GROVE CITY, Pa. – Grove City College will present two award-winning plays, “Lettice and Lovage” and “La Bête,” March 5-8. Performances are free and open to the public.

Both plays will be in the Pew Fine Arts Center. “Lettice and Lovage” is set to be performed in Ketler Auditorium in Pew, and “La Bête” will be performed in the Pew Little Theater. “Lettice and Lovage” show times are 5 p.m. March 5, 8 p.m. March 6, 5 p.m. March 7 and 8 p.m. March 8. “La Bête” show times are 8 p.m. March 5, 5 p.m. March 6, 8 p.m. March 7 and 5 p.m. March 8.

Tickets are free and can be reserved by e-mailing theatretickets@gcc.edu. Be sure to indicate the show and time desired.

Written by David Hirson in iambic pentameter, the Molière-inspired “La Bête” won numerous awards including the New York Newsday/Oppenheimer Award, Great Britain’s Lawrence Olivier Award for Comedy of the Year, as well as five Tony award nominations and six Drama Desk awards, including Best Play of 1991.

The College’s production of “La Bête” features senior Doug Baker of Lawrence, Kan., as Valere, a street entertainer from 17th century France, as well as junior Pierce Babirak of Scarborough, Maine, as Elomire, a dignified and stuffy head of a theater troupe, and senior Jesse Aukeman of Byron Center, Mich., as Prince Conti, the troupe’s patron and a fan of Valere. Elomire is not a fan of Valere, and he is annoyed with having the actor become part of his troupe. Valere is frivolous and obnoxious; despite his flaws, Prince Conti urges Elomire to include him in the productions. Despite his objections, Elomire is forced to cast Valere and even perform one of Valere’s plays. Senior Patrick McElroy of Grove City, Pa., plays the part of Bejart; and junior Jennifer Ford of Rochester, N.Y., plays Dorine.

Peter Shaffer’s “Lettice and Lovage,” a modern British comedy written in 1987, was nominated for four Tony awards in 1990, winning two.

The cast is led by freshman Rebecca Sherman of Avon Lake, Ohio, as Lettice Douffet and senior Elanor Snyder of Bethel Park, Pa., as Lotte Schoen. Lettice is an over-the-top, extravagant woman, who follows her mother’s adage of “Enlarge! Enliven! Enlighten!” She works as a tour guide around Fustian House, and she runs into trouble when she begins making up stories about the otherwise boring house to gain the interest of the tour groups. Lotte is forced to fire Lettice from her job, but the two later become close friends. The play follows the hilarity produced by the unlikely friendship.

Other cast members include freshman Sean Morris of Conneaut, Ohio, as Bardolph, junior Meagan Samuelsen of Sugar Land, Texas, as Miss Framer, and junior Chris Capitolo of Glenside, Pa., as Surly Man.

Both plays are directed by Betsy Craig ’77, associate professor of communication studies and theater. Sophomore LeeAnn Yeckley of Cranesville, Pa., will serve as technical director for both productions.