Download March 15–April 7, 2013 - Seattle Shakespeare Company

By William Shakespeare | Directed by Kelly Kitchens
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Jon Kretzu
March 15–April 7, 2013
pay-what-you-will preview March 12 | $22 previews March 13 & 14
Performed at Center Theatre at Seattle Center
In this exuberant romantic comedy youthful idealism gets derailed by love. The King
of Navarre and his buddies have plans to immerse themselves in their studies swearing off less civilized pursuits — namely girls. After the Princess of France arrives with
her ladies on a diplomatic mission, the young men’s hearts melt along with their
brainy resolve. Playful pranks, witty wordplay and moony wooing give way to more
serious matters that reveal the cost of real love.
Tickets: 206-733-8222
or visit www.seattleshakespeare.org
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Kelly Kitchens
All original material copyright © Seattle Shakespeare Company 2013
Dear Patron,
The audiences of Queen Elizabeth’s day would be very familiar with troupes of traveling
players making their way from town to town to perform. Growing out of the tradition of
medieval minstrels and religious dramas that were often performed in makeshift stages
on carts or the steps of the local church, secular dramas became increasing popular
in the mid-1500s. Actors would set up playing spaces in the courtyards of the local
inns. These yards would be located within the center of the inn, open to the air and
surrounded in some cases by second story balconies. Patrons would pay for admittance
to the court yard and stand to watch the play or pay extra for balcony access.
However, the increasingly bawdy nature of the plays and transient lifestyle of the
players, led some in the country to look upon actors with suspicion and denigration.
These attitudes lead to a 1572 law that imposed harsh penalties to any traveling players
without official patronage or license. The restrictions lead to certain troupes gaining
patronage from the royalty and other nobles, and the building of the first permanent
theatres. Built outside the city limits (theatre and actors still being held in low esteem),
these playhouses — The Theatre, The Rose, The Curtain and The Globe, among them —
would house the great dramas of the English Renaissance.
But the touring life was not finished. It is argued that one of the earliest published
versions of Hamlet is a reconstruction from the memory of an actor in a touring
production of the show, since it has some hallmarks of being abridged for time and a
smaller cast well suited for a traveling show.
Seattle Shakespeare Company is honored to be a part of this continuum. It is a
testament to the populist spirit of theatre. Our art form is one that strives to reach out to
as much of the greater community as possible. We are dedicated to bringing the theatre
to the people if the people cannot come to the theatre. For ultimately, our art form is
about bringing people together.
George Mount
Artistic Director, Seattle Shakespeare Company
Sponsored in part by:
Regional Shakespeare Alliances
Each spring our small cast, 90-minute tour productions travel across
Washington State to unlock the power and immediacy of Shakespeare’s
greatest plays through their intended form — live theatre.
Community members celebrate Orcas Island’s 1st
Annual Shakespeare Festival.
Thanks to a generous gift from
Washington Women’s Foundation,
Seattle Shakespeare Company
has been able to develop regional
community alliances with schools,
local businesses, and community
members. These vital Regional
Alliances ensure that, despite
dwidling arts funding, students
throughout Washington will have
access to professional perfomances
of classical theatre.
The response from students and teachers, from Aberdeen to Kettle Falls, has
been enthusiastic and at times profoundly inspiring. Our touring productions
are accompanied by complimentary study guides for educators, post-show
talkbacks with the cast, and the option of booking in-class workshops tailored
to each teacher’s curriculum.
Join the Effort!
Our Allies:
Orcas Island
• Share this article with
any teachers you
know — let them
know about our wide
variety of educational
programming.
• Tell your principal or
PTSA that you want
to see Shakespeare in
your child’s school.
Winthrop
Wilbur
Chelan
Spokane
Yakima
Toppenish
• Know of a community
or business leader in
another part of the
state? Tell them about our Regional Shakespeare Alliances and how they can get
professional Shakespeare performances into their community.
• Pass on our contact information:
[email protected]
or 206-733-8228 x 241
Kelly Kitchens
Director (Romeo & Juliet and Julius Caesar)
Kelly Kitchens is the Artistic Associate of
Seattle Public Theater and a professional
actor, director, and teaching artist who has
been living and working in Seattle since
1997. During this time, she has worked with
Book-It Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory
Theatre, Seattle Opera, Seattle Shakespeare
Company, Endangered Species Project,
Theater Schmeater, Taproot Theatre, Annex
Theatre, Wooden O, Seattle Public Theater,
and Washington Ensemble Theatre. Recent
directing credits include The Cryptogram,
Back Back Back, The Santaland Diaries, and
The Understudy (Seattle Public Theater);
SAAR Cemetery Project and Thank You Mr.
