Desdemona Casting!

I feel truly blessed to return to STAGEStheatre, which has become like a second home for me, for the second time this year. I am pleased to announce that I will be playing Desdemona in Paula Vogel's Desdemona: A Play About A Handkerchief at STAGEStheatre. I am thrilled to reunite with director Jill Johnson (The 39 Steps) for this comedic re-imagining of Shakespeare's Othello. This will also be a reunion for the Americana girls, as I will be playing alongside Amy Lauren Gettys and KC Marie Pandell. Please join me Oct. 8th - Nov. 5th, Saturdays & Sundays @ 5pm, for what I know will be a spectacular show! For more info. please visit my Events or stagesoc.org.

Oedipus | Antigone Casting!

I am excited to be invited to perform as a guest artist in the resident company production of Oedipus | Antigone at Archway Studio/Theatre. I am reuniting with producing artistic director Steven Sabel for this special adaptation of Sophocles' works. We previously worked together on 2 back-to-back season at the Redlands Shakespeare Festival, where I play such roles as Viola (Twelfth Night), Arial (The Tempest), and Isabella (Measure for Measure). I will be playing the Priestess (traditionally the Priest of Zeus) as well as a central part of the Chorus. I am thrilled to be brushing up on my Greek tragedy and dive into this classical text.

Shakespeare Institute Players' As You Like It mentioned alongside the RSC!

I just stumbled across this review of As you Like It - Sandra Holt, of The Stratford Herald, recently praised the Shakespeare Institute Players in her latest review of the RSC’s As You Like It. It seems the Institute’s production of As You Like It turned some heads in Stratford-upon-Avon. In her mention she praised our production as “beautifully performed” and named this year’s RSC production as a “runner-up in the Stratford staging stakes”. Of course I am not delusional enough to believe that the greater theatrical community found our production more intriguing than that of the Royal Shakespeare Company (Pippa Nixon is my all-time favorite RSC actress afterall), but I am certainly glad that we made an impression and are still being talked about nearly a year later. I feel so blessed and honored to have played Rosalind with the Shakespeare Institute Players and I am so proud of everyone involved.

Romeo and Juliet Opening / Closing!

It is not often that I blog about the opening and closing of a show simultaneously, but with only two performances of Santa Fe Springs Playhouse’s production of Romeo & Juliet it seems necessary. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring Shakespeare to the community of Santa Fe Springs and perform the beautiful venue of Heritage Park. I dedicated a lot of time and effort into playing Mercutio, yet it feels as though I hardly know him. This production has provided an incredible learning experience for me, challenging my skills and bringing me out of my comfort zone. Who knew that the straight-laced, feminine, little ol’ me would play a pot-smoking version of one of Shakespeare’s greatest homoerotic male characters? It was a challenge I was willing to face. I hope that during this process I achieved the openness and relaxed portrayal of wit, courage, loyalty, and intrigue that I see in Mercutio. With such a short run, it is hard to say that I reached my full potential in this coveted role, but I can say I had a great time playing with my cast-mates. Love and Peace.

Romeo and Juliet Casting!

I am proud to announce that I will be reuniting with director Kaitlyn Tice for another Shakespeare classic. Get ready for more bawdy jokes! This little lady is putting her man pants back on to play Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet at the Santa Fe Springs Playhouse. There will be 2 performances only, with an option to relocate the production to the La Habra Depot for additional performances.

The first read-through is tonight. I am looking forward to beginning this journey. Let's get Queen Mab's chariot on the road! Zounds the Montague and Capulet groupies! - It's TEAM MERCUTIO all the way!

Livestream Hamlet Tonight!

The La Habra Depot Theatre will livestrem their production of Hamlet tonight (2/9/2013) at 8pm PST! Please join us here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/la-habra-depot-theater

Shakespeare Uncovered Premiere!

Calling out the Shakespeare Lovers everywhere! Don't forget to watch or set your DVR: The PBS series Shakespeare Uncovered premieres Friday, January 25, 9PM ET! Check your local listings.

