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Content Advisory for In Arabia We'd All Be Kings

February 06, 2012 by Ron Wilson - Director, CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program in CWRU/MFA Acting Program

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The CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program is charged with training actors for the professional theater.  The fact that the program is housed in a professional theater adds an expectation of high standards of artistry in the work audiences see on the CPH stage.

For the students to have experiences that will give them the tools necessary to meet the needs of the profession, the training has to encompass a broad range of material and performance styles. 

As we look for appropriate scripts, one of the main considerations of the program is to expose the students to plays that are rich in language and character.  These choices have run the gamut from Shakespeare to Moliere, to Anton Chekhov and Tennessee Williams and William Inge, and to modern authors such as Neil LaBute and Stephen Adly Guirgis in this instance.

In Arabia We’d All Be Kings was chosen for its rich source of character work and challenging language.  This collection of characters represents a side of the social order that is rarely seen onstage.  They are as close to the bottom of the social order as you can get yet they continue to struggle to hold onto their humanity and their dreams – as ill-conceived as the dreams may be.   There is a sense of nobility in that pursuit and that is what the actor looks for in a role.  The challenge for the actor in this instance is to expand their sense of empathy for characters that society has forgotten about or who have fallen through the cracks.  

Please be advised that this production contains strong, graphic language and adult situations and is not intended for anyone under the age of 16.

To go even deeper into this production, we invite you to participate in our pre-show conversations, which begin 45 minutes before each curtain.  These interactive half-hour conversations pull back the curtain early to let you connect with the people, themes, ideas and creative choices that go into each production, in an engaging and relaxed setting.

Thank you for joining us as the First Year MFA Graduate Ensemble begins its work with Cleveland Play House.

Related Shows: In Arabia We'd All Be Kings