The Duke of Athens, Theseus plans to wed Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons. Egeus brings his daughter, Hermia and her two suitors before Theseus to intervene in their dispute. The suitors are Lysander (who Hermia loves) and Demetrius (who Egeus prefers for his daughter). Theseus follows the law, Egeus is empowered to choose for this daughter and he chooses Demetrius.
Secretly, Lysander and Hermia plan to escape Athens and elope. The lovers confess their plan to Helena (who loves Demetrius). Helena, to win Demetrius love, reveals the plan of escape to Demetrius. Demetrius then follows Lysander and Hermia into the woods and is followed by Helena.
Meanwhile, in the same woods, Bottom the Weaver and a group of local workmen rehearse a play for the Duke's wedding.
Puck, a devilish sprite, hears that Titania, the Queen of the Fairies, has arrived for the nuptials of Duke Theseus and Hippolyta. She has been in an ongoing quarrel with Oberon, King of the Fairies and Puck's master, over custody of a changeling boy. Oberon orders Puck to bring a magical flower, which when squeezed on Titania's sleeping eyes, will cause her to love the next creature she sees. Puck then transforms Bottom the Weaver's head into that of an ass. The waking Titania dotes ridiculously on the creature and gives the changeling boy to Oberon.
When Helen and Demetrius interrupt Oberon's conference, he instructs Puck to use the powerful flower to help sort out the lovers' wrangles. As a consequence, both young Demetrius and young Lysander are now smitten with Helena and Hermia is left alone in the woods.
After considerable confusion, Oberon sets the lovers right and restores Titania's true sight. Bottoms head is restored and the lovers return to Athens.
The cast includes
Theseus(Duke of Athens) - Sean Michael Dooley*
Hippolyta (to marry the Duke) - Suzzane Graff*
Philostrate (serving the Duke) - Bard Goodrich*
Egeus (father to Hermia) - Steve O'Toole*
Hermia (in love with Lysander) - Jennefer Ludwigsen
Lysander (in love with Hermia) - Mark Petrie
Demetrius (in love with Hermia) - Johnathan Wainwright
Helena (in love with Demetrius) - Heather Rene Corallo
Peter Quince (a carpenter) - Matthew R. Nelson
Bottom (a weaver) - Steve O'Toole*
Flute (a bellows-mender) - Tim Gittings
Snout (a tinker) - Jim Lautenbach
Snug (a joiner) - Matthew Jaeger
Puck (a sprite serving the Fairy King) - Barb Goodrich*
Peaseblossom (a fairy serving the Fairy Queen) - Tim Gittings
Oberon (the Fairy King) - Sean Michael Dooley*
Titania (the Fairy Queen) - Suzzane Graff*
Moth (a fairy) - Jim Lautenbach
Mustardseed (a fairy) - Matthew Jaeger
Cobweb (a fairy) - Matthew R. Nelson
The crew includes
Directed - Jerry Gomis
Costumes - Kelly Fitzpatrick
Lighting & Properties - Stewart Dawson
Orginal Music, Arrangements, & Direction - Karen Mal
Stage Management - Anna Gonzalez
Production Management - Suzanne Graff
Press Representation - Carol Lyons
Advertising Sales - Terese Boeck
Box Office & House Management - Bille Love, John Hansen
Costume Assistance - Kelly Keiler
* Appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association
HEATHER RENE CORALLO (Helena) a University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point grad, Heather has performed at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre for their 2000-2001 season, performed and directed in several theatres in Colorado, and is one of the founding members of the physical theatre company New Works Ensemble in Seattle. Most recently she performed with Collaboration Theatre and The Moving Dock Theatre Company in Chicago. Thanks to Suzanne and Jerry and thanks to my family for their wonderful support. Kisses in the wind!
SEAN MICHAEL DOOLEY (Theseus/Oberon) has performed in A Christmas Carol and Twelfth Night at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis and toured with their productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Ah, Wilderness! He has also acted at the Old Log Theater, The Great American History Theatre, Illusion Theater, Matchlight Theatre and can be seen in the films Innocence, How to Kill a Mockingbird, and A Specialist in his Field. This is his first time working for Door Shakespeare.
TIM GITTINGS (Flute/Peasblossom) is very happy to be back with Door Shakespeare for a third! Since last year he's been playing with his band, Olde Style, all over Chicago. They've just released their debut CD, “Rockwell”. Tim was last seen in Circle Theatre's When You Coming Back, Red Ryder as Teddy, and playing harmonica in Stage Left's Chicago premiere of Mrs. Mackenzie's Beginner's Guide to the Blues. Tim would like to thank everyone whose love and dedication makes this magical show possible; it's an inspiring and beautiful place to be!