Falker (Book-It Repertory Theatre); and stage
directing Siegfried and the Ring of Fire (Seattle
Opera, Young Artist Program) and Our Earth
Cycle (Seattle Opera Touring). Upcoming
projects include reprising her role as Kate in
The Taming of the Shrew (Seattle Shakespeare
Company, Spring 2013) and directing The
Tempest (Wooden O, Summer 2013). Kelly
is a proud member of the Sandbox Artists
Collective and of Actor’s Equity Association.
She holds her B.A. in Theatre and English
from Vanderbilt University and her M.F.A. in
Acting from the University of Texas.
Victoria Thompson
Rehearsal Stage Manager
Tori Thompson is excited be working
another year as rehearsal stage manager for
the Seattle Shakespeare Company touring
shows. Previous tours include Othello, A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Hamlet. This
summer she worked on Twelfth Night with
Wooden O. She also often stage manages
for Book-It Repertory Theatre where she is
on staff as Production Stage Manager.
Craig Wollam
Scenic Designer
Seattle Scenic Studios’ mission is to
serve the region’s non-profit arts and
cultural organizations and introduce,
inspire, and train the next generation
of technical theatre artists. Their clients
include Seattle Public Theater, ReAct,
Youth Theatre Northwest, Wing Luke
Asian Museum, Eastside Musical Theatre,
Centerstage, Spectrum Dance Theater,
Studio East, Bainbridge KidiMu, Tacoma
Children’s Museum, The Bruce Lee Exhibit
for Inter*Im, and Bellevue Opera, to
name a few. Seattle Scenic’s education
program currently works with the Bush
School, Roosevelt HS, Bothell HS, Kamiak
HS, and Islander MS. Their education and
production programs are supported in
generous part by 4Culture and Seattle’s
Office of Arts and Culture Affairs.
Cast
(in alphabetical order)
Benvolio / Paris Mercutio / Nurse / Prince Juliet / Sampson Tybalt / Friar Romeo / Gregory Lady Capulet / Abram / Apothecary Brandon Felker
Noah Greene
Anastasia Higham
Trevor Marston
Conner Neddersen
Nikki Visel
Casey Brown
Fight Choreographer
Currently on staff at Seattle Shakespeare
as Education Associate and touring
manager, Casey is an active member
of the Society of American Fight
Directors and the International Order
of the Sword and Pen. He is also a
founding member of Performers’ Forge,
a Seattle-based organization dedicated
to the performance and education
of stage combat with whom he has
collaborated on a number of projects.
His choreography has also been seen
in Team of Heroes: Behind Closed Doors
(Annex Theatre), The Fantasicks (Bellevue
College), A Midsummer’s Night Dream
(Studio East), and Macbeth (Animal
Fire Theatre Group). His acting credits
include work with Seattle Opera,
Harlequin Productions, Tygres Heart
Shakespeare, Artists Repertory Theatre,
and Shakespeare and Company. Most
recently, he appeared as a member of
the acting ensemble of the 2012 Seattle
Shakespeare Tour.
Cast
(in alphabetical order)
Caesar / Ghost / Octavius Pindarus / Plebian 4
Antony / Cinna
Soothsayer / Lucius / Calpurnia Metellus Cimber / Plebian 2
Brutus / Octavius’ Servant Plebian 5
Cassius / Plebian 1 / Soldier Caska / Murellus / Artemidorus Plebian 3
Brandon Felker
Noah Greene
Anastasia Higham
Trevor Marston
Conner Neddersen
Nikki Visel
Design and Production
(for both Romeo &Juliet and Julius Caesar)
Director Scenic Designer Costume Designer Fight Choreographer Rehearsal Stage Manager Kelly Kitchens
Craig Wollam
Jocelyne Fowler
Casey Brown
Victoria Thompson Brandon Felker
Noah Greene
Anastasia Higham
Brandon Felker
Anastasia Higham
Brandon has been acting and
improvising around Seattle for a few
years now. This is his second time around
with the Seattle Shakespeare Company
tour. He would like to thank everyone
involved for a lovely experience.
Anastasia is thrilled to be touring with
Seattle Shakespeare Company! She has
previously worked for Seattle Shakespeare
Company on their Camp Bill and Short
Shakes youth productions. Recent roles
include Lauren in Seattle Repertory
Theatre’s Circle Mirror Transformation, Darla
in the Seattle Fringe Festival’s First Born,
and Dot in Whitman College’s Kind Ness.