This 6 episode series will begin with 2 back-to-back episodes. The series will discuss the history of the play in performance and new analysis with celebrated actors and celebrity guests. I can hardly wait!



January 25, 2013
Macbeth with Ethan Hawke
The Comedies with Joely Richardson

February 1, 2013
Richard II with Derek Jacobi
Henry IV & Henry V with Jeremy Irons

February 8, 2103
Hamlet with David Tennant
The Tempest with Trevor Nunn

Gertrude Questions Answered

Did Claudius and Gertrude have an affair before the death of Old Hamlet?

The ghost refers to Gertrude as an “incestuous and adulterate beast". In Elizabethan England, and according to the Old Testament book of Leviticus 20:21, marrying your late husband’s brother would be considered an incestuous act (“If a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing.”). Thus, when Gertrude remarries Claudius she effectively is guilty of incest. The word “adultery” may refer either to a marital affair (in the modern sense) or any sexual sin (in the Elizabethan sense), including incest. For certain, Gertrude is guilty of incest. Whether or not they had an affair is ambiguous, but Shakespeare certainly spares no expense in describing their heated sexuality. Claudius and Gertrude obviously have chemistry.

Does Gertrude know Claudius killed Hamlet, Sr.?

I have been thinking about this question a lot lately. I do not believe this one to be as enigmatic as some may believe. In my mind, the answer is ‘no’. There is no textual evidence to support the affirmative response to this question. First, she marries her husband’s killer—and act that seems unfathomable if she knows of foul play. She either doesn’t know, or she was 100% complicit. But if she were a true accomplice, there would be no reason for the ghost to instruct Hamlet to leave her sins alone (“Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive / Against thy mother aught: leave her to heaven”). Her sins, while still vile, are not as great as murder and will “prick and sting” her as she lives. Let’s face it, no one knows of King Hamlet’s murder. It takes a ghost to make this fact known. Therefore Gertrude’s only deadly sin is her “o'erhasty marriage” as a crime of incest/adultery. Likewise, she shows no signs of guilt, counter to Claudius’ guilt which “smells to heaven”. Second, she shows surprise at Hamlet’s suggestion that his father was murdered. I believe her line "As kill a king?" in the closet scene is not so much an ‘Oh crap, Hamlet knows!’ as it is a realization of the possibility that Hamlet’s seemingly mad reality might be true. Perhaps she is naïve, or perhaps in that moment she is forced to consider a possibility she has formerly repressed. Whether she is ignorant or mentally inhibited, her innocence creates a further complication which stifles Hamlet’s ability to carry out revenge.  The ghost must reappear to remind Hamlet to help his mother, not hurt her. Still, Gertrude does not see the ghost. Assuming she now knows in her heart and mind that Claudius is a murderer, her attitude remains strikingly unaffected on the surface. This is partly because Hamlet instructs her to keep her distance from Claudius and be complicate in his feigned madness, and partly her own uncertainty. She lies to Claudius to protect Hamlet, telling Claudius that Hamlet "weeps for what is done" when clearly he does not.  She feels guilty for the actions that lead to Polonius’ death (“so full of jealously is guilt / it spills itself in fearing to be spilt”) and the subsequent madness of Ophelia, yet still does not outwardly take sides. Unless she knows the cup is poisoned…

Does Gertrude know the cup is poisoned?

Since the text is ambiguous it is difficult to tell. Perhaps Gertrude drinks knowingly, trading her son’s life for her own. Perhaps she is suspicious, but ultimately unsure if the cup is poisoned, risking her life to save Hamlet from certain death. Perhaps she is unaware, oblivious to the danger that awaits her, only recognizing the truth when she is faced with death. All seem a fitting end to a Shakespearean tragedy. Most Oedipal interpretations agree that Gertrude knowingly drinks the poison, bringing her relationship with Hamlet full circle – she then becomes the nurturing mother Hamlet desires.

Why does Ophelia give Gertrude rue?

