An Alumna’s Tasty Shakespeare Project

The Missoula Oblongata, an experimental theater company co-founded by Sarah Lowry ’05, is presenting its fourth collaborative Shakespeare project, a five-company re-imagining of Antony and Cleopatra (complete with desserts), this week in a secret location.

Sarah Lowry ’05 is the co-founder of The Missoula Oblongata, an experimental theater company dedicated to creating and touring original works. This week, her company (which was initially founded in Montana, but now has a more nebulous home base thanks to its now-geographically scattered founding members) returns to town for its fourth collaborative secret Shakespeare project, co-sponsored by West Philly troupe Puppet Uprising. For the project, five different companies—Performance Thanatology, Yo Coquelicot, Serious Drama, The Agave Opera Company and Ramshackle Enterprises—will each take on an act of Antony And Cleopatra and perform it in a secret location. Attendees are being told to meet at the Girard Street stop of the Market/Frankford El line wearing a red carnation to be escorted to the clandestine performance location.

Sarah Lowry '05 (in mustache, right) with fellow members of The Missoula Oblongata.

And did I mention there would be desserts? As in years past, each act will be paired with a different delicious delicacy. Local bakers A Cupcake Wonderland, North Port Fishington Cookie Factory, Feet Active, Sweet Swallows Baking and Claire McWilliams will be offering “sweets to the sweet” that should help the Bard’s tale of political intrigue, love and suicide go down a little easier.
You can read more about Lowry and her company on page 28 of the current issue (Winter 2011) of Haverford magazine. Tickets for Antony and Cleopatra, which runs through June 12, are $25 at the door ($21 for students/artists), but can be purchased here ahead of time for a $4 discount. (Note: tonight’s debut preview performance is pay-what-you-want.) For more details about the companies or this week’s performances, read more here.