Kelley Curran Leads Shakespeare's Amazing Cymbeline at PCS, Previews 1/31

Casting has been completed and rehearsals have begun for Portland Center Stage's world premiere production of Shakespeare's Amazing Cymbeline, adapted and directed by PCS Artistic Director Chris Coleman. In a new adaptation calling for only five actors and a pianist, Cymbeline will be the first Shakespearean production in the Ellyn Bye Studio. Cymbeline begins preview performances on Tuesday, January 31, opens on Friday, February 4 and runs Tuesday through Sunday through April 8, 2012. Tickets start at $41, with student and under-30 discounts also available. Rush tickets are $20.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays and matinees at noon on select Thursdays. See the show calendar at www.pcs.org/cymbeline for the complete performance schedule. Tickets can be purchased online at www.pcs.org, by phone at 503.445.3700 or by visiting the box office located at 128 NW Eleventh Avenue.

Based on legends about early Celtic kings, Cymbeline is one of Shakespeare's most fantastical creations-familiar Shakespearean themes of jealousy and innocence wronged are joined by a piano-playing wit who becomes our guide through an ancient landscape. A lovely princess, an evil queen, a misguided king and a thoroughly rotten clown people this fairy tale-like story of life, and love, renewed.

This fresh adaptation by Chris Coleman calls for a cast of only five facile actors and a piano player. Kelley Curran will be making her PCS debut in the role of the heroine, Imogen. Michael Keck, returning to PCS after last being seen in The Bacchae: Revisited, will be playing the role of The Pianist. Familiar favorites Scott Coopwood and Danny Wolohan, along with PCS newcomers Ryan McCarthy and John San Nicolas, will each be taking on a variety of characters that inhabit this rarely staged Shakespearean gem.

Scenic Designer Alan Schwanke will recreate the space within the Ellyn Bye Studio to evoke imagery of an ancient ruin; the stage itself will be built into a never-before-used diamond shape. Costume Designer Jeff Cone will design circa-A.D. 1 tunics, headpieces and handcrafted boots; Randal Tico returns to PCS to compose Cymbeline's original music, after last working with Chris Coleman on 2011's The Imaginary Invalid. Sound Designer Casi Pacilio, Lighting Designer Eric Southern, Fight Director John Armour, Dialect Coach Mary MacDonald-Lewis and Stage Manager Emily N. Wells round out the creative team.

Additional support for this production has been provided by Curtis T. Thompson, M.D. and Associates, LLC; Douglas & Teresa Smith; City Center Parking; and a generous Shakespeare for a New Generation grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Portland Center Stage's 2011/12 season is funded in part by Umpqua Private Bank, our lead corporate champion; the Regional Arts & Culture Council and Work for Art; the Oregon Arts Commission; the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation; and Tim & Mary Boyle. The Mark Spencer Hotel is the official hotel partner of Portland Center Stage.

Portland Center Stage inspires our community by bringing stories to life in unexpected ways. Established in 1988 as a branch of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, PCS became an independent theater in 1994 and has been under the leadership of Artistic Director Chris Coleman since May 2000. The company presents a blend of classic, contemporary and original productions in a conscious effort to appeal to the eclectic palate of theatergoers in Portland. PCS also offers a variety of education and outreach programs for curious minds from six to 106, including discussions, classes, workshops and partnerships with organizations throughout the Portland metro area.

THE GERDING THEATER AT THE ARMORY houses a 599-seat Main Stage and the 200-seat black box Ellyn Bye Studio. It was the first building on the National Register of Historic Places, and the first performing arts venue, to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certification. The Gerding Theater at the Armory opened to the public on Oct. 1, 2006. The capital campaign to fund the renovation of this hub for community artistic activity continues.