EUGENE–The University of Oregon’s Mad Duckling Summer Theatre will open its season on Wednesday, July 5, with "My Emperor’s New Clothes" by celebrated playwright Larry Shue.

The first of two wacky musical comedies in this summer’s Mad Duckling season, "My Emperor’s New Clothes" will be presented outdoors in the amphitheater adjacent to the south side of the Robinson Theatre at Villard Hall, 1109 Old Campus Lane. All shows begin at 11 a.m. and will continue daily through Saturday, July 8, and again Tuesday through Saturday, July 11—15.

General-admission seating on the lawn will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Free parking is available nearby in the UO lot at East 11th Avenue and Kincaid Street.

Shue, author of the hit comedies "The Nerd" and "The Foreigner," penned this adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale.

"‘Emperor’ is a wonderfully funny, charming and touching script, with laugh-a-minute gag routines and a solid moral message," says director Jonathan Cole. "It’s the best children’s theater script I’ve ever read."

"Emperor" is an intensely audience-interactive musical tale of the ruler of the fantasy kingdom of Mango-Chutney, who holds a contest to see who can make the most beautiful suit of clothes in the land. The lovable yet boo-able villains, Skreech and Clodney, win the contest with a suit made of cloth that is "invisible to anyone who is either stupid or unfit for his job."

The emperor, not wanting to admit that he can’t see the cloth, plays along and marches into the town wearing only his underwear. The whole facade collapses when an innocent little boy finally points out that, "His Grace has nothing on!"

Then the emperor must turn to the audience to help him discover the error of his ways. He finally realizes that "there is nothing more foolish than one who parades his wisdom."

"My Emperor’s New Clothes" is being performed by a select cast of University of Oregon students, who take on multiple characters and play with the audience in this highly physical production.

"These are some of our most talented students," Cole says. "They bring lots of experience, talent and dedication to the project. These actors LOVE children and children’s theater, and are absolutely fabulous to work with. They make my job as director easy–all I have to do is point them in a direction and get out of the way!"

Music is a big part of the show as well, with musical numbers such as "The Antagonist Rag" and "Call Me Mister Wonderful" re-scored by Curtis Williams, who composed his score around Shue’s original melodies.

"Our cast is very accomplished musically–we’ve got some very talented singers," Cole says. "The music really sounds great! Music and acting of this quality, coupled with our most elaborate set to date and fabulous costumes make this an exceptional production."

This show is Mad Duckling’s most ambitious production ever, according to Cole, a doctoral degree student in theater arts from Springfield.

"We’ve really pulled out the stops this year. Our scene designer, Don LaPlant, has come up with a wonderfully versatile, multi-leveled set that delights the eye. Beth Christensen, our costume designer, has built some zany, fun costumes that make the actors look great. I’m delighted to be working with such accomplished artists."

The acting company for "My Emperor’s New Clothes" is made up of Amanda Dumler, a sophomore pre-journalism major from Beaverton; Jon Sharpy, a sophomore theater arts major from Eugene; Giovanni Bliss, a junior linguistics major from Lake Oswego; Jocelyn Fultz, a sophomore theater arts major from Monmouth; Tara Warner, a freshman theater arts major from Myrtle Point; and Lindy Anderson, a junior English major from The Dalles.

Production staff includes scene designer LaPlant, a theater arts doctoral degree student from Eugene; Christensen, a theater arts master’s degree student from San Marcos, Texas; and musical director/accompanist/composer Williams, a sophomore undeclared major from Gresham.

Besides Cole, other production crew members are stage manager Ian Appel, a senior English and theater arts major from Brookings, and artistic director Deborah Greer, a theater arts doctoral degree student from Springfield.

Tickets for all seats at all performances are $4 each, with a discount for groups of 10 or more. To purchase tickets, visit the theater on performance days or, to buy them in advance, call the Mad Duckling Box Office, (541) 346-4192.

Mad Duckling Summer Theatre is made possible through the support of the UO Summer Session office.

For more information about Mad Duckling Summer Theatre, browse http://play.at/duckling or call GuardLine 24 hours a day, 485-2000, and select Ext. 2287.

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