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The Queen is Coming to The Warehouse

Don't Miss the CNY Premiere of Elizabeth Rex, 4/17-4/26/09

The Syracuse Shakespeare Festival is proud to present the CNY premiere of Timothy Findley's Elizabeth Rex. Originally presented at the Stratford Festival and recently completed an acclaimed run Off-Off-Broadway at Nicu's Spoon Theatre, this in-depth look at one of the central figures in Shakespeare's life makes for compelling drama with a few laughs along the way.

We see Shakespeare on the night before his death; reminiscing about the evening the Queen visited him and his Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was Shrove Tuesday, 1601, and Queen Elizabeth I was on the eve of executing her lover for trying to overthrow her government and kill her. She goes to Shakespeare's company for a respite from an anguished night and clashes with Ned Lowenscroft, a character actor who habitually plays women, dying of the plague.

The Queen tells him, "Let me teach you how to be a man and you can teach me how to be a woman." The anger, anguish, epithets and insults fly fast and furious, as the night becomes the morning of the execution.

Directed by SALT nominated director, Judith Harris, and produced by Ronald Bell, the performances are as follows at SU's Warehouse Theatre, 350 W Fayette St. in downtown Syracuse:

Fri 4/17, Sat 4/18, Fri 4/24 and Sat 4/25 @ 7:30 pm, Sun 4/26/09 @ 2 pm. All tickets are $10 each. SU students with ID and groups of 12 or more buying their tickets at the same time are $5 each. You may buy tickets on show days at the box office or, in advance, by clicking below. Call Ronnie Bell @ 476-1835 (The Shakespeare Line) for more info.

Online event registration

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Audition for a Shakespearean Tempest in Thornden Park's Amphitheatre

Auditions are being held:

Mon, 4/20 & Tues, 4/21/09 from 7-9 pm @ Sedgwick's Community Room, 1100 James St., between Teall Ave. & Oak St. in Syracuse

Bring a 1 minute, non-Tempest audition piece

The 7th Annual Shakespeare-in-the-Park show this year, the supernatural comedy, The Tempest, is one of the last plays The Bard wrote. Combining elements of natural and supernatural powers, comedy and tragedy and romance and fantasy, this FREE show will blow you away in a storm of fun. Bring the whole family! Vendors will be on site with food and wares to sell again this year. Free parking for all performances. Shuttle bus service available on Sat. & Sun. Handicapped accessible. Call 476-1835 for more information.

Online event registration

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Have You Seen Romeo & Juliet Recently?

Don't miss SSF's age appropriate version of Romeo and Juliet. When Shakespeare wrote one of the greatest tragic love stories of all time, girls were married at 14 years old and boys were 16 years old. When he penned the beautiful poetry of Romeo and Juliet, he wrote about love and hatred, power and privilege as well as families and ferocity. This production shows you a portrait of an age our culture has left behind although we still struggle with its opposing forces. You will be captivated by its love, beauty & inevitable tragedy.

Jeremy Wallace plays every girl's heartthrob, Romeo. Jo D'Aloisio will make you believe in love at first sight as Juliet. Both are students at Fayetteville-Manlius HS. The production is directed by Debbie Pearson and produced by Ronnie Bell.

Showtimes for R&J are Fri/Sat 1/9, 1/10, 1/16 & 1/17/09 @ 7:30 pm; Sun 1/18 @ 2 pm. Reservations are accepted by phone. Paid reservations, $10 each, may be made in advance by credit card. SU students and groups of 12 or more, paid at one time, are $5 each. The Warehouse Theatre, 350 W. Fayette St., downtown Syracuse, @ the corner of West & Fayette Sts. Convenient street parking is available for free on Fayette St. and/or Washington St.

For more information or reservations please contact: Ronald Bell, Artistic Director, (315) 476-1835 OR e-mail: bell444@gmail.com OR write us @ 350 W. Fayette St., VPA, Room 001, Syr., NY 13202.

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There's Going to Be a Comedy of Errors in Thornden Park's Amphitheatre

Revolving around continuous scenes of mistaken identity, two sets of twins, one of each pair in Syracuse (!) and Ephesus, Greece, show us the heights and depths of lowball, madcap comedy in Shakespeare's tour de deuce, The Comedy of Errors. Join in the fun as the Syracuse Shakespeare Festival presents the 6th annual edition of the FREE, Shakespeare-in-the-Park program. Bring your picnics and your lawn chairs. Enjoy the wares of our merchandise vendors and snacks from the Thornden Park Association. Free parking for all performances. Shuttle bus service available on Sat. & Sun. Handicapped accessible. Call 476-1835 for more information.

Show Dates:

• Thurs., Fri. & Sat., 8/7, 8 & 9 @ 5:30 pm
• Thurs., Fri. & Sat., 8/14, 15 & 16 @ 5:30 pm
• Sun. 8/10 & 8/17 @ 2:00 pm

Male Character Descriptions

Egeon is a merchant from Syracuse in his fifties or sixties. He is the father of the twin brothers named Antipholus. Separated in a shipwreck from one of his sons as well as his wife, Egeon was searching for them when he was arrested in Ephesus and is now sentenced to death.

