Director's Notes

It became clear very early in our planning for this season that As You Like It would be the ideal choice for the return of Door Shakespeare. As You Like It has the beauty, honor, and wit that are the very essence of our vision of Door Shakespeare. That As You Like It is Shakespeare's most musical play provides additional support for our choice in that our mentor, AFT, place such strong emphasis on music. As a further recommendation, most of the action takes place in the forest of Arden, and here, right before our eyes, is a magical forest of Arden of our very own. Finally, the play's theme of leaving the adversity of city life and retreating to the country drew a contemporary parallel with the many visitors who come to Door County.

We've got the play, now we face the challenges. As You Like It has over 20 characters. It would take a budget far beyond our initial means to cast that many actors. Casting required finding versatile actors able to play multiple roles convincingly. And we are thrilled to say that we have done just that! Choosing which parts an actor would play gave us the opportunity to focus the play on the actor. We have tried to help those actors playing multiple roles to find interesting differences among the characters that would be fulfilling for them as performers and exciting for you, the audience.

It is our sincere wish that you enjoy your experience with us.

The cast includes

Dennis (servant to Oliver) - Lee Becker
Madrical Musicians - Jessie Hafer, Jen Ludwigsen, Jon Hegge*, Greg Johnson
Oliver (oldest son of Sir Rowland de Boys) - Rob Mechem*
Orlando (youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys) - Jeff Nelsen
Charles (servant friend to Oliver and friend to Orlando) - Joey Babay*
Celia (daughter to Duke Fredrick, Rosalind's cousin) - Jennifer Ludwigsen
Rosalind (daughter to Duke Senior) - Catherine Eaton*
Touchstone (a court fool) - Joey Babay*
Le Beau (a courtier for Duke Fredrick) - Ben Meyer
Duke Frederick (the usurping Duke) - Jack Hirst
Attendent to Duke Frederick - John Hegge*
Companion to Duke Frederick - Mary Frances Miller
Duke Senior (the exiled Duke, brother to Duke Frederick) - Jack Hirst
Amiens (a Lord of song for Duke Senior) - Ben Meyer
Lord to Duke Senior - Lee Becker
Corin (a shepard) - Rob Mechem*
Silvius (a young shepard in love) - Lee Becker
Jaques (a melancholy follower of Duke Senior) - Jon Hegge*
Audrey (a goat-keeper) - Ben Meyer
Sir Oliver Martext (a parish priest) - Rob Mechem*
Phoebe (a disclaimful shepardess) - Mary Frances Miller
Forester - Greg Johnson
William (a country youth in love with Audrey) - Jeff Nelsen
Messenger for Hymen - Jessie Hafer
Jacques de Boys (second son of Sir Rowland de Boys) - Greg Johnson

The crew includes

Directed - Jerry Gomis
Music - Karen Mal
Costumes - Ann Thenell Noiot
Lighting & Properties - Stewart Dawson
Music Direction - Lee Becker
Choreography - Joey Babay
Stage Management - Jessie Hafer
Production Management - Suzanne Graff
Box Office Management - John Hansen

* Appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

JOEY BABAY (Adam, Touchstone) Joey just recently finished a run of Sweeney Todd at the Gunthrie. Other recent roles have included the Park Square production of Love Valour Compassion as Gregory and Barry in The Boys Next Door at Minnesota Festival Theatre. A frequent preformer at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, he has done numerous shows including Brigadoon, Hello Dolly, Fiddler, 42nd Street, Crazy For You, and most recently Good News. Other favorite performances were as Riff in West Side Story at Minnesota Festival Theatre, Lee Harvey Oswald in Aussins at History Theater and in the Children's Theatre Company's perennial Cinderella.

LEE BECKER (Silvius, Dennis, Lord) Hi! Thanks for coming out! From the first staged reading bach in '94, through the wild escapes of '95 and '96, my work with Door Shakespeare has blessed me with close friends, wonderful collaberation, and some truly outraeous memories. I'm so glad to be back for more! Though, I do miss miss playing with my friends over at AFT this summer. Please go check them out - they're swell, too!

GREG JOHNSON (Charles, Jacques de Boys, Madrigal Singer, Intern) Greg is a theatre major at UW Oshkosh where he appreared in Birds, Picasso at Lapine Agile, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Crimes of the Heart, Lysistrata, God, Einstein's Dreams, Fiddler on the Roof, Faustus ms and Inside the Coffee Can. Greg interned with American Folklore Theatre and appeared in Bone Dance last summer. He just returned from London where he studied Shakespeare. He is thrilled to be working with Door Shakespeare.

