For Immediate release
Contact: Carrie Hermanson (608) 758-6565 Ext. 350
Janesville – Friday the 13th may be unlucky for some, but that’s not the likely feeling for those who score tickets to see UW-Rock County’s presentation that night of In Acting Shakespeare, a one-man play written by and starring popular Shakespearean actor James DeVita. The performance, originally produced by American Players Theater, will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 13, in the Kirk Denmark Theatre on the campus at 2909 Kellogg Ave.
In this adaptation of Sir Ian McKlellan’s 1987 one-man show of the same title, DeVita pulls back the curtain on his own journey from fishing boats to the theatre, revealing along the way that his biggest hurdle was convincing himself he was smart enough to understand Shakespeare. Reviews of In Acting Shakespeare liken it to stand-up comedy that is also a compelling and deeply personal story.
DeVita has been an accomplished actor for more than 25 years. His work in classical theatre includes such roles as Iago, Macbeth, Richard III, Benedick, Richard II, Romeo and Hamlet. Theatrical awards include the Denver Critics Circle Award for Best Season for an Actor. In addition to his many accomplishments in the theater, DeVita is also an award-winning author and playwright. Currently he is the resident playwright for First Stage Children’s Theater in Milwaukee and has written or adapted 19 plays for young adults and children.
He has also published two novels, The Silenced and Blue with HarperCollins Publishing. Awards include National Endowment for the Arts: Literature Fellowship for Fiction, the AATE 2007 Chorpenning Award, The Distinguished Play award from The American Alliance of Theater and Education and The Intellectual Freedom Award: Kentucky Council of Teachers of English/Language Art.
DeVita received his education at the Suffolk County Community College Theater Program in Selden, New York, and the Professional Theater Training Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has also worked as a gas station attendant, a factory worker, a fisherman, a caterer, a cook, and has been a volunteer EMT for the past ten years.
Tickets for the event are $10 for the general public and free to UW-Rock County students and can be purchased in advance in Business Services in Hyatt Smith Hall or by calling (608) 758-6565 ext. 100 during regular business hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tickets may also be available at the door the night of the performance.
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