Shakespeare Theatre Company presnets Strange Interlude

Continuing its 25th Anniversary Season, the Shakespeare Theatre Company is pleased to present Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Strange Interlude. Directed by STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn, Strange Interlude will run at the Company's Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from March 27-April 29, 2012.

Strange Interlude, one of O'Neill's earlier plays, is a drama about love and deception. Heartbroken over her adored fiance's death, Nina engages in a series of sordid affairs before marrying a man she does not love. Months later, pregnant with her husband's child, she learns a horrifying secret about his family, setting off a dramatic and emotional chain of events that spans two decades. Strange Interlude was hailed as revolutionary, shocked 1928 audiences-and became a smash hit. Kahn's previous production of another O'Neill classic, Mourning Becomes Electra, was called a "raw force" by The Washington Post.

Kahn considers Eugene O'Neill to be the greatest and most challenging American playwright, having directed five of his plays including Mourning Becomes Electra for STC. Kahn has wanted to direct Strange Interlude for many years and was granted permission from the O'Neill estate to edit the script and revive the piece on stage. "I didn't start to edit the script until I knew the play completely; it was a fascinating experience," says Kahn. "Oftentimes, Strange Interlude gets ignored because of the size and complexity of the piece, I'm thankful that the O'Neill estate has provided me the opportunity to explore this brilliant play. This is a story of the most salient points of a woman's life that explores the illusory nature of happiness and the American dream. It also is wildly visionary as it confronts many of the most vital issues in a woman's life as it spans over two decades."

Strange Interlude will be produced in conjunction with The Eugene O'Neill Festival, which will provide an examination of the life and work of playwright Eugene O'Neill. Along with Strange Interlude, STC will host two weeks of O'Neill festivities as part of its free Happenings at the Harman series. In partnership with STC and Arena Stage, local universities have been working with the writings of Eugene O'Neill and will present their works-in-process in the Forum in Sidney Harman Hall April 4 and April 11 at noon. Students from The George Washington University will present their writings the first week, and students from Georgetown University will present the following week.