First published in the Jan.13 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
A Noise Within, California’s acclaimed classic repertory theater company, recently announced the fourth production of its 30th anniversary season, William Shakespeare’s “All’s Well That Ends Well,” directed by Nike Doukas.
The play will run from Feb. 6 through March 6, with press performances on Saturday, Feb. 12, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 13, at 2 p.m.
“All’s Well That Ends Well” focuses on a young healer named Helena, as she ropes in a fantastic cast of fools, romantics and cynics to pursue Bertram, her runaway groom, in a clash of wit and deception. Capturing a fairytale essence and human complexity, Shakespeare’s bittersweet comedy goes on a journey of forgiveness, hope and love where one least expects it.
Helena and the countess will be played by two of A Noise Within’s stalwart residence artists, Erika Soto (“Alice in Wonderland,” “The Glass Menagerie”) and Deborah Strang (“An Iliad,” “The Glass Menagerie”), respectively.
In a statement, the theatre said, “This triumph of the female characters doesn’t come without struggle and complication. In fact, there is complexity to all the characters, each of whom has their own imperfections and in turn learns to forgive the imperfections of others.”
This production marks the ongoing 30th anniversary of A Noise Within.
“The world is in the midst of extraordinary change,” said producing artistic directors Geoff Elliott and Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, “A year of COVID-19; a time of greater awareness of systemic racism, and of confronting violence against people of color; a more aggressive push for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights; and more. The world we once inhabited is shattering. Each of the productions in the 2021-22, 30th anniversary season is a passionate examination of seismic shifts in reality and how special individuals summon extraordinary courage to meet these changes head-on.”
For ticket and price information, visit anoisewithin.org, or call (626) 356-3121. To purchase at the box office, visit 3352 E. Foothill Blvd. Regular prices for single tickets start at $25, student admission with identification an hour before performance is $20. For more information on group rates, ask for subscriber services Manager Deborah Strang.