JESSIE HAFER (Stage Manager, Intern, Madrigal Singer, Messenger for Hymen) Jessie is from the Cincinnati area where she participated in high school and community theater. She attends Lawrence University, majoring in physics. She has been a chorus member in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Iphegena in Aulis. She is very glad that she has had the opportunity to expand her theater expierence working with Door Shakespeare this summer.

JON ANDREW HEGGE (Jaques, Madrigal Singer, Attendant to Duke Frederick) a Wisconsin native, Jon earned an MFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota. He resides in the Twin Cities where he has preformed at the Minnesota Opera, the Guthrie Theatre, Plymouth Playhouse and Chanhassen Theatres. He has also appeared in several National Tours including The Odd Couple, and 1940's Radio Hour. Fororite roles include Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew and Will Parker in Oklahoma. Jon also preforms in film and television commercials.

JACK HIRST(Duke Frederick, Duke Senior) "The world is but a stage" has been my life. Born in St. Louis, MO, as a youngster studied tap, adagio, ballet and baton. I did U.S.O. shows during World War II. In service with 5th Air Force - an information and education specialist. On G.I. Bill attened Goodman Theater in Chicago; acting threeyears with the company. Commercials, shows, toured U.S. and Canada in ballet corps of opera company. Actor's Equity, Woodstock, Illinois Opera House. Licensed Cosmetologist and makeup artist. Television, teacher and Grandpa to six beauties.

CATHERINE EATON (Rosalind) is a northeastern girl, finding herself falling in love with the midwest. She moved here four years ago from New York City, where she preformed in front of hundreds of mid-town Manhattaners nightly, serving a mean martini. In Minneapolis, she has had the rare opportunity to preform in front of hundreds of midwesterners nightly at the Guthrie Theatre in such diverse roles as Calphurnia in Julius Ceasar and Petunia Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol. She has also preformed in a number of films (including With or Without You) since she arrived, as well as extensive commercial and industrial work. Most recently, Catherince has been choosen as the spokesmodel "Sasha" for Stolichnaya Vodka, and has had the chance to tour much of the midwest-though again, surprisingly,surrounded by martinis. You can see why she's falling in love. And this preformance is dedicated to the man who taught her how.

JENNIFER LUDWIGSEN (Celia, Madrigal Singer) Jennefer feels so happy to be a part of Door Shakespeare and to be spending another summer in Door County. A recent graduate of Northwestern University, she has worked under the stars with American Folklore Theatre for the past three summers interning, stage managing and last season preformed in Bone Dance. Other theatre credits include The Tempest (Miranda) and Marat/Sade at Northwestern; The Winter's Tale (Mopsa, Emilia, Dion) with the Stone Circle Theatre Ensemble, and a cameo role in An Inspector Calls with the Royal National Theatre in London. Warm thanks to Jerry and Suzanne for believing in her and to Mom, Dad, and AJ for letting her be a square peg amongst many round holes.

ROD MECHEM (Oliver, Corin, Sir Oliver Martext) As You Like It marks Rod's debut with Door Shakespeare. A native of New Mexica, Rod now calls snowy Minneapolis home, where he stdied for his MFA at the University of Minnesota. A few of rod's past favorites include, Baylor in A Lie of the Mind, Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, Garry in Noises Off, Tuzenbach in The Three Sisters and Hairy in Wiley and the Hairy Man. Rod is happy to be working in such a beautiful spot this summer.

BEN MEYER (LeBeau, Amiens, Audrey, Intern) Ben is from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Ben is a double degree candidate, soon to start his fifth and (thankful) final year. He is majoring in theatre as well as music education. After taking three Shakespeare classes, he is relieved to finally be in his first full Shakespeare production! Other firsts include: first professional theatre job, first outdoor theatre production, and first time he's played a woman...on stage at least.

MARY FRANCES MILLER (Phoebe, Companion to Duke Frederick) Credits include NewYork: Roundabout Threatre: The Rehearsal with Roger Rees and Frances Conroy. Off-Broadway: NYC Bard-a-Thon The Merchant of Venice: The Judith Anderson Theatre; The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Other theatre: Park Square, St. Paul MN; Goodnight Desdomona (Good Morning Juliet) National Shakespeare Company; Twelfth Night (Olivia), Hamlet (Gertrude) American Globe Theatre; The Importance of Being Earnest (Cecily), The Three Musketeers (Queen Anne). Westside Repertory Theatre; She Stoops to Conquer (Kate Hardcastle), The Three Sisters (Irina), Tartuffe (Mairianne). Triple T Theatre; Othello (Desdemona) Lehman Summerstage; The Tamming of the Shrew (Kate). NJ Shakespeare Festival; Death of a Salesman (Miss Forsythe). Training B.F.A. New York University; Royal Court Theatre, London.

