Ben Blankley's video: Wichita Shakespeare Company presents Troilus and Cressida in Riverside Park September 2nd 2011

“Troilus and Cressida” Presented by the Wichita Shakespeare Company The Wichita Shakespeare Company (WSC) closes its 2011 Shakespeare-in-the-Park series with “Troilus and Cressida.” This Trojan War-era play tells the story of Troilus and Cressida, two young lovers torn apart by the long-running war between the Greeks and the Trojans. The play is difficult to categorize by genre, as it includes elements of both comedy and tragedy. It had been neglected for several centuries – not coming into its own until the last century. For this reason, and due to its centric theme on the futility of war, it has frequently been called “the Shakespeare play for the 20th century.” The play is directed by veteran WSC director Dan Schuster. Previous WSC directing credits include “Coriolanus,” “Pericles,” “Measure for Measure,” “Two Noble Kinsmen,” “Cymbeline,” “Love’s Labours Lost,” and “The Winter’s Tale.” The impressive cast assembled for this production includes Ben Blankley as Troilus, Charlene Grinsell as Cressida, Jim Crawley as Achilles, and Kenneth Mitchell as Ulysses. Others in the cast include Elizabeth Anderson, Kate Corbin, Heather Jewell, Anna Kraus, April Karber, Vonda Schuster, David Weills, Eric Olson, Robert Esau Rutherford, Mark Schuster, Damian Padilla, Isaac Banta, and Joey LeCompte. Shakespeare-in-the-Park will return to the very popular Central Riverside, Buffalo, and College Hill Parks in Wichita. Parks in Andover, Park City, Derby, and Haysville will complete the tour. All shows will begin at 7:00 pm, with an approximate running time of two hours. The show is rated PG-13 due to violence and adult content. As always, the play is performed free to all audiences but donations are accepted and appreciated. Those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and, of course, bug spray. Exact park locations and dates are as follows: Friday Sept 2 – Central Riverside Park Saturday Sept 3 – College Hill Park Sunday Sept 4 – Andover Sports Park, Andover Friday Sept 9 – Buffalo Park Saturday Sept 10 – Hap McLean Park, Park City Sunday Sept 11 – Riggs Park, Haysville Friday Sept 16 – Central Riverside Park Saturday Sept 17 – College Hill Park Sunday Sept 18 – High Park Amphitheatre, Derby Wichita Shakespeare Company performs two shows per summer in city parks throughout Wichita, KS and the surrounding communities. Each performance is free to the public. We rely entirely on donations to produce our season. If you are interested in making a 501(c)3 tax-deductible donation to Wichita Shakespeare Company’s ongoing efforts, please use the following contact information, or find our donation box at each performance. Wichita Shakespeare Company C/O Dan Schuster 2221 Rita Wichita, KS 67213