GAZEBO PLAYERS
SHOW SUMMARY FOR WILLIAM SHAKESPERE'S TWELFTH NIGHT
The cast of Twelfth Night poses after the last performance. Back row (left to right): Shane Hoche, Steve Small, Cameron Small, Chris Woodsum, Randy Elliot. Middle row: Caitlin Cronin, Ashley Harmon, Cynthia Small, Harold Jukebox, Ben Medeiros, Jenn Graham, Juli Small. Front row: Valerie Cain, Emily Dahl, Jenn Kessler, Amanda Loewy, Barbara Schapiro.
For their eighth annual Shakespeare in the Park production, Gazebo Players mounted a production of Twelfth Night.
Gazebo Secretary Debbi Finkelstein directed the production. Debbi chose to set the production in the 1950’s. The play opens with Duke Orsino’s line “If music be the food of love, play on.” Orsino, costumed reminiscent of Fonzie from Happy Days, whacks a jukebox, and the 50’s music started, continuing throughout the performance. Hound Dog, Good Golly Miss Molly, and Rockin’ Robin were just some of the vintage melodies used with Shakespeare’s words.
There was a large turnover in cast from the previous year’s production of Macbeth, as only three of the Macbeth cast returned for Twelfth Night. Four veterans Gazebans returned after taking last year off, and nine actors made their Gazebo debuts. Among the newcomers, audiences were particularly delighted with the performances of Valerie Cain as Maria and Jenn Kessler as Feste. Newcomer Amanda Loewy also made an impression in the lead role of Viola.
Director Debbi Finkelstein created a production that was extremely flexible; this turned out to be a good thing, as the show moved to four different venues. Rain never actually materialized, but flash flood warnings prompted a move indoors on two separate dates. For the first time the rain space in Medfield was the Montrose School on North Street. The total audience that attended during the run was around 400. Performances were given at the Gazebo on July 18, 19, and 26, at the Montrose School on July 27, at Bird Park on August 1, and at the Walpole Footlighters on August 2.
CAST:
Ben Medeiros: Duke Orsino
Chris Woodsum: Curio/Servant
Jenn Graham: Valentine
Amanda Loewy: Viola
Shane Hoche: Captain/1st Officer
Steve Small: Sir Toby Belch
Valerie Cain: Maria
Randy Elliot: Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Jenn Kessler: Feste, the Fool
Ashley Harmon: Olivia
Barbara Schapiro: Malvolio
Cynthia Small: Antonia
Emily Dahl: Sebastian
Juliana Small: Fabian
Cameron Small: 2nd Officer/Attendant
Caitlin Cronin: Priest/Attendant
PRODUCTION STAFF
Brenda Ladoulis: Executive Producer
Lyndie Laramore: Co-Producer
Jan Laramore: Co-Producer
Debbi Finkelstein: Director
Michaela Weglinski: Asst. Director
Aly Thompson: Stage Manager
Edward Eaton: Fight Choreographer
Patty Ford: Set Design and Construction
Chris Milford: Set Construction
Chris Romilly: Sound Designer
Dayna Spinner: Costume Design
Rachel Harmon: Costumes
Maureen Smith: Costumes
Cynthia Small: Props Manager
Rachel Harmon: Playbill artwork
Susan Duprey: Playbill
Jason Lamb: Playbill
Steve Small: Publicity
Lyndie Laramore: Concessions
Jan Laramore: Concessions
Brenda Ladoulis: Concessions
About the Gazebo Players |
GAZEBO PLAYERS ANNOUNCES
CAST FOR WILLIAM SHAKESPERE'S TWELFTH NIGHT
The Gazebo Players of Medfield, has cast their ninth annual "Shakespeare In The Park” production of William Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT.
Shakespeare wrote “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.” The Gazebo Players’ will try to achieve greatness with that line and the rest of Shakespeare’s script for Twelfth Night, this summer’s eighth annual Shakespeare in the Park production.
Viola (Amanda Loewy of Natick) and Sebastian (Emily Dahl of Newton) are twins who are shipwrecked and wash up separately on the shores of Illyria, each believing the other to have drowned. Viola decides to dress as a man for protection in a foreign land, and quickly finds herself serving as a eunuch in the court of Duke Orsino (Ben Medeiros of Somerset). Orsino is in love with Olivia (Ashley Harmon of Dover), and Viola is sent as Orsino’s emissary to press his suit with Olivia. Viola falls in love with Orsino but can’t express it while disguised as a man, and her problems are further complicated when Olivia falls in love with her, thinking her to be a man.
