MORGANTOWN – Of parries and parodies.
West Virginia Public Theatre is launching its 2026 season this week with a deep dive into the woods … for a new visit with a timeless friend of the downtrodden.
“Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood,” opens at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on the stage of the Gladys G. Davis Theatre, in West Virginia University’s Canady Creative Arts Center and runs through June 11, including matinees.
Visit https://wvpublictheatre.org for ticket prices, cast notes and other showtimes.
Hey,” said Jerry McGonigle, who serves as the theatre troupe’s artistic director, “Robin Hood especially resonates today.”
That’s because Robin Hood at his core is a guy who takes on corporate greed, McGonigle said.
Or feudal greed, he said, given the times.
The mythical telling was drawn from English ballads of the 14th and 15th centuries, when kings and castles had all the swag.
You know: while the rest of us – serfs – barely got by.
Kent Ludwig, the Tony-winning playwright who penned the tale, follows the origin story of Robin Hood that we all know (even if we don’t).
Those in the seats at CAC will make their acquaintance with Robin as a party dude in quest of a good time, and nothing but.
As the play unspools, he’ll transform into a champion – or an outlaw, depending upon your point of view – who, from his encampment in Sherwood Forest, isn’t shy about taking from the rich in order to redistribute the wealth to the poor.
You’ll get reintroduced to Little John and Friar Tuck along the way.
Plus, you’ll be reunited with a funny, spirited and resourceful Maid Marian, who is no longer a damsel in distress from days of yore.
Swashbuckling and slapstick will also coexist with some well-placed social commentary, McGonigle said.
West Virginia Public Theatre has been staging plays of every stripe since its founding in 1986.
Its latest outing, “Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood,” is family fun, which McGonigle, a father and grandfather, can appreciate.
“Bring Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, aunts, uncles, friends, neighbors and all the kids,” he said.
