Explore theater, myth and legends at MYTHFEST

The Festival of Myth and Ritual (MYTHFEST) will take place at 7:30 p.m., April 2-5, at the Outside Amphitheatre at Barrett, the Honors College on the Tempe campus. The event is free and open to the public.

This year, MYTHFEST will feature "Lear’s Shadow," a multi-language performance piece by professor Oscar Giner of the School of Film, Dance and Theatre. "Lear’s Shadow," which is based on Shakespeare’s play and other legends of King Lear, will be presented on April 3 and 4.

"Lear’s Shadow," which is performed in English, Spanish, French and Norwegian tells the story of Jon Lear, an old English professor whose son has died in the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s. Suffering from dementia, he has been kicked out of his house by his daughters. Now homeless, he makes his living by telling stories from Shakespeare and Cervantes on street corners. The storm in his mind makes him confuse street people (whores, junkies, homeless vets) with characters in his stories.

MYTHFEST also features theatrical performances by Barrett students, Barrett alumni, invited guest artists, and students and faculty members from the School of Film, Dance and Theatre. A different array of stories will be presented each night.

MYTHFEST is part of a general search for a theatrical form suitable for the re-enactment of American myths and legends. The festival aims to provide an alternative vision of theater, and an experience with ancient theatrical forms. The productions combine elements from Spanish Medieval Drama, Native American tribal rituals and the modern staging theories of Bertolt Brecht.

MYTHFEST program:

7:30 p.m., April 2 

• A reading of "Endgame," by Samuel Beckett, with professor David Barker, School of Film, Dance and Theatre

7:30 p.m., April 3

• Inner Landscapes: Adriano Cabral, "Dear Brother"

• "Lear's Shadow," based on Shakespeare's play and other legends of King Lear

7:30 p.m., April 4

• Inner Landscape: Meg Sullivan, "Tamar"

• "Lear's Shadow," based on Shakespeare's play and other legends of King Lear

7:30 p.m., April 5

• Inner Landscapes: Pam Sterling, School of Film, Dance and Theatre, "Louisa May Alcott"

• Stories from the Kingdom, by Oscar Giner