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Lafayette College Theater will preview the Shakespearean comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona at a noon brown bag today. Lunch may be brought or purchased for $3.
The play will be performed 8 p.m. Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at the Williams Center for the Arts. Tickets cost $6 and may be purchased by calling the box office, (610) 330-5009.
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is directed by Michael O’Neill, with stage management by Katherine Rewinkel ’03 and musical direction by Tom DiGiovanni ’96. Scenery is by Richard A. Kendrick, lighting by Vicki Neal, choreography by Denise Ramunni, sound by Timothy Frey, and costumes by D. Polly Kendrick, Parrott Designs.
“We are trying to discover the excitement and fun that audiences must have experienced with the original production in Shakespeare’s time,” says O’Neill. “The clues are everywhere in the script — slapstick comedy, mistaken identities, songs, and a real dog. We will have a real dog, and right away the dog’s presence on the stage creates an air of unpredictability that is so often missing, yet absolutely necessary, in Shakespeare’s comedies.”
The Two Gentlemen of Verona includes one of Shakespeare’s most famous lyrics – “Who Is Silvia?” — and sprinkles references to music and singing throughout the text. The production’s “musicality” will be enhanced by the addition of songs at crucial moments in the play and a live rock band on stage throughout the show, notes O’Neill.
“I hope the production will demonstrate on many levels how universal and timeless Shakespeare’s work really is,” he adds. “Our cast includes students from countries around the world. These students create a wonderful theatrical mirror in which audiences can see our similarities more clearly than we can see our differences. It is so important to remind our audiences in these uncertain times that all the world really is a stage and that, no matter what your race or nationality, laughter still is the best medicine.”
Cast:
Valentine — Ricardo El-Darwish ’03, computer science major from Ferney-Voltaire, France
Proteus — Ryon Clarke ’04, biology, East Thetford, Ver.
Julia — Suzanne Montgomery ‘03, psychology, Thornton, Pa.
Silvia — Saikripa Sen ’06, Istanbul, Turkey
Duke of Milan — Tyler Cohn ’06, Wantagh, N.Y.
Launce — David Norton ’04, history, Kensington, Md.
Speed — Jeremy Deaner ’04, mechanical engineering, Fitchburg, Wis.
Thurio — Gianalfredo Rossi ’06, chemical engineering, Lima, Peru
Lucetta — Lisa Oliveri ’05, government and law, Oradell, N.J.
Eglamour — John Kolba ’06, electrical and computer engineering, Chelmsford, Mass.
Antonio — Jonathan Schecter ’04, International Affairs, Mount Kisco, N.Y.
Panthina — Fayola Bostic ’05, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Hostess — Rashada Norman ’03, computer science, Bethlehem, Pa.
Outlaws — Luke Landherr ‘05, chemical engineering, Preston, Conn.; Richard Lear ’06, International Affairs, Stroudsburg, Pa.; Steven Schrum ’05, history, Flanders, N.J.
Band:
Keyboard — Tom DiGiovanni ’96
Keyboard — Brandon Cochenour ’03, electrical and chemical engineering, Lower Burrell, Pa.
Bass — Dan Miller, electrical and computer engineering, East Amherst, N.Y.
Guitar — Joe Benoit, psychology, Middletown, N.J.
Drums — Mark Marina ’03, history, Phillipsburg, N.J.
Woodwinds — Jack Furlong ’04, music, West Trenton, N.J.
Assistant Stage Managers:
Sarah Templeton ’06, Metuchen, N.J.
Joanna Vogel ’06, Ridgewood, N.J.
Production Intern:
Eric Hart