ITHACA, NY- The Hangar Theatre Company opens its 45th Mainstage summer season with the farce, Or, What She Will, a fast and witty play directed by Morgan Gould. This play by Liz Duffy Adams imagines Aphra Behn, the first recognized female playwright, during one raucous, racy night in the 1600s. Performances will run from June 13-22 with matinee and evening shows.
The play follows spy and female playwright Aphra Behn, played by Emily Kunkel. After escaping prison with the help of King Charles II, Aphra aspires for greatness on the London stage. With a pending opportuntiy from an eccentric producer, Aphra has only one night to complete her masterpiece, juggle lovers of both genders, avert a royal assassination, and secure her place in history- all before daybreak.
While Or, What She Will is set in the Restoration period, it plays off the echoes between the 1660s, the late 1960s, and the present. This makes for a timely, unique, and inclusive portrayal of history. One need not be a history buff in order to enjoy the story because, according to Gould, “It’s actually a modern feminist farce set inside the envelope of the Restoration. Duffy’s Aphra Behn is a woman trying to be a lover and a writer and a career woman and pay the bills and be socially acceptable and and...the list goes on! Her struggle, while hilarious (and slapstick!), also feels very genuine and relatable to me as a woman in 2019. How can we balance it all, while remaining true to all the things we are? As the play notes ‘we all embody opposites within, or else we’re frankly far too dull to live.’”
In addition to the real life historical figures, the show introduces us to a whole world of hilarious and larger than life characters, each played by the remaining two actors, Ashley Hildreth (Nell Gwynne, et al.) and Austin Jones (King Charles, et al.) The Hangar welcomes back Jones after his performance in last season’s Pride and Prejudice and 2017’s The Foreigner.
Behind the scenes, the set was designed by Luciana Stecconi and the period costumes were created by Suzanne Chesney, while lighting and sound are the work of Matt Richards and Josh Maywood, respectively.
The Hangar Theatre Company is proud to open its season with this smart, yet accessible, play that takes a fun romp through the past in the form of a high-stakes farce. The Hangar thanks its co-premier sponsors of Or, What She Will: C.S.P Management and Communiqué Design and Marketing, Partners in Flight: CFCU Community Credit Union and Cayuga Radio Group, and Partner in the Arts: Ithaca College.
Performance Schedule:
Thursday 6/13 at 7:30 p.m. Preview*
Friday 6/14 at 8 p.m. Opening Night*
Saturday 6/15 at 3 p.m. (Pay)What You Will*
Saturday 6/15 at 8 p.m. Late Night at the Hangar*
Sunday 6/16 at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday 6/18 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday Talkbalk*
Wednesday 6/19 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Thursday 6/20 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday 6/21 at 8 p.m.
Saturday 6/22 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Free prologue discussions are offered 45 minutes before each and every performance.
*Special Event Performances
Preview: precedes the official opening
Opening Night: includes catered post-show reception
(Pay) What You Will: on the first Saturday matinee of Mainstage productions, patrons may pay whatever they wish! These tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis starting one hour before curtain
Late Night at the Hangar: join us post-show under the Hangar tent to enjoy the Lab Company perform classics and modern hits from American musical theatre in an informal setting
Tuesday Talkbalks: Members of the creative team share information about the performance after the show
Or, What She Will, previously produced and published under the title Or, runs from June 13-22 at the Hangar Theatre. For tickets or more information about the rest of the Hangar’s 2019 Summer Mainstage Season, please visit the Hangar Theatre box office, call 607.273.2787 or visit hangartheatre.org
About the Hangar Theatre
The Hangar Theatre is located at 801 Taughannock Blvd., north of Ithaca on Route 89 on the shores of Cayuga Lake. The Hangar Theatre building, once part of the Ithaca Municipal Airport, is home to the Hangar Theatre Company and serves as a venue for a variety of performing artists and community organizations.
About the Hangar Theatre Company
Now in its 45th season, the Hangar Theatre Company offers professional theatrical productions throughout the year and a renowned education program. For more information please call 607.273.2787, or visit hangartheatre.org