It is interesting that the only herb Ophelia intends for herself is rue: "...there's rue for you, and here's some for me; we may call it herb of grace o'Sundays; O, you must wear your rue with a difference." Scholars commonly agree that the rue is also meant for Gertrude. The symbolic meaning of rue is regret, but the practical application of rue is as a powerful abortifacient which can be lethally toxic. Does this explain why Gertrude married Claudius so quickly after her husband’s death? Or is the rue simply in reference to the regret and repentance? Being the Shakespeare purest that I am, I tend to lean toward the latter.

To discover how I deal with these questions you must come see the play!
 

Where? The La Habra Depot Theatre
When? January 25th - Febuary 9th (Thurs/Fri/Sat @8pm, Sun @ 2:30pm)
Tickets? Visit http://lhdthamlet-esli.eventbrite.com or Goldstar.com

Approaching Gertrude

Last night we began blocking "the closet scene"/my favorite scene in Hamlet. After spending a minimal amount of time walking through it, I came home slightly disappointed and confused. Mostly, I felt dissatisfied with the mundaneness that overwhelmed me after working on what should be one of the most exciting scenes in the play. Perhaps I was just having an off-night, but I can't stop thinking about it. It is clear to me that I still have a plethora of unanswered questions in my head.

When I read Hamlet, I often ask myself ‘Why?’. There is the big why: Why does Hamlet remain in inaction for so long? And the whys that defy reason: Why does Hamlet hesitate to kill Claudius? Why does Hamlet so easily slay Polonius? Why is Hamlet so cruel to Ophelia? Etc.

This time, as I read the play, I have a whole new collection of whys: Why does Gertrude marry Claudius, and why so soon after the death of King Hamlet? Why does Gertrude reject her motherly identity? Why does Gertrude agree to banish her own son? In short, why is Gertrude so confusing?

In The Spiritual Shakespeare, “Spectres of Hamlet,” Richard Kearney describes Hamlet as “a story about the simultaneous necessity and impossibility of stories. Ophelia cannot tell her story until she goes mad (when she tells everything but is no longer herself: ‘Here’s rosemary for remembrance’); Claudius cannot tell his story, even in the confessional, until it is forced from him by the play within the play; Gertrude cannot tell her story because she is ignorant of it (she does not know that Claudius killed the King); Polonius and his fellow courtiers, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Osric, cannot tell their stories since they say only what pleases or deceives. Even Prince Hamlet cannot tell his story for as long as conscience makes a coward of him: not until, dying of a fatal wound, he begs his friend Horatio: ‘absent thee from felicity awhile to tell my story’.Which means that this is a play where no one actually tells their story, no one truly remembers, until Prince Fortinbras arrives too late on the scene, and announces: ‘I have some rights of memoryin this kingdom / Which now to claim my vantage doth invite me’” (Kearney 159-60).

Now, as an actor, the most important question I ask myself is ‘How do I tell the story?’ – A question negated by the inability of Gertrude to remember the past and plan for the future. Perhaps this explains my frustrations from last night.

If I consider the closet scene, Act III, scene iv, I am filled with more and more uncertainty. This pivotal scene presents a great deal of action and insight into the characters of Hamlet and Gertrude, but it also begs the answers to additional questions: Does Gertrude know of Claudius’ involvement in King Hamlet’s murder? Is Gertrude guilty of infidelity prior to the death of Hamlet, Sr.? Does Hamlet truly win Gertrude over to his side? These are questions that must be answered by me, the actor – It is clear I have a lot of work to do…

Hamlet Tickets Now on Sale!

The La Habra Depot Theatre Presents HAMLET

Featuring Jamie Sowers as Gertrude!

Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Kaitlyn Tice

 

About:
Join us for a telling of William Shakespeare's most famous tragedy Hamlet, Steampunk style! Watch as Hamlet's determination to avenge the murder of his father and remarriage of his mother builds to a complex mechanism of intrigue and introspection.