JEFF NELSEN (Orlando, William) Jeff is thrilled to be making his Door Shakespeare debut. He grew up not far from here in Ripon, WI and went on to train in theatre at Macalester College in St. Paul and with the British American Drama Academy in London. Other professional Shakespeare credits include: Dr. Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Troilus in Troilus and Cressida, Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night, and Bassianus in Titus Andronicus. Jeff currently lives in Minneapolis with his fiance and two cats.

STEWART DAWSON (Lighting, Props and Penguins) The American Folklore Theatre no longer needed my services as their season is running smoothly now and all the penguins are back where they belong. So they suggested I try and find employment with Door Shakespeare. I Like in New Mexica during the winter where I wrangle the penguins for Opera Southwest and Ballet Theatre of New Mexico. I like to snorkel and someday I hope to be a fish.

KAREN MAL (Composer) has been musical director/composer for Romeo & Juliet, Midsummer's Night's Dream, and Twelfth Night in New York, and for The Tempest and Dicken's A Christmas Carol in Memphis. She appeared as Helena in Door Shakespeare's very first production of Midsummer Night's Dream in 1994. A vetern of over 20 American Folklore Theatre productions, including the orginal casts of Fishing for the Moon, Belgians in Heaven and Lumberjacks in Love, she assembled the music and helped produce the CD for A Little Folk Music. This summer she has gone south to make music in Austin, Texas. She thanks Suzanne & Jerry for their faith, and the cast of As You Like It, most especially Lee Becker, for bringing her music to life.

JERRY GOMIS (Producer, Director) is delighted to be involved in the return of Shakespeare to Door County. Jerry's behind-the-scenes experience includes: Administrative Director/Director at Hampton Playhouse Chirldren's Theatre Program (as well as Master Acting Teacher), directed various theatre projects at the Cubicullo and the 28th Street Playhouse in New York City, and voice/speech teacher with the National Shakespeare Conservatory in NYC. As an actor, Jerry has had extensive expierence preforming in contemporary works as well as those of the Bard and other classic writers, including major roles in The Merchant of Venice, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, and She Stoops to Conquer. Jerry lives in minneaoplis with his wife and producing partner, Suzanne Graff, and their son William (who will celebrate his first birthday while in the County!)

JEANNE CHASE (Advertising Sales Rep) Jeanne has lived in Door County her entire life and has been instramental in assisting Door Shakespeare with its return. An active member of the community and former piano techer and church organist, Jeanne is a terrific cook and warm hostess on a cold day. She has sold playbill advertising for American Folklore Theatre as well as Door Shakespeare.

SUZANNE GRAFF (Producer, Production Manager) Primarily an actress, credits include work from the National Shakespeare Company (Viola in Twelfth Night, Celia in As You Like It, Constance in She Stoops To Conquer) to Zombies from the Beyond Off-Broadway. Door County has been Suzzane's theatrical home-away-from-home since 1991 when she joined the acting company at American Folklore Theater. After preforming in such shows as Moon of the Long Nights, Tongue 'N Cheek, Northern Lights, Lumberjacks in Love, Belgians in Heaven, and Bone Dance. Suzanne has been absent from AFT since 1998 to welcome her son, William, to the world. Expecting again later this year, Suzanne is thrilled to be back here, this time with her family. Love and thanks to Jerry and William.

JOHN HANSEN (Box Office Manager) John has been an active member of the Door County Arts scene for countless years. An accomplished ceramic artist, primarily of acoustic pottery, John has also made considerable contributions to American Folklore Teatre during its Heritage Ensemble to AFT years. John lives in Colorado where he runs Mudslingers, a school and center for the ceramic arts.

ANN THENELL NOIROT (Costume Designer) Door County born, Ann has recently retired to her home town of Sturgeon Bay, WI, after 27 years of experience in all aspects of design and design engineering. She spent the ten years prior to her relocation from the East Coast in Interior Design and fabrication as well as the creation and coodination of costumes for stage and screen presentations.