Tuesday
Nov082011
November 8th 2011: 2012 Season Announcement: "Much Ado About Nothing"
Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 11:32AM In this Issue
Announcing Much Ado About Nothing
The Portland Ballet's A Midsummer Night's Dream
How You Can Help
Shakespeare Around Town
The Portland Ballet's A Midsummer Night's Dream
How You Can Help
Shakespeare Around Town
Announcing Much Ado About Nothing
Dear Friends of Willamette Shakespeare,
With wine country harvest winding down (finally) and winter just around the corner, we are already starting to think about summer. Choosing a more obscure and difficult play like All's Well That Ends Well created an exciting challenge last year, but you can't do a problem comedy every year!
This year, we have chosen to perform the popular crowd-pleaser Much Ado About Nothing. This wonderful play has remarkably accessible language and a straightforward story. It prominently features Beatrice and Benedick, arguably the most compelling romantic couple Shakespeare ever created. Skeptical and witty, they are contrasted with the youthful and naive Claudio and Hero, the youthful lovers whose trials drive much of the plot. Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare's funniest comedies, largely because of the wit and folly of Beatrice and Benedick as they are coerced by their friends into discovering mutual love.
As always, we will approach the play with our distinct perspective, striving to create joyful theatre that is approachable and intelligent, and, of course, pairs nicely with a bottle of Willamette Valley wine and a picnic!
We loved all three locations last year, and all three hosts were excited to invited us back, so we again will perform the first three weekends in August at Reed College in Portland, Stoller Vineyards in Dayton and Montinore Estates in Forest Grove.
Again, performances will be free this year, and wine and food will be available at all locations. Stay tuned for details about next season, special events, fund-raisers and our upcoming auditions early next year.
Thank you for your continued interest in Willamette Shakespeare!
Daniel R Somerfield
Artistic Director
With wine country harvest winding down (finally) and winter just around the corner, we are already starting to think about summer. Choosing a more obscure and difficult play like All's Well That Ends Well created an exciting challenge last year, but you can't do a problem comedy every year!
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Susan Jonsson as the Countess and Anna Gettles as Helena in All's Well That Ends Well
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As always, we will approach the play with our distinct perspective, striving to create joyful theatre that is approachable and intelligent, and, of course, pairs nicely with a bottle of Willamette Valley wine and a picnic!
We loved all three locations last year, and all three hosts were excited to invited us back, so we again will perform the first three weekends in August at Reed College in Portland, Stoller Vineyards in Dayton and Montinore Estates in Forest Grove.
Again, performances will be free this year, and wine and food will be available at all locations. Stay tuned for details about next season, special events, fund-raisers and our upcoming auditions early next year.
Thank you for your continued interest in Willamette Shakespeare!
Daniel R Somerfield
Artistic Director
An invitation from our friends at the Portland Ballet:
The Portland Ballet (Nancy Davis, artistic director) will perform the world premiere of John Clifford’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, from November 25 – 27, 2011 at PSU’s Lincoln Hall, 1620 SW Park at Market. The production, with original costumes, set, lighting and Felix Mendelssohn’s music performed live by the PSU Orchestra (Ken Selden, conductor), has six performances only, immediately following Thanksgiving Day: Friday, November 25, 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM; Saturday and Sunday, November 26 and 27, 1 PM and 4 PM. Tickets for the one-hour ballet, range from $15 - $35, with family discount available, and can be purchased at www.theportlandballet.org, the PSU box office or TPB studio. Information: 503-452-8448.
The Portland Ballet has, for the past several years presented a holiday production with a twist: it wasn’t The Nutcracker and it wasn’t in December.
Yet, the charming ballet La Boutique Fantasque, which enjoyed box office and critical success from 2003 – 2010, fit a winter holiday theme since it’s all about wonderful toys that come to life in a magic toyshop.
This year, the company has added even more imaginative zest to its holiday production. Its Thanksgiving weekend performances will evoke the anything goes atmosphere of the leafy, mysterious, romantic and silly, cool of an August night when The Portland Ballet presents the world premiere of John Clifford’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Based on Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a timelessly popular tale of foolish fairies, mixed up humans, mischievous sprites and love-sick donkeys. It’s a comedic confection to delight the entire family.
The story, with its varieties of romance, fantasy and foolery, diaphanous gowns and shimmering fairy wings, is extremely well-suited to ballet. The irresistible scamp Robin Goodfellow, better known as Puck, was made to cavort across a dance stage.