Antipholus of Syracuse is in his twenties or thirties. He was raised by his father, Egeon, after they were separated in a shipwreck from Antipholus' mother and identical twin brother. Now he is on a quest to find his brother, and after many years of searching, has finally come to the right place. Antipholus of Syracuse is open and friendly, if somewhat naive.

Antipholus of Ephesus is in his twenties or thirties. He was separated from his father, mother, and identical twin brother in a shipwreck. He was brought to Ephesus, where he became a soldier and saved the life of Solinus, the Duke, who rewarded him by giving him a rich wife, Adriana. Antipholus of Ephesus is something of a drunkard and a womanizer.

Dromio of Syracuse is in his twenties or thirties. He is the twin brother of Dromio of Ephesus. He is servant to Antipholus of Syracuse. Master and servant have a good relationship; both have well-developed senses of humor, and enjoy practical jokes.

Dromio of Ephesus is in his twenties or thirties. He is the twin brother of Dromio of Syracuse. He is servant to Antipholus of Ephesus, who beats him mercilessly. Like his master, Dromio of Syracuse is something of a lush. He is married to Luce, the kitchen wench, a creature of unspeakable filth, all sweat and fat.

Balthasar is of indeterminate age. He is a merchant in Ephesus. He's not very bright, and he gets very drunk.

Angelo is a Goldsmith in Ephesus. He is of indeterminate age. A nice guy over a couple of drinks, but don't cross him. He owes money to the Second Merchant, and Antipholus of Ephesus owes him.

Doctor Pinch is part witch doctor, part exorcist, part psychologist. He is in his forties to his sixties, and really kind of a charlatan.

First Merchant is a kindly soul who saves Antipholus of Syracuse's life. He is of indeterminate age.

Second Merchant is on his way to Persia and needs Angelo, the goldsmith, to pay his debts. He's liable to slap you if he doesn't like the way you look at him. He is of indeterminate age.

Headsman is a medieval axe-man, complete with a black cowl over his head. He follows Egean through the city as the merchant begs for his life. He is of indeterminate age.

Officer is caught in the tangled web that Antipholus of Ephesus, Angelo, the Second Merchant, and Antipholus of Syracuse all weave in their errors of mistaken identity. This poor guy is just doing his job, and everybody gives him a hard time; besides, the pay isn't that good, and there are no benefits. He is of indeterminate age.

Female Character Descriptions

Adriana is the wife of Antipholus of Ephesus. She is not a happy wife. Her husband is out all the time, carousing with his friends; lately, he's even been seeing a Courtesan. And it's not like the marriage was her idea in the first place; she was given to Antipholus by the Duke, Solinus, in reward for saving the Duke's life. Adriana can be something of a shrew, though all she wants is peaceful domestic life. She mistakes one Antipholus for the other, and takes him home with her. She is in her twenties or thirties.

Luciana is Adriana's sister. She is in her twenties or thirties. Luciana is the nice one; she doesn't understand why her sister can't just let her husband be. When Antipholus of Syracuse arrives, he falls madly in love with her. Which is something of a problem, considering the fact that she thinks he's her sister's husband.

Luce is Adriana's maid. She is a horrible, revolting, disgusting mess. She is married to Dromio of Ephesus, which is one of the reasons why he drinks so much. Later, she comes across Dromio of Syracuse, his identical twin, and tries to have her way with him too. Who knows how old Luce is? She may be more ancient than the dinosaurs, for all we know.

Courtesan is, well, a Courtesan. She is a Gypsy, and speaks with a heavy accent. Antipholus of Ephesus is one of her clients. She is in her twenties or thirties.

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Bring Shakespeare to Your Students:

No Buses or Permission Slips Needed

Who knew Willy could be so much fun and so interesting? Your students will when they see our abridged, one hour versions of these classics. Forty-five minute program extensions such as actors’ talkback, Shakespearean workshop, Bells & Motley Renaissance music & dance OR English country dance are also available for a modest additional cost. The performance for as many students as you can fit into the auditorium at one time costs only $400 and the extension program is just $300.

SSF’s inaugural season of the Avon Repertory Theatre (ART) was a rousing success. We gave fabulous shows to more than 4,000 students at schools such as Grant Middle, Tully Elementary, J-D HS, Fowler HS, and F-M HS as well as the preeminent, senior program center in CNY, The Oasis Center. Hundreds were giggling, guffawing, laughing & crying (sometimes in the same show) at the antics of the, “mechanicals,” the zaniness of The Nurse, the intense, tragic love of Romeo and Juliet and the mind of a Prince gone mad.

Don’t miss your chance to reserve your special date with Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream or Romeo and Juliet. We book our shows during the last week of every month with three weeks notice. For more information about the above program and the work of the SSF, please contact: Ronald Bell, Artistic Director, (315) 476-1835 or e-mail: bell444@gmail.com or write us at the above address or visit our website at syracuseshakespearefestival.com.

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