Wednesday, October 2, 2019

October 9 at 6:30: Antony and Cleopatra

ECU SCREENS continues our fall season with William Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra on Wednesday, October 9th at 6:30 PM in the Raymond J. Estep Multimedia Center of the Bill S. Cole University Center.

The recorded live stage production is open to the public. General admission tickets are $10; tickets for ECU students are $5.

Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter, Schindler’s List) and Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda, A Raisin in the Sun) play the fated couple in Shakespeare’s tragedy of politics, passion and power. In the aftermath of Julius Caesar’s assassination, General Mark Antony now rules alongside his fellow defenders of Rome. But Antony and the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra have fallen fiercely in love. Having neglected his political duties while in Egypt, Antony returns to Rome, to attempt to restore his political position. But he is torn between his duty to Rome and his devotion to Cleopatra, and his actions spark a war that threatens to destroy their love.

Director Simon Godwin’s modern dress production features a huge revolving set, live snakes and gorgeous costumes. Time Out praised the production as “slick, stylish and action-packed." Other reviewers have noted that Fiennes and Okonedo “offer blazing star power” (Independent) and “are simply terrific as the lovers who tempt fate one too many times” (The Times).

The runtime is 3 hours and 40 minutes and includes an intermission, when audience members will be served free ice cream. The production has a BBFC rating of 12A, the equivalent of PG-13 in the U.S.

National Theatre Live is the National Theatre's groundbreaking project to broadcast the best of British theatre to cinemas around the world.

ECU SCREENS will continue its season with a new, timely political drama I’m Not Running on Tuesday, November 3rd at 2:00 PM.

To learn more about ECU SCREENS, like the ECU SCREENS Facebook page.

For more information about the Royal National Theatre in Great Britain and National Theatre Live screenings, visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/. Dr. Steve Benton, co-director of ECU SCREENS, may be contacted at (580) 559-5877 or sbenton@ecok.edu.