When:
January 25 - February 9, 2013
Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays @ 8PM
Sundays @ 2:30PM

Where:

La Habra Depot Theatre

311 South Euclid Street
La Habra, CA 90631

Tickets:
General Admission: $15

Call the ticket line at (562) 905-9625 or visit http://lhdthamlet-esli.eventbrite.com
Limited discount tickets available at Goldstar.

Tickets are also available at the box office 2 hours before showtime unless the show has sold out.

Hamlet Casting! & Welcome Home!

Today I mark two mile stones; First, my return from England and my return to my blog. Second, a casting announcement.

This is my first blog post since my return to California after spending a beautiful year in England completing my MA at Birmingham University's Shakespeare Institute (To read about my travels please visit Shakespeare4Me). My hope is to return to this blog to post news about my theatre journeys, reviews, and anything else that inspires me.

Next I would like to announce my latest theatre project. I just booked my first role since my return to California. I have been cast as Gertrude in Hamlet at the La Habra Depot. Now I know what you are thinking: are you even old enough to play Gertrude? To this I reply: age is only a number. I am very excited to begin this project with some Chapman University Alums and some new faces as well. The talented Rudolph Niemann is playing the title role, Timothy Roscoe if playing opposite me as Claudius, and Kaitlyn Tice is directing. Who could ask for more? A talented cast and director, along with the words of William Shakespeare! I am truly blessed.

Shakespeare's Rome in Garden Grove

Carl Reggiardo directs and stars as the title character in Shakespeare Orange County’s summer production of Julius Caesar. This well-rounded cast of players depicts the tragic assassination of Julius Caesar, civil war, and the political chaos of the aftermath.

Deeply rooted in the central action of the play is the struggle of Marcus Brutus played by David Denman. In the play, Brutus struggles between his friendship with Caesar, his patriotism and his own humanity.

Deman’s Brutus is strong and proud, with a melancholy humor weighing on his soul. While fundamentally a noble spirit, Brutus allows the distrusting Cassius (John Walcutt) to manipulate his thoughts until he is no long sure of the difference between right and wrong. Yet, both characters are likeable despite their flaws.

Michael Eric Strickland, as the ever loyal and noble Mark Antony, does not hit his full stride until mid-way through the play. However, once given the stakes of Caesar’s tragic murder his star lights up the stage. He becomes the character we all know and love.

Together the ensemble cast shows remarkable talent, connecting to each piece of the story communicating the story to their audience. This is the way Shakespeare should be performed. Shakespeare Orange County delivers yet another well deserved standing ovation from this blogger.


Celebrating its 20th season, Shakespeare Orange County will present “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar,” at 8:15 pm from July 7 -12, 2011 at The Festival Amphitheatre in Garden Grove. Tickets are $34 for adults and $32 for students and seniors or take advantage of “pay what you will” Thurs night! http://www.shakespeareoc.org

King Lear, where has the fool gone?

Shakespeare by the Sea presents a free performance of King Lear! Tonight’s performance took place in Newport Beach at the Bonita Canyon Sports Park.



While King Lear should be the ultimate family drama, filled with explosive emotions and heartache, the only tragedy tonight was this lack luster production. This is the reason non-believers hate Shakespeare. The story is only clearly communicated in brief intervals of time. In short, this production is difficult to understand.

David Graham as King Lear did not connect to his character until the quarter final of the play. He became flamboyant as be began to fall into madness, rather than frail or childish. His only redeeming quality came on his reunion with Cordelia, a tender and intimate moment between father and daughter.

Colin Sprague was utterly forgettable as the Fool. It almost seemed as though the character was left out of the play altogether, as there was no meaningful relationship between him and his master. Our only reminder of his presence came at the end of the play with Lear declared, “And my poor fool is hang'd!”.

Katherine Curi-Prenovost seemed miscast as Regan. Her elegant and royal presence onstage over-shadowed Suzanne Dean as Goneril. Dean seemed to scream her way through the role, creating a high volume character without emotional depth or levels. Her counterpart and sister, Regan (Curi-Prenovost), showed great emotional range and understanding of her character.

