Italy during the Renaissance meets modern Graceland during the performances of “The Mandrake” on campus Wednesday through Sunday.

“The Mandrake,” put on by Eastern’s theater department, will be performed at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday.

“The Mandrake” was originally written by Niccolo Machiavelli in 1518; however, the theater department will perform a translated, more contemporary version of the play.

Jean Wolski, director of “The Mandrake,” said the audience will be surprised with the look she and the actors gave the older play.

“We didn’t change the translation or interpretation, but we did contemporize the look,” Wolski said Tuesday. “For example, the young lover in the play is made to look like a young Elvis because he is what most of our society associates with good looks.”

Wolski said that there are a lot of other “little fun things” concerning the look of the play.

“The Mandrake” tells the story of an old man, Lord Nicia, played by Luke Gerdes, who is seeking a cure for his wife Lucrezia’s sterility. Old Nicia asks a doctor for a remedy.

Old Nicia doesn’t realize that the doctor, Callimarco, played by Jason Steward, is his wife’s aspiring lover. Callimarco prescribes mandrake root for Nicia’s wife and explains that the medicine will act as an aphrodisiac for Lucrezia.

Callimarco also explains that the medicine will almost kill the first man that has intercourse with her after she takes it. Old Nicia then asks Callimarco to find a stranger to sleep with his wife.

Callimarco then nominates himself to be the lucky man.

Dennis Malak, the theater house manager, said that he saw the first dress rehearsal for “The Mandrake” Monday night and found the play very comical.

“I think that the student audience will find the sexual component of the play interesting,” Malak said.

Wolski agreed.

“Most people think that plays from the past are dusty and moldy, but the actors were very surprised to find how risque the play was for its time,” she commented.

Tickets for “The Mandrake” are on sale in the theater box office from 1 to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, Malak said.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for faculty, staff and senior citizens and $3.50 for students with a Panther card.

For ticket information and reservations contact the box office at 581-3110.