Summer/Fall 2008
René Thornton, Jr. in MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Photo by TOMMY THOMPSON. 2008.
The cast of MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Photo by TOMMY THOMPSON. 2008.
Sasha Olinick and James Keegan in MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Photo by TOMMY THOMPSON. 2008.
John Pasha and Sarah Fallon in MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Photo by TOMMY THOMPSON. 2008.
Allison Glenzer and James Keegan in MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Photo by TOMMY THOMPSON. 2008.
Sarah Fallon and René Thornton, Jr. in MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Photo by TOMMY THOMPSON. 2008.
Eliza Hofman and Sarah Fallon in MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Photo by TOMMY THOMPSON. 2008.
Chaney Tullos in MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Photo by TOMMY THOMPSON. 2008.
Eliza Hofman in MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Photo by TOMMY THOMPSON. 2008.
The cast of MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Photo by TOMMY THOMPSON. 2008.
Cast
Vincentio
Previously with asc: Edmund in King Lear, Antonio in Twelfth Night, Duke Vincentio in Measure for Measure, Bullingbrook in Richard II. other theatres: Colonel Standard in The Constant Couple (Pearl …
PREVIOUSLY WITH ASC: More than 137 roles in 113 productions, including the title roles in Coriolanus; King Lear; Edward II; Timon of Athens; The Merchant of Venice; Pericles; Doctor Faustus; …
Escalus
previously with asc: Gloucester in King Lear, Sea Captain, Priest in Twelfth Night, Escalus in Measure for Measure, John of Gaunt, Carlisle in Richard II. other theatres: Prospero in The …
THIS SEASON: Friar Lawrence in Romeo and Juliet and Antipholus of Ephesus in The Comedy of Errors.
THIS SEASON: Mark Antony in JULIUS CAESAR, Mrs. Bennet & Lady Catherine de Bourgh in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Egeus & Flute in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
Juliet
previously with asc: Juliet in Measure for Measure, Angus, Macduff’s son in Macbeth, Amoretta in The Witch. other theatres: Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pennsylvania Renaissane Faire, Manheim, PA); …
PREVIOUSLY WITH ASC: 27 seasons and over 200 roles including Falstaff in Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2; Brutus in Julius Caesar; Iago in Othello; Guildenstern in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern …
More than 186 roles in 101 productions, including Volumnia in Coriolanus, Olivia in Twelfth Night; Regan in King Lear; Margaret in both Henry VI, Part 1 and Part 2; Isabella in Measure for Measure;…
THIS SEASON: Antonio in The Tempest; Cleon, Simonides, Ensemble in Pericles; Prospero in Une Tempête
Froth
previously with asc: Cordelia in King Lear, Viola in Twelfth Night, Mariana in Measure for Measure, Duchess of Gloucester in Richard II. other theatres: Mrs. Martin in Thomas and Friends …
Provost
previously with asc: King of France, Oswald in King Lear, Sebastian in Twelfth Night, Provost in Measure for Measure. other theatres: Marek in My Antonia (stage reading, Ford’s Theatre, Washington …
Justice
previously with asc: Burgundy in King Lear, Valentine, Fabian in Twelfth Night, Abhorson in Measure for Measure, Bloody Captain in Macbeth, Roman Captain in Cymbeline. other theatres: Demetrius in A …
Elbow
previously with asc: Cornwall in King Lear, Feste in Twelfth Night, Northumberland in Richard II, Oliver in As You Like It, Baptista, Sly in The Taming of the Shrew, Gonzalo, …
Abhorson
previously with asc: Burgundy in King Lear, Valentine, Fabian in Twelfth Night, Abhorson in Measure for Measure, Bloody Captain in Macbeth, Roman Captain in Cymbeline. other theatres: Demetrius in A …
Barnardine
previously with asc: Cornwall in King Lear, Feste in Twelfth Night, Northumberland in Richard II, Oliver in As You Like It, Baptista, Sly in The Taming of the Shrew, Gonzalo, …
More than 186 roles in 101 productions, including Volumnia in Coriolanus, Olivia in Twelfth Night; Regan in King Lear; Margaret in both Henry VI, Part 1 and Part 2; Isabella in Measure for Measure;…
Friar Thomas
previously with asc: Cornwall in King Lear, Feste in Twelfth Night, Northumberland in Richard II, Oliver in As You Like It, Baptista, Sly in The Taming of the Shrew, Gonzalo, …
More than 186 roles in 101 productions, including Volumnia in Coriolanus, Olivia in Twelfth Night; Regan in King Lear; Margaret in both Henry VI, Part 1 and Part 2; Isabella in Measure for Measure;…
Mariana
previously with asc: Cordelia in King Lear, Viola in Twelfth Night, Mariana in Measure for Measure, Duchess of Gloucester in Richard II. other theatres: Mrs. Martin in Thomas and Friends …
Boy
previously with asc: Juliet in Measure for Measure, Angus, Macduff’s son in Macbeth, Amoretta in The Witch. other theatres: Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pennsylvania Renaissane Faire, Manheim, PA); …
Artistic Team
Director
The fourth child of a professor of African languages, Patrick graduated as a physicist from the University of London, although he had by then become infected with the theatre bug …
Assistant Director/Stage Manager
Aaron has been the Resident Troupe Manager since the 2008 Summer Season. In previous seasons with the ASC, Aaron has directed The Santaland Diaries and A Christmas Carol; been the …
Costume Designer
Terry is a professor of Theatre at Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA. As actor, director, producer, and costumer, she has worked on over 300 productions for Mary Baldwin, Oak …
Jay joined the ASC in 1999. He was instrumental in the opening of the Playhouse and conceived and developed the Actors’ Renaissance Season.
