Newsroom

CORVALLIS - Award-winning British director John Doyle, noted for his Shakespearean productions and the acclaimed "York Cycle of Mystery Plays," will give a lecture and an acting workshop this month at Oregon State University.

The lecture, "The Theatre of Science," will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, in Memorial Union Room 206. In the lecture, Doyle will explore how directors make science accessible and entertaining for today's audiences, and how the arts and sciences can work together.

The acting workshop will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 19, in the lab theater of Withycombe Hall beginning at 4 p.m.

Both events are free and open to the public.

Doyle has served as artistic director of York Theatre Royal, Liverpool Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham Everyman Theatre, and the Swan Theatre in Worcester. In addition to the "York Cycle of Mystery Plays," he is known for his productions of "War of the Roses," "The Madness of King George" and his award-winning musical, "Moll Flanders."

He also is co-author of a recently published book called "Shakespeare for Dummies," which he wrote with OSU's Ray Lischner. The two will sign copies of their book after the Nov. 22 performance of "Henry V" by OSU's University Theatre.

Doyle is known for his originality as a director, including the production of "reduced" Shakespeare plays that require a minimum number of actors. He created a media stir several years ago during the York Mystery Plays by casting God as a woman, and the production received rave reviews - even from church leaders.

Doyle's OSU appearance is sponsored by the Horning Endowment, the Department of History, the Department of English, University Theatre, and the Center for the Humanities.