Equity Artists in Residence Featured in University of Richmond Players' Production of "Arms and the Man" April 10-13

April 4, 2003

Actor-comedienne Catherine Shaffner and local equity actor James Hillgartner will star in the University of Richmond Players' production of George Bernard's Shaw's "Arms and the Man" April 10-13.

Shaffner, who will play Catherine, and Hillgartner, who will play Major Petkoff, are both equity artists in residence at the university.

Walter Schoen will direct the play, one of Shaw's comedic masterpieces. Although first produced in 1894, more than a century ago, its attack on a romantic notion of war that ignores its horrors is still timely as we try to balance rhetoric with televised bombings, body bags and charred military vehicles.

Shaw pokes fun at the romantic movement of the 19th century and the overblown romantic ideals of that time through Raina Petkoff, who has bought into the stories of battlefield heroism but who grows to see war in a more realistic way. Sergio (Andy Nagraj), her betrothed at the start of the play, comes to see himself as more than an idealized soldier by the end of the play as well.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. April 10-12 and at 2 p.m. April 13 in Alice Jepson Theatre in the Modlin Center for the Arts. Tickets are $8 for adults, $7 for Richmond faculty, staff, alumni and non-Richmond students and $3 for Richmond students. Call the box office at (804) 289-8980 for reservations.