Orsino is not Olivia’s only suitor. Her uncle, Sir Toby Belch (Steve Small of Medfield), is advancing Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Randy Elliot of Southboro) as a suitor, primarily so that Sir Toby can continue to drink on Sir Andrew’s dime. Sir Toby is not above playing practical jokes on Sir Andrew while extracting funds from him, and Sir Toby’s practical jokes are not confined to those from whom he is sponging. With the help of Olivia’s servants Maria (Valerie Cain of Norwood), Feste (Jenn Kessler of Millis), and Fabian (Juli Small of Medfield), they convince Malvolio (Barbara Schapiro of Sharon), the stuffy head servant, that Olivia is madly in love with him, when nothing could be further from the truth. They convince Malvolio to don some outlandish outfits and perform some outrageous tasks, all in the name of love.
Rounding out the cast and advancing the merriment are Medfield residents Shane Hoche as the Captain, Cynthia Small as Antonia, Chris Woodsum as Curio, and Cameron Small as an Officer. They are joined by out-of-towners Caitlin Cronin of Plainville as the Priest (yes, there’s a wedding) and Jenn Graham of Walpole as Valentine.
Director Debbi Finkelstein has chosen to set Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identities and practical jokes in the 1950’s. Ms. Finkelstein says, “The 1950’s were a time of both stagnancy and shifting ideas, a time of both good family values mixed in with lingering bad attitudes from the Jim Crowe laws, the Cold War and McCarthy-ism. The production will focus on the attitude toward women in the 50s, as well as women’s attitudes about themselves. Also, the characters in the play talk about music a lot, and the 1950’s were a time of great changes in music. Olivia loves her teen idols and crooners, while Orsino likes his music with more edge and rock 'n' rolling! The audience will definitely recognize the soundtrack and have a great time with one of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies.”
All performances of Twelfth Night start at 5 PM and are free to the public. Performances at the Gazebo in Medfield will be given on July 18, 19, 25, and 26. Performances at the Pavilion in Bird Park in Walpole will be given on August 1 and 2. In case of rain, the Medfield performances will be at the Montrose School (29 North Street), and the Walpole performances will be at the Walpole Footlighters (5 Scout Rd.). Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic. Light refreshments will be available.
The Gazebo Player’s production of Twelfth Night is made possible by grants from the Medfield Cultural Council and the Walpole Cultural Council, both of which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The Walpole performances are co-sponsored by the Walpole Footlighters.
About the Gazebo Players
For more information about Twelfth Night please contact co-producer Lyndie Laramore, lyndielaramore@gmail.com.
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GAZEBO PLAYERS ANNOUNCES
AUDITIONS FOR WILLIAM SHAKESPERE'S TWELFTH NIGHT
The Gazebo Players of Medfield, a non-profit community based theater organization located in Medfield, Massachusetts, will hold open auditions for their ninth annual "Shakespeare In The Park” production of William Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT. Auditions will be held on Monday, May 11 and Tuesday, May 12 at the T. A. Blake Middle School Auditorium, Pound St., Medfield, at 7:00 PM. If necessary, call backs will be held on Thursday, May 14, at the Blake Middle School Auditorium at 7:00 PM.
TWELFTH NIGHT will be performed on three consecutive weekends: July 18, 19, 25, and 26 at the Gazebo next to the Medfield Public Library, and August 1 and 2 at the Music Court in Bird Park, Walpole, MA.
Actors aged 15 and up are welcome to attend. Prepared monologues are welcome but not necessary. No prior Shakespeare experience is necessary. The only requirement is that actors have a willingness to learn and have fun. All roles are being cast through this audition process. Non-traditional casting will be considered.
The production will be directed by long-time Gazebo member Debbi Finkelstein. Debbi has been involved with numerous shows in many places. With Gazebo, she has appeared onstage in As You Like It, served as Assistant Director for The Little Prince, directed Gazebo's first "Reduced Shakespeare on Medfield Day" effort, and was a co-producer for last summer's production of Macbeth. Most recently she directed the short film Say Goodbye, which was filmed in Medfield.
Directions to the Blake Middle School
About the Gazebo Players
Download an audition form
For more information about auditions for Twelfth Night please contact co-producer Lyndie Laramore, lyndielaramore@gmail.com.
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GAZEBO PLAYERS ANNOUNCES
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK 2009
The Gazebo Players’ eighth annual Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night.