Cylan Brown played a devious Edmund, fighting against the instinctual baseness of his character and created a regal prototype of abusive grace. Drew Shirley shined as Edgar. He was the only actor of the night to take strong risks and emotionally dive into his character’s circumstances. He is a true talent and appears a seasoned classical performer.

All-in-all, this on again – off again production of King Lear is a bit of a disappointment, especially in the back of the house where the physicality of the performance can get lost. While it is an honest attempt of bringing FREE Shakespeare to the masses, and many were in attendance, the overall feeling of the night left me discouraged.

I ask nothing more than to be told the story and I was left wanting.

King Lear or Much Ado About Nothing. Presented by Shakespeare by the Sea. Performances through August 13th, Wednesday – Sunday nights. Tickets are FREE. Check Website for dates, times and locations: http://www.shakespearebythesea.org.

As You Like It - Laurence Olivier

Shakespeare's Bloody Vampires!

A new imagination of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus is now appearing at Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre. Director Steven Sabel has conceptualized a war between vampires, as the conquered Goth Queen Tamora fights violently against her rival Titus.

The 8:30PM showing is cut down to 90 minutes with no intermission. The black box space is perfect for an intimate night of blood and gore. As the audience quickly find out, the front row is definitely a wet section. But not to worry, as the blood, made from detergent, washes out easily.

Staging Titus Andronicus as a vampire tale is a decision that came easily to director Steven Sabel – Even though his immediate colleagues had some reservations. With an abundance of current vampire popularity in films like Twilight and the Trueblood series, audiences are bound to enjoy this Gothic twist on Shakespeare’s most violent play. A quick read of Sabel’s production notes reveal the surprising deep connections between Roman cruelty and mythical vampire violence.

Roman General Titus, played by the posed Tom Newman, returns victorious in the war against the Goths. Along with his returned soldiers, Titus produces the conquered Tamora, Queen of the Goths. In retaliation for the bloodshed of war, he quickly sacrifices her eldest son.

Titus then supports the tyrannical Saturninus (Jordan Maxwell) over his virtuous brother, Bassianus (Casey Williams), as emperor. Together, these two events set in motion the play's cycle of violence and revenge.

Enraged by the murder of her son, Tamora, played by the powerfully sexy Jennifer Blanck, vows to "find a day to massacre" those responsible. Aided by Aaron the Moor and her two devilish sons, Tamora calculates her revenge with deadly accuracy. In the end, no one in Titus' family is untouched by the bloodshed and mayhem.

If audiences continue to pack Zombie Joe’s theatre to see the fall of Titus, there may even be room in the Redlands Shakespeare Festival’s 2011 season for a remounting of this conceptual piece. Let’s hope there will be more vampires to come!

Get your tickets today, as many of the performances are sure to sell out!

Titus Andronicus, presented by Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group and STS Productions, opens Sept. 17; plays Fri.-Sat., 8:30 pm; through Oct. 16. Tickets: $15. ZJU Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; 818.202.4120 or http://www.zombiejoes.com/.

"I will preach to thee: mark."

Tonight I had the privilege of attending Shakespeare Orange County’s production of King Lear. Founded by Thomas Bradac in 1992, Shakespeare Orange County is the only professional performing arts organization in Orange County solely dedicated to producing classical theatre.

I hold SOC close to my heart, as it utilized the talents of Chapman University’s faculty and students, where I completed my undergraduate training. It is always a marvel to me to walk through those iron gates at the Garden Grove Festival Amphitheatre and be greeted by so many familiar faces. More importantly, this production features Dennis Krausnick as King Lear – a founder of Shakespeare & Company, talented actor, and master teacher.

I first met Dennis at a weekend Shakespeare & Company intensive, where I receive one-on-one instruction as he helped me work through an Isabella monologue from William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.

Dennis not only changed the way I approached the text, but he also helped my over a hurdle in acting career where I doubted my ability to perform my craft.