Properties
previously with asc: Burgundy in King Lear, Valentine, Fabian in Twelfth Night, Abhorson in Measure for Measure, Bloody Captain in Macbeth, Roman Captain in Cymbeline. other theatres: Demetrius in A …
Properties
Sam is a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel who has worked in theatres across the United States. He is a technical director for the theatre department at Mary Baldwin College …
Fight Director
Colleen Kelly is an accomplished fight choreographer and director whose extensive experience with ASC spans over two decades.
Understudy
Aaron has been the Resident Troupe Manager since the 2008 Summer Season. In previous seasons with the ASC, Aaron has directed The Santaland Diaries and A Christmas Carol; been the …
Understudy
previously with asc: Burgundy in King Lear, Valentine, Fabian in Twelfth Night, Abhorson in Measure for Measure, Bloody Captain in Macbeth, Roman Captain in Cymbeline. other theatres: Demetrius in A …
Understudy
previously with asc: Understudy in King Lear and Measure for Measure, Ensemble in Volpone, Ensemble in Cymbeline. other theatres: Sir Davy, Mistress Tiltyard in The Roaring Girl (Mary Baldwin College, …
Understudy
previously with asc: Emilia, Dion, Dorcas in The Winter’s Tale; Maria in Love’s Labour’s Lost. other theatres: Ophelia in Hamlet, Princess in Love’s Labour’s Lost (Mary Baldwin College, MFA productions); …
Christopher Seiler is a seasoned actor and musician whose performances embody transformation and connection, captivating audiences at ASC and beyond.
Stuff that happens in the play
- The Duke of Vienna, claiming urgent business abroad, leaves control of the city to his deputy Angelo.
- Angelo swiftly restores old laws against sexual depravity, closes the city’s brothel,s and arrests fornicators.
- Claudio is immediately arrested and sentenced to death for apparent premarital acts with his pregnant fiancée, Juliet.
- Claudio entreats his friend, Lucio, to find Isabella, Claudio’s sister, and ask her to plea to Angelo for Claudio’s life.
- Though Isabella is about to become a nun, she agrees to petition Angelo.
- The Duke, meanwhile, has disguised himself as a friar in order to observe Angelo’s management of the city.
- Angelo, at first, refuses Isabella’s suit, but then agrees to stay Claudio’s execution – only if Isabella will consent to certain demands.
- Isabella returns to Claudio to tell him of Angelo’s conditions; Claudio asks Isabella to save his life by giving in to Angelo’s requests.
- The Duke – still disguised as a friar – decides to intervene.
- Plots to rescue Isabella’s integrity, save Claudio’s head, and expose Angelo’s treachery ensue.
Finally, a full production
I have a long history with this play, for I was in a production of it directed by the legendary Margaret Webster when doing my MFA at Boston University (alright – I was playing Second Lord – the only Shakespearean role I ever played).
For a number of years I took my Original Shakespeare Company to Cambridge University in the UK to do a workshop on Measure with the students studying English, since this was the play assigned by their professors as a “hard” task to tackle. It was during these sessions that I became aware of just how often, and how appropriately, Shakespeare has his characters changing from one form of address to another – such as in the second Angelo/Isabella scene when each of them changes from using you to thee, and what it means in acting terms. In each case, we found that what took a long time for the students to work out by analysing the ideas in the script, was solved instantly by actors responding to the simplicity of the language in the text. I longed to direct a full version of the play.
Putting the text into Cue Script form – the way the original actors would have seen their lines – also revealed patterns that otherwise might be hidden, such as when Isabella confronts her brother Claudio. The scene starts with him speaking very short simple lines, and she speaking in long convoluted sentences. As the scene progresses, her lines get shorter and simpler, his get longer and more complex, and this reversal of structure must also be reflected in the performances, and the way they change through the scene.
When I started to get intrigued about the placing of the First Folio’s stage instructions, then again this play provided me with some glorious examples – such as the Folio not having the nun Francisca leaving the stage when Lucio is being so saucy with Isabella, but leaving her on stage in self-imposed silence as the scene progresses. I also wondered why the Folio had no general “Exeunt” at the end of the play.
The debate about how the play ends produces many conflicting ideas as to what is the final relationship between Isabella and the Duke, and how do they exit the stage? Do they go off together in marital bliss? Does she run from him in disgust? I have staged this ending often in lectures and workshops, asking the participants to “do what Shakespeare asks you to do in the Folio,” not what they intellectually think is appropriate. The results have always been fascinating, and again I could not wait to have the opportunity of placing it in the context of a full production using the Folio stage instructions, punctuation, and lineage. How appropriate that this production should be here at the Blackfriars.
patrick tucker
Guest Director