Abilene, May 28 – The Arthurian legend arrives in Abilene on June 8^th, and audiences will not want to miss this unique opportunity to experience a centuries old story in a brand-new way. While this is the Kansas premier of the David Lee adaptation, this production began in Amana, Iowa, as Great Plains Theatre and the Old Creamery Theatre Company partnered together to curate their new Camelot.

The performances in Amana received rave reviews from newspapers and audience members alike. Diana Nollen of The Gazette, a newspaper from Cedar Rapids, IA, notes that Matthew Aaron “brings such heart to Arthur. He’s playful and awkward in a chance meeting with Guinevere…then grows tender and loving as their love blossoms.”

 While the villain of the piece remains Mordred, portrayed by Matthew Blake Johnson who filled the role with such sinister charm you can hardly begrudge the knights for eschewing those Seven Deadly Virtues, the catalyst of Camelot’s destruction is the charismatic, and often irritatingly pious, Lancelot played by Perry Sook. Sook was in the original cast of the David Lee adaptation, though in a different role. In this production he commands the stage as the man who wished to be the best of knights, and breaks hearts as the audience falls in love with the “idealistic Lancelot who seeks to elevate the King’s Court only to be its downfall.”

Meg Sharp, playing Guinevere, delivers a powerful performance, reminding audiences that Guinevere is so much more than just a love interest. The Amana Society Bulletin writes, “Her lovely voice, her delightfully girlish yet somehow queenly interactions with Arthur, her desire to be of real use to Camelot, her chilly and even a little cruel initial reception of the prim and proper Lancelot, her growing love for the brave Knight and her ultimate betrayal and repentance is something to see. Sharp brings it all and more to the stage. Her performance along with that of Sook and Aaron make for spell binding theatre.”

Artistic Director for Great Plains Theatre, and director for this production, Randal K. West interviewed various cast members to get their take on this new version of the story and Perry Sook remarked, “You may think you know Camelot, but you don’t know this Camelot.” Season tickets are still available for this enchanting year filled with adventure, intrigue, love, and magic, and Camelot is an experience not to be missed. Claim your seat at the legendary round table via box office phone at 785.263.4574, going online to greatplainstheatre.com, or stop by the box office at 401 Cottage Ave, Abilene. Great Plains Theatre, together we are more!