MANSFIELD — The Ohio State University Mansfield Theatre — in partnership with The Mansfield Shakespeare Company — will present Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” from Oct. 23–26 in Founders Auditorium on the OSU Mansfield campus.
Directed by Gary Kennedy, the production marks his return to directing after several decades.
The play, which marks its 60th anniversary this season, remains Stoppard’s best-known work.
The dark comedy retells Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” from the worm’s-eye view of two bewildered minor characters. Thrust into the spotlight, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern stumble through a world where reality and illusion blur, and where fate pulls them toward an inescapable ending.
“What continues to impress me about ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead’ is how quickly it shifts from broad comedy to moments of genuine introspection,” Kennedy said.
“It’s a beautifully written play that invites audiences to laugh, reflect and connect with some very human questions about how we find ourselves where we are in life.”
Performance times are scheduled for:
- Friday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2:30 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m.
The production is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
Founders Auditorium is located on the Ohio State Mansfield campus at 1760 University Drive, Mansfield, Ohio. For questions or further details, email mansfieldtheatre@osu.edu or call the campus box office at 419-755-4045 or general line at 419-755-4113.