May 18, 2010
Dennis McLernon. Download image.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Theatre UAB Associate Professor Dennis McLernon, M.F.A., will play the role of Prospero this summer when a new Shakespeare festival in Freeport, Maine, presents its first play, "The Tempest."
Julie George-Carlson is the principal organizer of the Freeport Shakespeare Festival, which will present its inaugural show over four nights, Aug. 3-6. The festival will take place in an open-air amphitheater on the campus of clothier L.L. Bean.
For years Carlson dreamed of having Shakespeare performed in the space. When her dream was realized, she knew the perfect person for the role of Prospero was someone she remembered from her days as a student at Allentown College: McLernon. Prospero is the lead character in '"The Tempest,'" which is set on an island. Prospero and his daughter have been betrayed and set adrift by his brother. Years later, Prospero, now a sorcerer, uses magic to raise a storm and bring his brother and other enemies to shore when they drift close to the island. He seeks to exact revenge but finds he must forgive.
"It's really quite remarkable and very flattering," McLernon said. "To have the magnitude of her trust in me is incredible. I'm sure she looked me up online and saw the different successes the UAB program has been having and the work I've done with the Shakespeare Festival here in the state. The role is fantastic. I have not done this role before, but I directed it here at UAB three years ago."
Admission to the festival will be free and organizers expect up to 1,000 people each night. The goal is to build a professional theater company with local and national actors, and establish Freeport as a destination for cultural tourism.
About the UAB Department of Theatre
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Theatre has won the highest honors awarded to university theaters, including best in region from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF). In 2008, UAB's production of "In the Blood," directed by McLernon, was one of three shows chosen by KCACTF from 300 in consideration nationwide. Faculty members in the department continue to work professionally in addition to teaching. UAB Theatre performances are presented at the Alys Stephens Center, UAB's own world-class performing arts center. This year the department celebrates its 40th anniversary. It is part of the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, home to academic disciplines that include the arts, humanities, sciences and the School of Education.