Mississippi College Hosts 2020 Shakespeare Festival

The MC Communication Department is working with the English & Philosophy Department along with the George & Alicia Pittman Shakespeare Festival Fund to present Shakespeare’s "The Tempest."

A gifted English poet, playwright and actor of the Renaissance era, William Shakespeare is viewed as the greatest dramatist of all time.

The Bard of Avon’s final work, “The Tempest” is coming to a stage soon at Mississippi College’s 2020 Shakespeare Festival.

Set on an isolated island, a magician named Prospero plots revenge for his brother’s betrayal. Telling the mystical tale of the sea, a shipwreck and love, “The Tempest” is booked for Swor Auditorium. The dates on the Clinton campus are February 27 through March 1.

The MC production features original music composed and performed by singer-songwriter Claire Holley. A Jackson native and Los Angeles resident, Holley is a national recording artist.

“The Tempest” production is clearly a team effort at the Christian university. The MC Communication Department is working with the English & Philosophy Department along with the George & Alicia Pittman Shakespeare Festival Fund to present Shakespeare’s last play. Communication professor Phyllis Seawright serves as the play’s director.

Known throughout the world, Shakespeare’s works span the range of human emotion and conflict. His plays have been celebrated more than 400 years.

MC’s Shakespeare Festival has been a popular event on the Clinton campus for more than four decades. George and Alicia Pittman founded the festival at their alma mater in 1978 and have generously supported it over the years. The 42^nd annual Shakespeare Festival is a tribute to the Pittmans and their love for England’s national poet.

The couple returned to Mississippi College after working at Howard Payne University in Texas. A 1959 MC graduate and former English Department chair, George Pittman died in 2014 at age 76.

Equally involved with the life of MC, Alicia Pittman served with her husband as co-sponsor of the Nenamoosha Women’s Social Tribe for nearly 25 years. A 1960 MC graduate, Alicia Pittman passed away Jan. 31, 2020 after battling cancer.

Tickets to “The Tempest’’ cost $7 for students and $10 for adults. The price is $4 each for patrons in groups of at least 20 people.

The production begins 7 p.m. on February 27. The show time is 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on February 28. The play opens at 7 p.m. on Saturday February 29 with a final 2:30 p.m. production on Sunday March 1.

For more information, contact Phyllis Seawright at 601-925-3453 or seawrigh@mc.edu