I stood before him uttering the words of Isabella, “To whom should I complain? Did I tell this? / Who would believe me…” when he abruptly stopped me. “You don’t think you are good, do you?” – He emphatically stated. I started to cry because I felt that he had stared right through me into my soul and saw my fears. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “You are good. Now tell yourself and do it.”

The following year I played Isabella in Measure for Measure with the Redlands Shakespeare Festival under the direction of one of Dennis’s colleagues, Eric Tucker. I channeled Dennis’s words before every rehearsal and every performance. It is amazing that such a simple validation could change my outlook forever.

So there I was on Thursday night, watching my mentor on stage—A man, who probably will never know what an immense impact he has had on my life—and having the most intense catharsis as Lear lost everything he held dear to him.

Together Dennis Krausnick as Lear and Michael Nehring as Gloucester bring the audience on a torturous journey through melancholy. Perhaps the most powerful moment it in this production is when the two reunited – Lear in his madness and Gloucester in his blindness. Suddenly two strong men comfort each other as s literal and figurative storm rages over their heads.



KING LEAR
If thou wilt weep my fortunes, take my eyes.
I know thee well enough; thy name is Gloucester:
Thou must be patient; we came crying hither:
Thou know'st, the first time that we smell the air,
We wawl and cry. I will preach to thee: mark.

GLOUCESTER
Alack, alack the day!

KING LEAR
When we are born, we cry that we are come
To this great stage of fools: this a good block;
It were a delicate stratagem, to shoe
A troop of horse with felt: I'll put 't in proof;
And when I have stol'n upon these sons-in-law,
Then, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!

Shakespeare Orange County’s production of King Lear is honest and terrifying. It glimpses into the phantoms of human nature, striping each character down to the core of their humanity. This powerful production is sure to leave you breathless.

King Lear. Sept 2-18 (Thurs – Sat). All performances start at 8:15pm at the Festival Amphitheatre, 12740 Main St., Garden Grove. Tickets are $27-$32. Call 714-590-1575 or visit the SOC website for more information: http://www.shakespeareoc.org/

OSF Belongs To Its Audience

Today class was filled with discussion, most of which was long-winded, tedious and not worth recounting. It saddens me that I have not felt a deeper connection with the group.

At 12 Noon we were fortunate enough to attend a lecture by artistic director Bill Rauch. He spoke with vigor about how he played a role in choosing the current season of plays and gave us insight into the creation of cast, crew and overall production choices for the season. I can hardly believe the amount of time and the heart that is put into this company. I was most impressed when he quoted the founder by saying that OSF “belongs to its audience.”

I had the immense pleasure of seeing Pride and Prejudice. Kate Hurster stole my heart as Elizabeth Bennet, and Elijah Alexander came in as a dark knight as Mr. Darcy. I was immediately transported to a romantic world filled with wit and eloquence. The costumes were picturesque. This is the only adaptation I have seen on the stage, but it is the standard to which I will compare all other productions.

We ended the afternoon by visiting the first folio at the New Theatre, Mom was a bit bored with this final event, not understanding that she stood over one of the most pristine surviving copies of the folio but I was pleased to see it for the second time.

Now we are taking the time to visit Aunt Marsha and Uncle Brian before we return to the theatre tomorrow for Hamlet.

2010 Oregon Shakespeare Festival - So It Begins!

First Day of class at the 2010 Oregon Shakespeare Festival – I find myself in Ashland for the first time with my two favorite people, my parents. My first year at OSF, I took my best girlfriend Nicole. My second year, I took my father. And now here I am with my father and my mother. I am optimistic that they will enjoy this experience as much as I will.

We arrived early last night and checked in to our hotel. We decided to stay at the Holiday Inn again this year. It is about 3 miles from the festival, but we like the familiarity of it.

We drove into Medford for dinner. We ate that the Black Bear Diner and returned early to our hotel so we would be well-rested for today’s activities.

At 9 AM we met New Place for our first Wake Up with Shakespeare discussion class and were greeted by our instructor, Alan Armstrong. He is a pleasant gentleman and very intelligent, but a little disorganized.

