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Shakespeare Santa Cruz announces special Oct. 16-17 performances

***UPDATE--Performance will be on Friday, October 16 only. (Saturday performance cancelled)

Shakespeare Santa Cruz (SSC) artistic director Marco Barricelli and UCSC theater arts professor Patty Gallagher will reprise a dramatic reading of Mark Twain’s The Diaries of Adam and Eve, October 16 at 8 p.m. and October 17 at 2 p.m. at the Main Stage Theater on the UCSC campus.

Adapted by David Birney, Adam and Eve is a witty and touching look at the differences between the sexes as seen through the eyes of the original Man and Woman.

Filled with wry humor and warmth, The Diaries of Adam and Eve is a comic gem from one of America's most beloved humorists. The reading will be followed by a Q & A session with the performers.

Birney’s 2003 adaptation for the stage is based on two short stories by Twain: Adam’s Diary (1893) and Eve’s Diary (1905). The latter, written after the death of Twain’s wife, Livy, has often been thought of as a literary eulogy to his wife of 34 years.

Joining Barricelli’s ‘Adam’ as his ‘Eve,’ is theater arts professor Patty Gallagher. Her work as an actor, teacher, choreographer and director has been presented in theaters in the U.S., Asia, South America, and Europe.

Gallagher is now appearing in the role of Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the California Shakespeare Theater, where she recently performed the role of Winnie in Happy Days by Samuel Beckett.

This past summer, Gallagher served as choreographer for SSC’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and directed SSC’s Fringe Show, School for Fiancé(e)s, written by fellow UCSC theater arts professor James Bierman.

This special event marks a rare stage appearance in Santa Cruz for artistic director Barricelli, a veteran theater actor whose resumé includes stints at A.C.T. in San Francisco and at Ashland’s Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

"I am delighted that we can offer this charming classic again for Santa Cruz audiences," said Barricelli. "We received terrific feedback when we performed it last April. We had originally hoped to produce it again last summer, but when Patty stepped in to play Winnie at Cal Shakes, we had to change our plans. Now we have the chance to do two performances–with special $5 pricing for all students."

Barricelli is currently preparing for the play Vigil at A.C.T. with Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis; Vigil will be performed next March and April at the Geary Theater.

Tickets for SSC's The Diaries of Adam and Eve may be purchased online at santacruztickets.com or by calling the UCSC Ticket Office at (831) 459-2159. For more information, go to: www.shakespearesantacruz.org