War of the Roses Cycle

Imagine if the Bush-Clinton rivalry were an all-out physical war — and that it lasted decades. This is what life was like in -15th-century England, when the Dukes of Lancaster and York, and their respective families, battled it out in the War of the Roses. Shakespeare documented the struggle in eight plays, including Richard II and Richard III and Henry IV, V and VI. The plays are lengthy and the history complex, so most go unproduced — a shame in the mind of Nova Arts Project Artistic Director Clinton Hopper, who recruited eight local directors to reimagine each play in a 25-minute format, with complete creative freedom. The resulting War of the Roses Cycle will show over two weeks. The first four plays run at 8 p.m. Thursdays and 4 p.m. Saturdays; the second four at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Through July 19. Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex, 2201 Preston. For information, call 713-623-4033 or visit www.novaartsproject.com. $10 to $15.
Thursdays-Saturdays. Starts: July 3. Continues through July 19, 2008