The Castleton State College Theatre Arts Department presented Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s “The Rivals,” March 16-20, 2005, in the Fine Arts Center.

Melissa Lourie of Weybridge, co-founder of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, directed on the Castleton stage for the first time.

“The Rivals” is a masterpiece of 18th century romantic comedy with likeable characters, mistaken identities, complicated love stories, and the threat of a duel between two rivals. In addition, the Castleton production draws on elements from the 1970s, including the music of the Bee Gees.

Lourie explains, “It’s fun when doing a period piece not to set it too stiffly in its time period. I aim to bring out the humanity and not the differences. I look for ways for the audience to get beyond the trappings of the period.”