

    Set 40 years before the Civil War, the play tells the true story of a troupe of black actors in early 1800s New York. When The African Company tries to mount a production of the Shakespeare classic “Richard III,” a white producer attempts to shut them down to mount his own production with an English star.

    Directed by associate professor Baron Kelly, director of the AATP, the show features theater students Tyler Madden as William Henry Brown and James Stringer Jr. as James Hewlett, the actor starring as Richard III for The African Company.

    “The travails of The African Company to showcase the talent of black actors in the face of adversity are filled with the kind of drama that can only come from an actual event,” Kelly said. “This production brings the story back to life and illustrates a pivotal moment in the history of theater.”

    Performances are 8 p.m., March 4-8 with a 3 p.m. matinee, March 8. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $12 for students. To order tickets or for more information, call the box office at 502-852-6814 or visit www.louisville.edu/theatrearts.

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    Erica Walsh
    Erica Walsh is the marketing director for the Office of Communications and Marketing. Her job lets her share UofL’s good news in all avenues of communications including UofL Magazine, advertising, content marketing and branding. Walsh joined UofL in 2014 after previously serving as the public relations specialist at Indiana University Southeast. Prior to her career in higher education communications she was an award-winning newspaper reporter. Red is one of her favorite colors and it’s a good thing, too, because she earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Western Kentucky University and her master’s in communication from UofL.