PLS 50 Years Celebration: The Festival of Early Drama June 5-7, 2015

[Rebecca Biason]

An anniversary nearly 400 (and 50!) years in the making!

Toronto’s Medieval and Renaissance players celebrate their 50th anniversary
with the Festival of Early Drama June 5 – 7 2015

Poculi Ludique Societas (PLS) continues its year-long celebration of 50 years of performance research practice at the University of Toronto with the FESTIVAL OF EARLY DRAMA #FoED2015 #pls50th.  The festival kicks off at 6 pm on Friday June 5 with a performance of Ben Jonson’s Masque of Queens presented by Loyola University, New Orleans. This opening gala performance will be followed by a celebratory reception at 8 pm at Alumni Hall, Victoria University.

FoED2015 includes productions presented by fifteen medieval and renaissance theatre troupes from across North America. Joining us are university theatre companies from New Orleans to Indiana, as well as the University of Western Ontario, Brock, and McMaster Universities and others across Ontario. PLS will also present their own production of Mankind, which is travelling to The Cloisters in New York City May 23 – 24, 2015, before returning to Toronto to headline the PLS roster of productions.

With multiple PWYC family-friendly events happening over two days on the U of T campus, FoED2015 is sure to appeal to families, scholars, students, and medieval and early modern history enthusiasts. 

When asked what she hoped audiences would take away with them, Artistic Director Linda Phillips said, “Most people know about Shakespeare, but they don't know about the theatrical traditions that influenced him and his contemporaries. This festival showcases the huge variety of early drama: moralities, farces, comedies, tragedies and more.”

The history of PLS is traced to 1964, beginning as part of the work for a University of Toronto graduate seminar in Medieval Drama when the  director, Prof. John Leyerle, invited the class to stage a medieval play.  Excited by the success of their production of Everyman, the members of the class came together again the following year to stage another play, and PLS was born. Fifty years and more than 150 productions later, PLS is known around the world for its pioneering performances of the drama of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. 


FESTIVAL OF EARLY DRAMA
Celebrating 50 years of Poculi Ludique Societas
June 5 - 7 2015
University of Toronto Downtown Campus
Festival Box Office: 150 Charles St (At Museum Station)

Free outdoor family-friendly events daily starting at 11 am
Ticket prices: $15 Adult/$12:50 Student
50th Anniversary Reception June 5  8pm:  $17
Ben Jonson Masque of Queens + Reception June 5: $27.50
Tickets available online at UofTTix.ca
www.plsfest.ca 

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