Original Review

By Julie Jensen

Getting with the program in a Prenzie Players production is easier when they do Shakespeare than when they choose a little-known 17th century Spanish play, “Life’s A Dream.”

You usually know the plot in Shakespeare, but the convoluted story line of the play by Pedro Calderon de la Barca is outside the experience of most of us.

Original review
LIFE’S A DREAM

Running time: 2 hours and 25 minutes, including two intermissions (during which additional scenes are performed), plus an additional half-hour preshow that begins at 7:30 each evening the play is performed

Original Review

Written by Mike Schulz
Wednesday, 14 May 2008

Say what you will about the Prenzie Players' latest presentation, but you can't say that the classical-theatre troupe, with its production of Pedro Calderón de la Barca's Life's a Dream, is merely resting on its laurels.

Original Review

By David Burke | Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The theme of the last two Prenzie Players productions seems to be “Let’s see what we can pull over on Eddie Staver III this time.”

In March, the subplot of “The Taming of the Shrew” was to convince Staver’s supporting character that he was a nobleman for whom they were performing.

Original Story posted April 30, 2008

Running, Running, Running: The Prenzie Players Venture Beyond Shakespeare with "Life's a Dream"

Original review by Thom White, originally posted May 8, 2008
Original Review

On Stage — Prenzie Players’ Life’s a Dream
As a theater-goer, I go to the theater to escape for a while, losing myself in a story of others’ lives played out before me on a stage. I don’t want to be aware of my presence, only of the presence of the characters before my eyes. That’s my preference, but it’s not Prenzie Players’ policy. As they say, “theater is not a passive experience.” And, knowing that, I approached the group’s latest production with trepidation, with anxiety. Despite efforts to approach the show with an open mind as a reviewer, I dreaded

Written in 1637, Pedro Calderon's Life's a Dream investigates the borders between truth and illusion, loyalty and treachery, captivity and freedom, in a romantic fairy tale set somewhere along the dusky borders between the waking world and the landscape of dreams. King Vasily has read in the stars that his newly-born son Sigismund is destined to overthrow him and become a tyrant. Accepting the prediction as true, he imprisons his son in a tower, where he grows to manhood alone.

Prenzie Players Announce Auditions for TWO Shows and a Workshop!

Continuing our 6th Season, Prenzie Players are holding auditions at the same time for Taming of the Shrew and Life's a Dream. The auditions will be held on Thursday, December 6th and Saturday the 8th with call backs on Sunday the 9th. In addition, a workshop will be conducted on Wednesday, December 5th to familiarize people with the scripts as well as aid in the preparation of auditions. The workshop and auditions will be held at the Masonic Temple, 420 18th St., Rock Island, IL.

Workshop: Wednesday, December 5th, 6-9pm

Othello
directed by Cait Bodenbender
Auditions August 15 4:30-7:45pm, August 18 10:45-12:45pm,
Rock Island Public Library Downtown
Rehearsals start September 9
Performances October 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20
Rock Island Masonic Temple
420 18th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201

Taming of the Shrew
Directed by Jeremy Mahr - March 2008
Workshops - December 5
Auditions December 6 6pm-9pm, December 8, 2pm - 5pm and 6pm - 9pm
Call Backs on December 9

Rehearsals start late Jan or early Feb
Performances March 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16