By Helen Trent

Clark University’s Theater Arts Program will present “Miss Julie,” directed by Raymond Munro, from Thursday, November 8 through Saturday, November 10 and Thursday, November 15 through Saturday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m.  Admission is free with a college ID and $5 for the general public.  Performances will be held in The Michelson Theater, in The Little Center, Charlotte Street, Worcester.

Originally written by August Strindberg in 1888, Gorilla Rep commissioned Chicago playwright Penny Penniston to adapt and tastefully modernize this production about the interplay of social classes, love and gender relations, and how power dynamics affect each one.  For the past few years, director Raymond Munro has done many contemporary pieces, and by selecting “Miss Julie,” he is getting back in touch with classic plays.

“Miss Julie” takes place on Saint John’s night, the mid-summer festival, in 1874. The plot is primarily concerned with power in its various forms. Miss Julie has power over Jean because she is upper-class.  Jean has power over Miss Julie because she is male and uninhibited by aristocratic values. The count, Miss Julie’s father (an unseen character), has power over both of them since he is a nobleman, an employer, and a father.  Penniston’s adaptation is a fiery take on Strindberg’s enduring drama.  With a reforged dynamic between Julie and Jean, the script attacks with sharpened wit and cuts a powerful edge into Strindberg’s classic story.

“Miss Julie” is sponsored by the Clark University Theater Arts Program. For more information, or to make reservations, please call 508-793-7356, or e-mail clarkarts@clarku.edu.