In a rare appearance, England"s Royal Shakespeare Company will be performing at the Power Center in March, and some professors are planning to take full advantage of the group"s stint in Ann Arbor.

"We don"t have to go to New York or England to see them," said University renaissance literature Prof. Steven Mullaney.

During its weeklong visit beginning March 10, the RSC will perform four plays at the Power Center. Scheduled to be performed are "Henry VI" parts one, two and three, and "Richard III."

"A lot of people from faculty to students are very excited about this," Mullaney said. "It"s a very big deal. You don"t get to see these plays frequently."

Ann Arbor is the only U.S. city the RSC is expected to perform "Henry VI" and "Richard III" where during its 2001 tour.

"The "Henry VI" plays are seldom produced among Shakespeare"s plays," said English Prof. Ralph Williams, who has been working closely with the RSC in the past months. "It"s just great to be able to see them."

Founded in 1879, The Royal Shakespeare Company, based in the bard"s birthplace of Stratford-upon-Avon, is considered one of the leading Shakespeare companies in the world.

Professors like Williams and Mullaney have tailored their classes for the event and have been actively encouraging participation among their students.

"I have never taught these plays to undergraduates," Mullaney said, "But because of this opportunity, I designed my classes so we could cover these four plays."

Many students will experience the RSC for the first time.

"I"m actually pretty hyped to see them," said LSA sophomore Chris Rainwater. "Professor Mullaney presented the material real well and it seemed like a great opportunity."

Students who have already seen the RSC perform have high expectations.

"I saw the RSC in London and they were very impressive," said LSA senior Stacie Koby. "It should be interesting to see the plays I"m actually studying."

This event marks the beginning of a collaboration between the University, the University Musical Society and the RSC.

"The UMS and the RSC have been wonderful in making this a meaningful experience for students on the undergraduate level," Williams said.

Williams added that the collaboration is a five-year program that will lead to future performances by the RSC in Ann Arbor.

In conjunction with the RSC"s visit, nearly 80 educational events are planned, including special exhibits, interviews with the actors and director, and acting workshops.

Most of the special events are free, and the sponsoring organizations have worked to bring down the cost of the rest of the events, including the performances.

"It"s a very expensive company to bring so we worked very hard to make it affordable for students," said Sara Billman, UMS marketing and promotions director.

Ticket prices, normally $216, have been cut in half for students.

"For four plays by the world"s greatest classical theater company, this is a bargain," said Williams.

Students also agree that this opportunity is indeed a bargain. "When you consider what you"re seeing, it"s definitely worth it," said Rainwater. "I don"t know if I"ll ever get a chance to fly to England and see it there."