“Lot O’ Shakespeare,” a tour de force performance by Timothy Mooney that combines a random assortment of monologues from each of William Shakespeare’s plays, will be presented at 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 9 in the Performance Hall, inside the De Mattias Fine Arts Center on the Newman University campus, 3100 McCormick in Wichita.
Nationally acclaimed author, playwright and actor Timothy Mooney will present “Lot O’ Shakespeare” Feb. 9 at Newman University.
Mooney, a nationally known author, playwright and actor, has performed “Lot O’ Shakespeare” to critical acclaim at theatres across the country. Mooney has memorized one monologue from every Shakespeare play, capturing the most stirring speeches, the most outrageous situations, the most wicked double-entendres, and the most delicious sonorous soliloquies to emerge from the Bard of Avon’s pen. In a dazzling display of memorization and characterization, Mooney performs 38 of the monologues chosen entirely at random by the spinning of a Bingo cage at the beginning of each show in a dynamic tour de force of vocal and physical pyrotechnics.
During the show, the audience plays along on their individual “IAGO” cards, and the first to match four play titles in a row wins a t-shirt. While the game turns the performance into fun, in the process the audience also discovers the breadth, excitement and accessibility of the Shakespeare catalogue, as the genius of his writing comes to life in passionate scenes of action, character and power.
KC Stage of Kansas City gave the show a 5 (out of 5) rating, calling it “energetic and engaging. . . a 60-minute tour de force!” The Indianapolis Fringe review included the comments, “Bravo!” and, “My head is still reeling over his Antony speech from Julius Caesar!” “Lot O’ Shakespeare” was a hit at the Orlando Fringe Festival as well, with the Orlando Sentinel theatre critic reporting: “His St. Crispan’s Day speech made me want to take up arms with him.” Mooney also recently performed his show at Oregon Shakespeare, one of the top Shakespeare companies in the country.
Mooney recently completed a new acting text, Acting at the Speed of Life. He is also the author of 18 rhymed verse variations of the plays of Molière, which he performs in his one-man play “Moliere Than Thou.” Mooney has also served as artistic director of the Stage Two Theatre in Chicago.
“Lot O’ Shakespeare” is presented by the Newman University Theatre Department. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and military personnel, and $5 for students. Tickets may be purchased at the door.
For more information, contact Newman Director of Theatre Mark Mannette at 942-4291, ext. 2486, or Newman Director of Communications Kelly Snedden at 942-4291, ext. 2164, or sneddenk@newman.edu.