Free Library Previews of Bring Down the House

Seattle Shakespeare Company will offer free previews of its upcoming adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry VI trilogy called Bring Down the House at area public libraries. During the 45 minute presentations, director Rosa Joshi and members of the cast will read selected scenes and follow up with a question and answer session.

Bring Down the House is a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry VI parts 1, 2, and 3.  The plays tell story of the fight for the English throne between two rival families and is commonly referred to as the War of the Roses.  Seattle Shakespeare Company’s production edits and combines the plays into a two-part epic telling that will run in repertory performances at the Center Theatre January 25-March 12, 2017. Bring Down the House will feature a diverse, all-female acting company of 17 actresses.

Shakespeare’s Henry VI plays have received recent attention in the news with the acknowledgement by the Oxford University Press that Christopher Marlowe was a collaborator on the plays.  PBS will air a televised version of story in December called The Hollow Crown, The Wars of the Roses featuring Benedict Cumberbatch and Judi Dench.

The dates, times and locations for the free staged reading previews of Bring Down the House at the Seattle Public Library Branches are:

  • Thursday, November 17 from 6-7 PM –Central Branch Library, Level 4, Rm. 2 (1000 Fourth Ave.)
  • Monday, November 21 from 3-4 PM – Columbia Branch Library (4721 Rainier Ave. S.)
  • Tuesday, November 29 from 5-6 PM – Douglass-Truth Branch Library (2300 E. Yesler Way)

Tickets to the full production of Bring Down the House are on sale now and are available through the Seattle Shakespeare Company Box Office at 206-733-8222 as well as online .