The UF School of Theatre and Dance is leaving the local scene and going international.
Two amphitheaters in Greece offered to host the theater program's productions of Sophocles' "Oedipus the King" and Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."
Judith Williams, the founder of the International Production Program and director of "Romeo and Juliet," said the plays were chosen because the directors have a lot of passion for the pieces.
Each play has two separate casts that rehearse simultaneously, said Russell Schultz, the assistant director for "Oedipus the King." One cast will perform in Gainesville and the other will perform in Greece.
The group is set to leave for Greece Saturday and stay for about two weeks.
The UF theater students have performed in about 10 different countries including England, Scotland and Russia. Last year, the students performed "A Streetcar Named Desire" in Germany and the Czech Republic.
To Wayne Willinger, who will play Oedipus, the experience of performing Sophocles' masterpiece in its home country will be the best part.
"When Oedipus says ‘I was at the great park of Delphi,' I will be really pointing to Delphi," Willinger said. "When Oedipus yells that he is going to blind his eyes, my voice will echo through those hills just like it did thousands of years ago."