The class is much larger this year than I have seen in previous years. And for the first time I am not the youngest audience member in my class. As it turns out I have graduated into the middle age group of Shakespeare – I am not sure how I feel about this yet, but at least I will not be picked on for my youth.

In the afternoon we attended Throne of Blood in the Angus Bowmer. Based on Akira Kurosawa’s film of the same title, this play astounded me with its visual and cultural connections to Noh Theatre, while keeping true to the base story-line of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Directed and adapted by Ping Chong, this play is truly a spectacle to behold.

Lady Asaji Washizu (Lady Macbeth) is haunting with her white face paint and synchronized Noh movements. Played by the Japanese actress, Ako, Lady Asaji appeared doll-like and nightmarish. Unlike Kevin Kenerly’s portrayal of Taketoki Washizu (Macbeth) which emphasized the humanity of his character.

After the show I felt suddenly ill, so we returned to the car after Throne of Blood to nap. I felt a little sick to my stomach and a headache pressed against the back of my eyes. Perhaps this was a side effect of the dreaded Scottish Play, or a result of yesterday’s dinner at the Black Bear Diner. Luckily the weather was nice enough to nap in the car with the windows down. Later we woke to walk the tiny community of Ashland and eat at the Greenleaf Café.

We then returned to the Elizabethan stage in the evening to watch Henry IV, Part One. I instantly fell in love with this history play. My dear Richard Howard (Cyrano from 2006) played King Henry. I love the silent agony that appears in the sparkle of his eye.

David Kelly stole the show as Sir John Falstaff. Dressed in a fat suit, this remarkable actor delivered the crude character burping and farting his way into our hearts like Don Quixote.

Rounding out the masterful performances of the night John Tufts caught my eye and ear every time he entered the stage as Prince Hal. I assume that they are setting him up to play Hal next year in Henry IV, Part Two. His character arc from a young drunkard to a honorable prince made his dismissal of Falstaf all the more tragic.

We could not have started out theatre experiences here in Ashland on a better note.

All that is left for me to do is take my NyQuil and try to get my body back on track for further adventures.

Happy Fourth of July – Bard Style!

What if Shake-Speare had written the Declaration of Indepedence?

In honor of our nation’s most patriotic holiday – here is a Declaration of Independence in the style of the Bard…

Courtesy of SP Hendrick and The Redlands Shakespeare Festival.

Now is the Summer of our Discontent
Expressed by multitudes of men whose pleas
For fair and proper governaunce are rent
By Soverign King, unheeded, as a breeze
Might go unnoticed. Now forlorn, we cry…
For Freedom from that puffed, indiffererent Crown
Which hath despoiled our patience with the lie
That God hath righteously on him bestown
All that we are and have for his sole right
To take and plunder and to sieze at will
So for our Liberty we choose to fight
Against this tyrant whom we wish no ill
But let him now take heed. Let it be said:
Uneasy lies the Crown upon his head.

May all your fireworks exist in the sky…..

Or a great kiss!!

"Don’t give them a Punch and Judy show villain."

I recently read an interview conducted with Sir Ben Kingsley, whom I consider one of today’s greatest actors. He is currently promoting his new film Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster film based on the popular video game. In the midst of actors like Shia Labeouf creating controversy by bashing their own films – here is Sir Ben Kingsley showing the next generation of actors how to handle all their roles with grace.

“I do the same job. The background alters, and where the camera is placed, and the effects around me. But I am doing the same job. I serve Nizam as if Nizam was written by Shakespeare and he was called Richard III."

“Why waste my time trivializing a character or a film?” he continued… “If I trivialize it, it’s going to spoil three, four, five months of my life. Instead, I consciously think to myself, ‘Aim high, aim very high with Nizam. If the kids are going to come and watch it, let them see Richard III from Shakespeare. That will make them go, ‘Wow.’ Don’t give them a Punch and Judy show villain.”

To this I say, thank you Sir Ben Kingsley, for being a true knight of the stage and film, and serving art with honor. You are an inspiration to us all.