FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training Presents "Oedipus" By Sophocles October 31-November 19

Photos: (1) OEDIPUS opens November 1. (2) Lawrence James and Andrew Hardaway in the FSU/Asolo Conservatory's production of OEDIPUS. Photo by John Revisky. (3) Andrew Hardaway and Olivia Osol in the FSU/Asolo Conservatory's production of OEDIPUS. Photo by John Revisky.

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training proudly kicks off its 2017-18 season with Sophocles’ OEDIPUS. One of the most widely known plays in the modern world, OEDIPUS is directed by FSU/Asolo Conservatory Director Greg Leaming. Featuring the entire second-year Conservatory class, the production previews on Tuesday, October 31 with a special "Pay What You Can Performance," officially opens Wednesday, November 1, and runs through Sunday, November 19 in the Jane B. Cook Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota.

Long considered one of the greatest plays ever written, OEDIPUS – part political thriller, part psychological whodunit – is the story of one very flawed hero discovering the awful burden and responsibility of power. Oedipus, the king of Thebes, promises to find the cause of a plague that ransacks the city, only to discover how complicit he has been in destroying his own community.

Sophocles’ OEDIPUS remains an important play because it takes the stories of traditional myths and adjusts them to meet the contemporary world. The Oedipus story continues to be powerful even thousands of years after the advent of Sophocles’ play.

OEDIPUS is one of only seven of Sophocles’ 123 plays to survive in entirety.

“OEDIPUS is a mountain of a play, a story that has continued to demonstrate its own power for centuries. It’s a play about passion: passion for power, for country, for home, for self,” said Director Greg Leaming. “And it’s a play that continues to strike deep into the heart of everyone given the chance to experience it. Oedipus is a violent, angry, passionate man in a seat of ultimate power – but his belief in his country and his own responsibilities drags him deep into one of the most terrifying stories ever written. It is a huge challenge for the second-year company of actors, and one which they are eminently capable of taking on.”

The 2017-18 season continues with THE MOTHERF***ER WITH THE HAT by Stephen Adly Guirgis from January 2-21 and THE REHEARSAL by Jean Anouilh from February 20-March 11 in the Cook Theatre. The closing show, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, runs from April 17-May 6 and is a collaboration with Marie Selby Gardens. It will be performed outdoors at Selby Gardens.

Single tickets for all shows and subscriptions for the complete 2017-18 FSU/Asolo Conservatory season can be purchased by calling 941.351.8000 or 800.361.8388, visiting www.asolorep.org, or visiting the Asolo Repertory Theatre Box Office located at 5555 North Tamiami Trail in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. Box office hours are Monday-Friday 10am-5pm.

About the Conservatory

The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training is a celebrated three-year graduate program culminating in a master of fine arts degree. For more than 40 years, tens of thousands of actors from across the continent have auditioned for admission. A maximum of 12 students are admitted each year. In their second year, the students perform in the Cook Theatre, a 161-seat space designed to create an intimate experience for the audience and actors. Third-year students are seen on the Mertz Stage working with the Asolo Rep's professional actors in exciting and significant roles.

For more information, visit http://www.asolorep.org/conservatory/welcome.