“The game is afoot”—Henry IV (part 1)

It’s 2008, a new year, and that means out with the old and in with the new. We’ve resolved this year to make Fade to Black, our wildly popular theater cheap ticket/entertainment/cocktails series, bigger, shinier, and better than ever in the new year.

If you were among those who attended the sold-out Cabaret event last fall, you might be saying, “how is this possible?” Attended by 500 or so of our closest friends (including Pennie Lane, a posse of bright young community leaders from the Office of Sustainable Development, Portland Mercury’s Wm. Steven Humphrey, Byron Beck of WWeek, and 94/7FM’s Tara Dublin), the blow-out featured Karaoke from Hell, surprise performances from Storm Large, barely-clad members of Sissyboy, and a talented 13-year-old named Gretchen [below] who blew the roof off with a version of Abba’s “Dancing Queen.” An evening of great theater, tasty snacks, a generous cocktail supply and live music–what could possibly be better?

Well, how about a $20 ticket to Amy Freed’s The Beard of Avon–a bawdy, mind-bending comedy that asks who “really” wrote Shakespeare’s plays–hors d’oeuvres, generous servings of cocktails and unfettered access to Nintendo stations loaded with Guitar Hero 3, Wii Sports, and Rayman’s Raving Rabbids. Shazaam!!

Sound crazy? Maybe. But consider for a moment that Shakespeare is just one in a long line of long-haired rabble-rousers (alongside the Man from Nazareth and Ben Franklin) who paved the way for the arena spectacle of the guitar-god. Yes indeed, in this alt-universe Shakespeare is the original Lute-box hero and “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely Wii players.”

Don’t wait until you begin to fade “Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon/With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,” join us as we Fade to Black.

A night at the theater just got a little more interactive.

Fade to Black: a play and gaming party with Nintendo happens Tuesday, January 29 immediately following the 7:30 pm performance of The Beard of Avon. Sponsored by Nintendo, Activision, New Deal Vodka, 94/7 FM, OregonLive.com, the Portland Mercury, The Art Institute of Portland and Rogue Brewery.
Available in person at the Box Office or by phone at (503) 445-3700.