Theatre-goers will be amazed at how easily a 200-year-old play skewers the modern excesses of today’s society.   Pierre-Augustin Garon de Beaumarchais’ classic 1784 play foreshadowed the class conflicts of the then pending French Revolution, but his themes and characters still ring true today.

The Catawba College Theatre Arts Department presents Beaumarchais’ “The Marriage of Figaro” at 7:30 p.m. April 12-16 in Hedrick Theatre on campus.   Its satirical humor focuses on aristocrats, lawyers, pedants and prudes, and its setting, not French as one might expect, but in this production, thoroughly Spanish – set in Barcelona, S pain.

The play’s action centers on the pending marriage of Figaro, Count Almaviva’s irrepressible manservant, and Suzanne, the maid to the Count’s wife.   The trouble begins when the Count asserts his feudal right to Suzanne’s maidenhood.   A scheme then ensues to outwit Count Almaviva and a delicious revenge plays out as the tables are turned.

Cast members include Joey Yow, a sophomore from High Point, as Figaro; Rory Dunn, a senior from Vale, N.C., as the Count; Jessica Taige, a freshman from Wauwatosa, Wis., as the Countess; Taylor Adams, a senior from Galveston, Texas, as Fanchette; Loren Armitage, a junior from Brattleboro, Vt., as Brid’oison; Meredith Fox, a sophomore from Elon, as Marceline; Michael Strickland, a sophomore from Round Rock, Texas, as Antonio; Ashleigh Herndon, a freshman from Conway, S.C., as the young shepherdess; Justin Johnson, a freshman form Fuquay-Varina, as Berubin; Nikolas Kear, a sophomore from Gatlinburg, Tenn., as Bazile; Chris Lindsay a senior from Kernersville, as Dr. Bastholo; Megan McIver, a sophomore from Burlington, N.C., as Grippe-Soleil; Candace Neal, a freshman from Waxhaw, as the actress Suzanne; Jessica Pruett-Barnett, a sophomore from Georgetown, Del., as Doublehand, the baliff/clerk; Johnathan Rummage, a senior from Rockwell, as a peasant and a musician; Jessica Moretti, a sophomore from Charlotte, musician; Danielle Papet, a sophomore from Glassboro, N.J., musician; and Guerin Piercy, a freshman from Swannanoa, musician.

The play, directed by David Pulliam, a professor of theatre arts at Catawba, includes the following crew members: Lauren Connolly, a sophomore from Moon Township, Pa., stage manager; Shea Walker, a senior from Salisbury, costume designer; McKenna Dabbs, a sophomore from Nashville, Tenn., assistant director and costume shop assistant; Michael Lasris, a freshman from Seaford, Va., assistant stage manager; David Loudermilk, a senior from Roanoke, Va., hair and makeup designer; and Johnathan Menius, a junior from Kannapolis, assistant set design. Jessica Moretti and Guerin Piercy, both aforementioned as cast members, also have responsibility for publicity and set prep, respectively.

This play is not suitable for children under 13.   Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and senior citizens.   For more information, call the Catawba College Box Office at 704-637-4481.   Group rates are available.

Theatre-goers will be amazed at how easily a 200-year-old play skewers the modern excesses of today’s society.   Pierre-Augustin Garon de Beaumarchais’ classic 1784 play foreshadowed the class conflicts of the then pending French Revolution, but his themes and characters still ring true today.

The Catawba College Theatre Arts Department presents Beaumarchais’ “The Marriage of Figaro” at 7:30 p.m. April 12-16 in Hedrick Theatre on campus.   Its satirical humor focuses on aristocrats, lawyers, pedants and prudes, and its setting, not French as one might expect, but in this production, thoroughly Spanish – set in Barcelona, S pain.

The play’s action centers on the pending marriage of Figaro, Count Almaviva’s irrepressible manservant, and Suzanne, the maid to the Count’s wife.   The trouble begins when the Count asserts his feudal right to Suzanne’s maidenhood.   A scheme then ensues to outwit Count Almaviva and a delicious revenge plays out as the tables are turned.

Cast members include Joey Yow, a sophomore from High Point, as Figaro; Rory Dunn, a senior from Vale, N.C., as the Count; Jessica Taige, a freshman from Wauwatosa, Wis., as the Countess; Taylor Adams, a senior from Galveston, Texas, as Fanchette; Loren Armitage, a junior from Brattleboro, Vt., as Brid’oison; Meredith Fox, a sophomore from Elon, as Marceline; Michael Strickland, a sophomore from Round Rock, Texas, as Antonio; Ashleigh Herndon, a freshman from Conway, S.C., as the young shepherdess; Justin Johnson, a freshman form Fuquay-Varina, as Berubin; Nikolas Kear, a sophomore from Gatlinburg, Tenn., as Bazile; Chris Lindsay a senior from Kernersville, as Dr. Bastholo; Megan McIver, a sophomore from Burlington, N.C., as Grippe-Soleil; Candace Neal, a freshman from Waxhaw, as the actress Suzanne; Jessica Pruett-Barnett, a sophomore from Georgetown, Del., as Doublehand, the baliff/clerk; Johnathan Rummage, a senior from Rockwell, as a peasant and a musician; Jessica Moretti, a sophomore from Charlotte, musician; Danielle Papet, a sophomore from Glassboro, N.J., musician; and Guerin Piercy, a freshman from Swannanoa, musician.

The play, directed by David Pulliam, a professor of theatre arts at Catawba, includes the following crew members: Lauren Connolly, a sophomore from Moon Township, Pa., stage manager; Shea Walker, a senior from Salisbury, costume designer; McKenna Dabbs, a sophomore from Nashville, Tenn., assistant director and costume shop assistant; Michael Lasris, a freshman from Seaford, Va., assistant stage manager; David Loudermilk, a senior from Roanoke, Va., hair and makeup designer; and Johnathan Menius, a junior from Kannapolis, assistant set design. Jessica Moretti and Guerin Piercy, both aforementioned as cast members, also have responsibility for publicity and set prep, respectively.

This play is not suitable for children under 13.   Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and senior citizens.   For more information, call the Catawba College Box Office at 704-637-4481.   Group rates are available.