Billy Wolfgang said it's the only Shakespeare play without one.
"It's a little bit grittier," he said, adding that it's not appropriate for children.
OrangeMite Studios will perform the playwright's lesser-known work 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Barn at Tall Fir Acres in Dover.
The play - which is set in 400 B.C. in Athens - presents a captivating look into the extremes of humanity, as the selfless Timon and the selfish city square off in a civil war.
"This leaves the audience with a choice to either laugh or cry," said Wolfgang, executive director of OrangeMite.
He said many people don't know that Shakespeare produced the work
"A lot of theater companies are afraid to touch it," Wolfgang said. "Even though this play is 400 years old, it still has a very new feel about it."
For that reason, Wolfgang said, the show was a perfect fit for OrangeMite, which celebrates its fifth anniversary as a community-arts organization this year.
He said he wanted a local outlet for a different style of performance and a vehicle for originality when he founded the organization.
When OrangeMite started, he said, it was basically a group of kids coming together and putting on a show.
"We never expected to sell out," Wolfgang said. OrangeMite performs three shows a year, which include Shakespeare plays and original musicals. It also has a community orchestra of 25 to 30 musicians.
Wolfgang said although the organization has come a long way, he's not looking back: He has his eyes set on the future.
He hopes to add a fourth show to OrangeMite's season and to one day evolve into an arts center during a time when the arts have been hurt by budget cuts.
"Our mission is truly education," Wolfgang said.
- Leigh Zaleski, FlipSide staff
If you go
WHAT: OrangeMite Studios presents "Timon of Athens"
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: The Barn at Tall Fir Acres, 2035 Tall Fir Drive, Dover
COST: $10 for adults, $8 for children
DETAILS: Visit www.orangemite.org or call 717-814-1151
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