The Triumph of Love, Pierre Marivaux’s romantic comedy, will run Thursday, Jan. 29, through Sunday, Feb. 15, at the Clarence Brown Theatre. UT faculty and staff get “buy one get one free” tickets.
An 18th century French farce exploring the nature of love and the conflict between passion and reason, The Triumph of Love showcases the lighthearted playfulness and plot complications that made playwright Pierre Marivaux popular both in his day and in contemporary theater.
“The Triumph of Love is a play with rich language, subtle characterizations and one great scene after another. And it tells a compelling story about love and the voyage of self-discovery that each of us must take in order to grow into true wisdom and maturity,” said director David Kennedy.
The plot revolves around the Princess Leonide and her machinations to win the heart of Agis. She learns that Agis, who is the rightful heir to the throne she occupies, has been raised in seclusion by an austere philosopher and his sister. Leonide’s cross-dressing games to get close to Agis cause all three to fall in love with her various identities.
Marivaux, considered to be the most important French playwright of the 18th century, wrote numerous comedies for the Comedie-Francaise and La Comedie Italienne of Paris. Written in 1732, The Triumph of Love is the only one of his plays to be made into an English language film.
A visiting guest director, Kennedy resides in New York City, and is the founding Artistic Director of Toronto’s The Lunar Society. His production of Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia was seen at the CBT as part of the 2000/2001 season.
Terry Weber (Hermocrate) is an associate professor of theatre at UT and currently volunteers as the Artistic Director of The WordPlayers. His acting career has taken him to theatres in the U.S. and Europe. His most recent role at the Clarence Brown Theatre was as Barberini in The Life of Galileo.
Susan Wands (Leontine) has acted on Broadway and in many Off and Off-Off Broadway shows. Recently, she appeared in BOOM as Barbara at the Ars Nova Theatre in New York.
Neil Freidman (Dimas) was last seen at the CBT in A Christmas Carol. He just returned from the fall season at the Utah Shakespearean Festival and has performed extensively in Chicago and in regional theatres throughout the country.
Justin Adams (Agis) is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He has performed in New York and in regional theatres across the country, most recently at the Alliance Theatre where he was seen as Orpheus in Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice. His film credits include: “Independence: Beyond What She Expects,” Babylion Productions; “ASAS: Anatomy of Socially Awkward Situations,” Arclab Productions and “Radio Cape Cod,” Asilver Productions.
Ginny Myers Lee (Leonide) has performed in New York and in regional theatres across the country. She received her MFA in Acting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is a founding member of Man-In-The-Moon Theatre Project.
Bethany Caputo (Corine) joins the Clarence Brown Theatre for the first time with her appearance in The Triumph of Love. Currently living in New York, she most recently seen in The Underpants at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Additionally she has performed in regional theatres throughout the country. She also appeared in a documentary about the teachings of Michael Chekhov produced by the Michael Chekhov Association and partially funded by the National Endowment of the Arts.
Brad DePlanche (Harlequin) is thrilled to return to CBT, where he has twice before played a fool in a romantic comedy; Matamor in The Illusion, and Touchstone in As You Like It. He has performed in regional theatres and off Broadway as well as on television. He holds an MFA from the American Conservatory Theatre.
Costume designer Eric Abele is a third year MFA candidate in costume design at UT. He most recently designed costumes for the CBT’s production of Guys and Dolls. He served as the Education Associate for Lexington Children’s Theatre and currently volunteers as the Education Coordinator at the Actor’s Co-Op of Knoxville.
Scenic designer Nate Sinnott is a third year MFA student. Last year he designed the set for Honky Tonk Angels. Before entering graduate school, his design career took him from Washington, D.C., to California and many places in between.
John Horner has been a member of the Clarence Brown Theatre since 1985. His most recent design for the CBT was Guys and Dolls. John also designs productions for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Circle Modern Dance and The Knoxville Opera Company where he has designed over 30 productions.
Mike Ponder has been the Resident Sound Designer for the UT theatre program and its associated Clarence Brown Professional Company for 10 years. He also serves as a sound designer for several regional theatres.
The corporate show sponsors are Schaad Companies and Mercy Health Partners.
Preview for The Triumph of Love is Thursday, Jan. 29. Opening night is Friday, Jan. 30. The show runs through Sunday, Feb. 15. Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Matinees begin at 2 p.m. UT faculty and staff, senior citizens, children and students and groups receive discounts. For tickets, call the Clarence Brown Theatre box office at 974-5161, Tickets Unlimited at 656-4444 or online at www.clarencebrowntheatre.com.