2021FREDERICK
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Directed By Irene Silbert
Monday 6/27 -- Friday 7/1 -- Wednesday 7/6
@7:30pm Hood College Outdoor Theater
Thursday 7/7 @6:30pm Hidden Hills Winery
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Saturday 7/9 @ 3:00pm New Spire Arts
Synopsis of Merry Wives: This comedy featuring Sir John Falstaff was first published in 1602, though believed to have been written sometime before 1597.
A Ladies Man: Sir John Falstaff, staying in Windsor and down on his luck, decides to restore his fortunes by seducing the wives of two wealthy citizens. He sends Mistress Page and Mistress Ford identical love letters, but they discover his double dealing and set about turning the tables, arranging assignations at Mistress Ford's house.
Jealousy: Frank Ford has heard of Falstaff's plan and decides to test his wife's fidelity. Pretending to be Master Brook, he pays Falstaff to seduce his wife on his behalf, twice almost catching them together. In the meantime, the Page's; daughter Anne is pursued by three suitors: the French physician Doctor Caius is her mother's choice, whilst her father prefers Justice Shallow's kinsman Slender, and Anne herself is in love with Fenton. Mistress Quickly is being paid by all three suitors to promote their cause.
At the end, at night in Windsor Forest, Falstaff is set up for his final punishment as
Herne the Hunter meets the forest Fairies - and one of Anne Page's suitors is
successful.Cast
Irene Silbert (Director) is an Emmy Award winning DGA (Directors Guild of America) director, Equity performer, Music Director and Television Lighting Designer (first female lighting director at ABC-TV Hollywood). Currently, Ms. Silbert is the AME coordinator, and Shakespeare Director at Santa Susana Magnet High School in Simi Valley, California. She also serves on the advisory board for arts/media/entertainment for the State of California. She is the director/conductor of the Merry Minstrels, a Madrigal group that performs at Theatricum Botanicum. Irene is thrilled to be working with the wonderful talent here on the East Coast as the director for The Merry Wives of Windsor for ESP Theatre’s Summer Shakespeare Festival in Frederick, Maryland. Huzzah!!
MEET THE CAST
Matt J. Bannister (Master Ford) is delighted to be part of the Shakespeare festival having previously directed Shakespeare in Love in the inaugural year of the event. Originally from London, England, Matt moved to Frederick in 2010 and returned to life as an actor and director in professional and community theatre in 2014. Professional acting credits include: Larry, Closer (Cogent Theatre Collective) The Actor, Woman in Black, Palmer, Yankee Tavern and Lloyd Dallas, Noises Off! (Cumberland Theatre) Harry Dangle, One Man Two Guvnors and Fred, Fred’s Diner (Maryland Ensemble Theatre)
Surasree Das (Mistress Quickly): ESP: Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), Midsummer (Hermia), Strand: Little Women (Jo), Smithsonian: Seasons of Light, Free Range Humans: Jekyll/Hyde(Nellie), Imagination Stage: Hungry Caterpillar (u/s all, performed), Aquarium (Calypso u/s, performed), Princess and the Pauper (Zoya u/s, performed); BAPAC/The Tank NYC: TornKid (TornKid) MET: Radium Girls (Katherine, others) Top Girls (Nijo, Shona), Click, Clack, Moo! (Hen), Cinderella (Fairy Godmother), Little Mermaid (Little Mermaid); Center Stage: Animal Farm (featured ensemble); Single Carrot: Lear (Goneril), Constellation: Arabian Nights (Dunyazade, others), Toby's: South Pacific (Liat) BITRSister Awards: Best actor nomination(Jo), Best Ensemble (Little Women), Best Devised (TornKid)
Dan Jacoby (Slender) has been seen on stages in New York City, New England, the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest, as well as here in Frederick. After playing a lot of roles in a lot of ESP staged readings (sometimes a lot of roles in a single staged reading), Dan is happy to be in his first full production with ESP, reprising a role he first played in 1991.
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Christine Mosere (Mistress Ford) is a director, producer, and actor. As an actor, she spent most of her career in NYC, where she was blessed to consistently work with many great theaters including the Lucille Lortel award-winning Off-Broadway theatre Peccadillo Theatre Company, LaMaMa, BAM! (where she originated the role of Bobby in Waafrika,) Primary Stages, WestSide Rep, and others. In Seattle, she worked with ACT Theatre, Theatre 9/12, Book-It Repertory Theatre, the Hugo House, and more. Her film/TV credits include Avalon (her very first professional acting job), TV Funhouse, Spin City, and a recurring Day-Player role on One Life to Live. She's also performed in well over 30 national commercials. Christine is a proud member of the actor's unions SAG-AFTRA and AEA
Margaret Anne Murphy (Anne Page/Host) is excited to return to the ESP stage after appearing in Mary the Third! She has worked regionally at Hartford Stage, Elm Shakespeare, Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 4615 Theater Company, ArtFarm, Capital Fringe Festival, Annapolis Shakespeare, Indian Ocean Theatre, and All in Theatrics. She most recently starred as Karen in East of the Sun and West of the Moon with WSC Avant Bard. Margaret holds a BFA in Acting from the Hartt School and has trained at Interlochen, Shakespeare Theatre Company and Drama Studio London. Off stage Margaret can be found directing creative shoots, watching Ru Paul’s Drag Race, and working professionally as a birthday party princess! Much love to M&D. Find her on instagram: @margaretville and margaretannemurphy.com
Anne Rough (Shallow): If you've been a patron of ESPtheatre for any length of time, you've
probably noticed Anne infesting various parts of other productions. She wrote for and performed in the recent "One Minute Play Festival", is a regular in ESP improv comedy shows and staged readings, popped up holding various instruments in "A Civil War Christmas", and two summers ago played a very sensible friar and a very drunk knave in"Much Ado About Nothing". Tonight she adds "annoyed justice of the peace" to her
Shakespearean resume. Watch your back, Sir Ian.
CREATIVE TEAM
Assistant Director: Deanna Kinzie
Stage Manager: Kayla Swain
Props: Elizabeth Long
Sets: Aaron Angello
Lighting: Lyndsey McCormick
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