For details, see http://www.theportlandballet.org/Performance/.
The Portland Ballet (Nancy Davis, artistic director) will perform the world premiere of John Clifford’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, from November 25 – 27, 2011 at PSU’s Lincoln Hall, 1620 SW Park at Market. The production, with original costumes, set, lighting and Felix Mendelssohn’s music performed live by the PSU Orchestra (Ken Selden, conductor), has six performances only, immediately following Thanksgiving Day: Friday, November 25, 2:30 PM and 7:30 PM; Saturday and Sunday, November 26 and 27, 1 PM and 4 PM. Tickets for the one-hour ballet, range from $15 - $35, with family discount available, and can be purchased at www.theportlandballet.org, the PSU box office or TPB studio. Information: 503-452-8448.
The Portland Ballet has, for the past several years presented a holiday production with a twist: it wasn’t The Nutcracker and it wasn’t in December.
Yet, the charming ballet La Boutique Fantasque, which enjoyed box office and critical success from 2003 – 2010, fit a winter holiday theme since it’s all about wonderful toys that come to life in a magic toyshop.
This year, the company has added even more imaginative zest to its holiday production. Its Thanksgiving weekend performances will evoke the anything goes atmosphere of the leafy, mysterious, romantic and silly, cool of an August night when The Portland Ballet presents the world premiere of John Clifford’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Based on Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a timelessly popular tale of foolish fairies, mixed up humans, mischievous sprites and love-sick donkeys. It’s a comedic confection to delight the entire family.
The story, with its varieties of romance, fantasy and foolery, diaphanous gowns and shimmering fairy wings, is extremely well-suited to ballet. The irresistible scamp Robin Goodfellow, better known as Puck, was made to cavort across a dance stage.
For details, see http://www.theportlandballet.org/Performance/.
How You Can Help
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Brian Allard as Parolles in All's Well That Ends Well
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If you are interested in participating in the design or technical aspects of the production, please send a resume to daniel@willametteshakespeare.org. If you are not experienced in theatre on or off-stage but still would like to participate, there are other ways you can help. We always need volunteers as ushers, as house-managers, and for poster placement, etc.
And, of course, we welcome donations. We are committed to keeping the shows free, and we can't do that without help from people who can afford to make a contribution. Willamette Shakespeare is a 501(c)(3) public charity, and any contribution made to the organization is tax deductible and can be matched with the Oregon Cultural Trust for a tax credit. More information on contributing via check or online is available at our website.
Shakespeare Around Town
Just because Willamette Shakespeare is done for the season, doesn't mean there isn't Shakespeare to be seen in the area. We encourage you to attend the performances offered by the companies listed below.
Northwest Classical Theatre Company - King John and Hamlet
Northwest Classical season through the end of the year includes one of Shakespeare's least well known plays and one of his most well known. Be sure to catch King John before it closes next week. It is contemporary and slick, a bit of a departure from NWCTC's usual style of simple staging and story-telling.
The Shoebox Theatre
2110 SE 10th Ave
Portland
Northwest Classical season through the end of the year includes one of Shakespeare's least well known plays and one of his most well known. Be sure to catch King John before it closes next week. It is contemporary and slick, a bit of a departure from NWCTC's usual style of simple staging and story-telling.
King John runs through November 13th.
Hamlet runs December 16th - January 22nd.
$20 Adults / $18 StudentsHamlet runs December 16th - January 22nd.
The Shoebox Theatre
2110 SE 10th Ave
Portland
Portland Center Stage - Shakespeare's Amazing Cymbeline
PCS Artistic Director Chris Coleman's adaption of this lessor-known Romance will be performed in the intimate Ellyn Bye Studio.
January 31st - April 8th
$41 - $51 ($25 for students)
$41 - $51 ($25 for students)
Ellyn Bye Studio
Gerding Theater at the Armory
Gerding Theater at the Armory
128 NW 11th Ave
Portland
Portland Ballet - A Midsummer Night's Dream
The Portland Ballet (Nancy Davis, artistic director) performs the world premiere of John Clifford’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. More details above and at www.portlandballet.org.
The Portland Ballet (Nancy Davis, artistic director) performs the world premiere of John Clifford’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. More details above and at www.portlandballet.org.
November 25th - 27th
$15 - $35 with family discounts available
$15 - $35 with family discounts available
PSU’s Lincoln Hall
1620 SW Park at Market
1620 SW Park at Market
Portland
More Shakespeare to report? Email info@willametteshakespeare.org. We will add your show to our list.