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‘Ripeness’ is an original Shakespeare adaptation in Marysville

Published 1:30 am Thursday, October 19, 2023

By Herald Staff

Avery_Lier_Rowan.jpg: Sisters Avery (Briar Scott, left) and Rowan (Grace Madland, right) argue as their mother Lier (Brynne Garman) tries to keep them apart in “Ripeness Is All” at Red Curtain Community Arts Center in Marysville Oct. 20-Nov. 5. (Kenny randall)
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Avery_Lier_Rowan.jpg: Sisters Avery (Briar Scott, left) and Rowan (Grace Madland, right) argue as their mother Lier (Brynne Garman) tries to keep them apart in “Ripeness Is All” at Red Curtain Community Arts Center in Marysville Oct. 20-Nov. 5. (Kenny randall)
Sisters Avery (Briar Scott), left, and Rowan (Grace Madland), right, argue as their mother, Lier (Brynne Garman), tries to keep them apart in “Ripeness Is All” at the Red Curtain Arts Center in Marysville. (Kenny Randall)

MARYSVILLE — Red Curtain Foundation for the Arts continues its Shakespeare-inspired season with “Ripeness Is All,” an original adaptation of “King Lear.”

The show opens Friday, Oct. 27, and is set to run through Nov. 5 at the Red Curtain Arts Center, 9315 State Ave. #J, in Marysville. The show is directed by KJ Melson.

Playwright and author Ren Powell crafted an original script exclusively for Red Curtain, taking the text, characters and stories from Shakespeare’s tragedy “King Lear” and weaving them into a familiar-yet-new theatrical experience.

“Ripeness is All” follows the aging Lier (this spelling is correct) through an all-female world of familial power and deceit. The queen has chosen to divide her wealth and lands between her three daughters, but an errant word from the youngest heiress throws the tyrant into a rage. The fallout destroys the hope of a “happily ever after” for everyone associated with Lier’s royal court.

This production draws heavily on biomechanics and original music to create a unique process to its storytelling, and its steampunk-inspired design will transport audiences to an exciting world where women wield power and hold dominion over their subjects, a Red Curtain news release states.

Performances will be 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for seniors, students and military. Buy tickets online, over the phone at 360-322-7402, or at the box office from 2-6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.

The Red Curtain Arts Center is in the Goodwill shopping center in Marysville, behind the Everett Community College cosmetology school. For more information, go to www.redcurtainfoundation.org.

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