Anastasia studied theatre and sociology
at Whitman College and is a graduate of
Seattle Childrens Theatre’s Young Actor
Institute. Many thanks to this amazing
cast and creative team, and her alwayssupportive family and friends.
Romeo & Juliet: Benvolio / Paris
Julius Caesar: Caesar / Ghost / Octavius /
Pindarus / Plebian 4
Noah Greene
Romeo & Juliet: Mercutio / Nurse / Prince
Julius Caesar: Antony / Cinna
Noah Greene is thrilled to be working
with the Seattle Shakespeare Company’s
glorious touring productions of Romeo
and Juliet and Julius Caesar. Recently,
Noah graduated from Cornish College
of the Arts with a BFA in Theater and has
since been seen on Seattle Childrens
Theatre’s Stage in Jackie and Me and
Danny, King of the Basement. His studies
at Cornish emboldened a skill set in the
theatrical arts that will forever grow and
challenge him. Noah thanks his folks
and all the special people in his life for
their inspiration and love. “True, I talk of
dreams.” — Mercutio
Romeo & Juliet: Juliet / Sampson
Julius Caesar: Soothsayer / Lucius /
Calpurnia / Metellus Cimber / Plebian 2
Trevor Marston
Romeo & Juliet: Tybalt / Friar
Julius Caesar: Brutus / Octavius’ Servant /
Plebian 5
Trevor Young Marston is a recent graduate
(2011) of the University of Washington
Professional Actor Training Program.
There he performed in over a dozen plays,
including The Crucible, Love’s Labours Lost,
Romeo and Juliet, The Caucasian Chalk Circle,
and others. He produced and performed
in the World Premiere of A Cure for Pain
by Stephanie Timm, and has produced a
devised work with former SITI company
member and UW Professor Jeffrey Fracé
Trevor Marston
Conner Neddersen
entitled Barbarians. In 2010, Trevor spent
a month on the Italian island Stromboli
studying Shakespeare with famed voice
teacher Kristin Linklater. He is extremely
thankful to be working with the Seattle
Shakespeare Company for the first time.
Conner Neddersen
Romeo & Juliet: Romeo / Gregory
Julius Caesar: Cassius / Plebian 1 / Soldier
Conner Neddersen is a graduate of Cornish
College of the Arts with a BFA in theater.
thrilled to continue the touring adventure
with Seattle Shakespeare, which will now
mark his third year in the touring van
“Elizabeth”. He was last seen in taproot
theaters production of Gaudy Night as Saint
George and Lord Oakapple.
Nikki Visel
Romeo & Juliet: Lady Capulet / Apothecary
Julius Caesar: Caska / Murellus /
Artemidorus / Plebian 3
After touring with Seattle Shakespeare
Company last spring, Nikki is happy to
be back out with this familiar cast of
characters. Last seen in Gaudy Night at
Taproot Theatre, favorite roles include Mrs.
Chevely in An Ideal Husband, Athena in
The Odyssey, Joy Gresham in Shadowlands,
and Claire in Proof. You can also find her
in the web series JourneyQuest and the
upcoming full-length feature film Nothing
Against Life. Nikki serves as a teaching artist
in Seattle elementary schools as well as at
Nikki Visel
a local psychiatric hospital. Keep an eye out
for her original play Ordinary Giants this fall.
____________________________________
Jocelyne Fowler
Costume Designer
Jocelyne has designed for Book-It
Repertory Theatre (Anna Karenina,
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,
and Owen Meany’s Christmas Pageant);
Seattle Musical Theatre (Legally Blonde);
Vashon Opera (Eugene Onegin); Youth
Theatre Northwest (Little Women, The
Sound of Music, Cinderella: Rockin’ the
‘80s, The Crucible, The Who’s Tommy, and
2010, 2011, and 2012’s Haunted Forest);
Harlequin Productions (The Americans
Across the Street); Theatre 912 (Everything
in the Garden, Jason and Medea, and The
Cherry Orchard); SecondStory Repertory
(Zombie Prom, The Dancing Princess, The
Princess and the Pea, and Children of
Eden); ReAct Theatre (Driving Miss Daisy, A
Language of Their Own, and Yellow Face);
Live Girls (Quickies 13 and Emerald City);
Ghostlight Theatricals (Freak Storm and
Hedda); and Seattle Pacific University
(Much Ado About Nothing). Upcoming
work can be seen in, Gloucester Blue at
Harlequin Productions, Henry V with
Wooden O, The Tempest in association
with Bainbridge Performing Arts and Die
Fledermaus at Vashon Opera.