Directed by Debbi Finkelstein, Gazebo Players member since 2006, believes that Twelfth Night would be great in a 1950s setting: it is easily relatable to people of all ages and is still remembered by many. It was a time of both stagnancy and shifting ideas, a time of both good (Leave it to Beaver attitudes) and bad (Jim Crowe ideals, Cold War, lingering McCarthy-ism). I would like to focus also on the attitude toward women in the 50s, as well as women’s attitudes about themselves. This would be done fairly easily through both Viola and Olivia. Where Viola feels that she must dress like a man to a) stay unharmed and b) fit in in her new surroundings, Olivia takes full advantage of the powers that are given to women.
Illyria, the setting of Twelfth Night, is important to the play's romantic atmosphere. It is an ancient region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea covering parts of modern Croatia, Montenegro and Albania, but, in the context of allegory, is thought to be Menæchmi, as a place where, as in Twelfth Night, a twin went looking for his brother. Shakespeare himself mentioned it previously, in Henry VI, Part II, noting its reputation for pirates. It has been noted that the play's setting also has English characteristics such as Viola's use of "Westward ho!", a typical cry of 16th century London boatmen, and also Antonio's recommendation to Sebastian of "the Elephant" as where it is "best to lodge" in Illyria; the Elephant was a pub not far from the Globe theatre.[1]
Like many of Shakespeare's comedies, this one centres on mistaken identity. The leading character, Viola, is shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria during the opening scenes. She loses contact with her twin brother, Sebastian, whom she believes dead. Posing as a boy and masquerading as a young page under the name Cesario, she enters the service of Duke Orsino. Orsino is in love with the bereaved Lady Olivia, whose father and brother have recently died, and who will have nothing to do with any suitors, the Duke included. Orsino decides to use "Cesario" as an intermediary. Olivia, believing Viola to be a man, falls in love with this handsome and eloquent messenger. Viola, in turn, has fallen in love with the Duke, who also believes Viola is a man, and who regards her as his confidant.
Much of the play is taken up with the comic subplot, in which several characters conspire to make Olivia's pompous head steward, Malvolio, believe that his lady Olivia wishes to marry him. It involves Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby Belch; another would-be suitor, a silly squire named Sir Andrew Aguecheek; her servants Maria and Fabian; and her father's favourite fool, Feste. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew disturb the peace of their lady's house by keeping late hours and perpetually singing catches at the very top of their drunken voices, prompting Malvolio to chastise them. This is the basis for Sir Toby, Sir Andrew, and Maria's revenge on Malvolio.
Maria, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew Aguecheek and company convince Malvolio that Olivia is secretly in love with him, and write a letter in Olivia's hand, asking Malvolio to wear yellow stockings cross-gartered, be rude to the rest of the servants, and to smile in all circumstances. Olivia, saddened by Viola's attitude to her, asks for her chief steward, and is shocked by a Malvolio who has seemingly lost his mind. She leaves him to the contrivances of his tormentors.
Pretending that Malvolio is insane, they lock him up in a dark cellar (a common "treatment" for the mentally ill), with a slit for light. Feste visits him to mock his "insanity", once disguised as a priest, and again as himself. At the end of the play Malvolio learns of their conspiracy and storms off promising revenge, but the Duke dispatches someone (probably Fabian) to pacify him.
Meanwhile Sebastian, Viola's brother, believed deceased, arrives on the scene, sowing confusion. Mistaking him for Viola, Olivia asks him to marry her, and they are secretly united. Finally, when the twins appear in the presence of both Olivia and the Duke, there is more wonder and awe at their similarity, at which point Viola reveals she is really a female and that Sebastian is her lost twin brother. The play ends in a declaration of marriage between the Duke and Viola, and it is learned that Toby has married Maria. -from Wikipedia
All performances of Twelfth Night start at 5 PM and are free to the public. Performances at the Gazebo in Medfield will be given on July 18, 19, 25, and 26. Performances at the Pavilion in Bird Park in Walpole will be given on August 1 and 2. In case of rain, the Medfield performances will be at the Pfaff Center (corner of North and Dale Streets), and the Walpole performances will be at the Walpole Footlighters (5 Scout Rd.). Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic. Light refreshments will be available.
The Gazebo Player’s production of Twelfth Night is made possible by grants from the Medfield Cultural Council and the Walpole Cultural Council, both of which are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The Walpole performances are co-sponsored by the Walpole Footlighters.
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