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When F. Scott Fitzgerald declared that there are no second acts in American life, he obviously wasn't thinking of The Acting Company, perhaps the finest touring theater group working today.
Since 1972, the Acting Company has brought more than 70 classics of world theater to 47 states and audiences totaling more than 2 million people, traveling 500,000-odd miles along the way. Later this month, the New York-based troupe will return to the Edison Theatre with a pair of its most recent comedies -- Jean-Baptiste Molière's "Tartuffe" and William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" -- for their first St. Louis appearance since 1991.
"Tartuffe" begins at 8 p.m. March 26, and is followed at the same time the next evening by "Twelfth Night."
The Acting Company was founded in 1972 by the late John Houseman and producing director Margot Harley, who wanted to bring the live experience of classic theater to smaller cities, towns and rural communities that might otherwise go unserved. Over the years, the troupe has become something of a training ground for dozens of actors from around the country, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in theater, film and television.
"Tartuffe" is directed by Mark Ax, a recent directing fellow at the Globe Theatre in London. "Twelfth Night" is directed by Penny Metropulos, associate artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Tickets are $23 and are available at the Edison Theatre Box Office, 935-6543, or through MetroTix, 534-1111. Call for discounts. The performances are presented by Edison Theatre's OVATIONS! Series.