BARD GOODRICH (Philostrate/Puck) based in Minneapolis, an Artistic Associate with Hidden Theatre where he has directed, designed and acted since 99'. Trained at the Actor Training Program-U of Utah, and at Theatre de la Jeune Lune where he was a company member 94'-96'. Guthrie Theatre; Eye of the Storm; Playwright's Center; Great American History Theatre; Creede Repertory; and most recently in the acclaimed production of Lee Blessings' Thief River at the Guthrie Lab.
SUZANNE GRAFF (Hippolyta/Titania/Producer) has produced & managed Door Shakespeare with husband Jerry for four years as well as directed and performed in last years' Twelfth Night. As an actress – National Tours of Shakespeare and other classics; Off Broadway: Twelfth Night and Jame's Valcq's Zombies from the Beyond; Regionally at: Skylight in Milwaukee, Indiana Rep, and History Theatre in St. Paul. Known in the Door for numerous seasons with American Folklore Theatre as well as The Good Doctor at Third Avenue Playhouse. This fall Suzanne will perform in The Spitfire Grill in Minneapolis. Love to Jerry, William & Anna Marie. Thank you Fred and Mario.
MATTHEW JAEGER (Snug/Mustardseed/Intern) a senior Theatre major at Marquette University with a double minor in Dance and Criminology and Law Studies. He would like to thank Suzanne and Jerry for this wonderful opportunity, the faculty at Marquette for their guidance, and his family for their never-ending support. Jules, I love you. This show is dedicated to his brothers, his partners in ink.
JIM LAUTENBACH (Snout/Moth) grew up in Door County and has appeared in shows from Baileys Harbor to Brussels including Hortensio/Litio in The Taming of the Shrew (Door Shakespeare), Vinnie in The Odd Couple (Door Off Broadway), Jesus in Godspell (Third Avenue Playhouse), Charlie in Working and Rudy in Carol Lyns' The Belgian Detective. A graduate of Marquette University, and a board member of Open Door Arts, this spring he performed as a talking monkey and a Spanish assassin in David Ives' All in the Timing (Open Door Arts Community Theatre).
JENNEFER LUDWIGSEN (Hermia) is happy to return to Door Shakespeare after a season hiatus – The Taming of the Shrew, Bianca; and As You Like It, Celia. Credits include: Bone Dance with American Folklore Theatre; The Diary of Anne Frank. Miep; and The New Kid, Mencha at Chicago's Apple Tree Theatre. This winter she taught with Eileen Boevers Performing Arts Workshop; was guest instructor at alma mater, Northwestern University; appeared in a commercial, did a lot of traveling and knitted her first blanket. Welcoe and much love to friends and family...enjoy the show!
MATTHEW R. NELSON (Peter Quince/Cobweb/Musician/Intern) is entering his senior year as a music performance major in voice at the U of WI-Milwaukee, where he has appeared in such operas as Die Zauberflote, Carmen, and The Impresario. He has worked professionally with the Florentine Opera and as a choral scholar of Memorial Luthern Church. A founding actor of UWM's Human Experience Theater, he is thrilled to be spending a second summer the best way possible-fiddling around with the good folks of Door Shakespeare. Many thanks to the greatest of friends and play-makers.
STEPHEN O'TOOLE (Egeus/Bottom) MFA and M.Ed.-University of Minnesota and a writer and producer of social issue theatre that he toured around the country for ten years. An actor in the Twin Cities for the past 18 years, Stephen also spent the last 5 years as a teach of students with developmental disabilities in the Minneapolis public high school system. He is very excited to be a member of this magical ensemble here in exquisite Door County! He sends his love to Victoria, “la fidanzata preziossima! Molti baci!”
MARK PETRIE (Lysander) Mark is happy to join Door Shakespeare for his first show in Wisconsin. He recently appeared as Horatio in Chase Park Theatre's Hamlet in Chicago, where he lives with his lovely wife, Michelle. Other previous roles include Tuzenbach in Three Sisters at the Swine Palace Theatre in Louisiana and Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. Mark has an M.F.A. in Acting from Louisiana State University.
JONATHAN WAINWRIGHT (Demetrius) usually playing in Milwaukee, with Theatre X, Bialystock & Bloom, Next Act, and Milwaukee Shakes, among others; this is Jonathan's first season with Door Shakespeare. Most recent and favorite role is Clifford Glimmer in Sideman; other roles close to the heart include: Sloane, Entertaining Mr. Sloane; The Writer, Vieux Carre; and Claudio in Measure for Measure. He thanks his friends and family fore their awesome support, the audience for coming out, and Suzanne and Jerry for the opportunity to come play with the good people of Door Shakespeare.
JERRY GOMIS (Director) directed tow previous Door Shakespeare productions: The Taming of the Shrew & As You Like It. Jerry has extensive experience performing 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 and Malvolio in last years Twelfth Night. Jerry lives in Minneapolis with wife and producing partner, Suzanne Graff, their son William, and daughter Anna Marie.
ANNA GONZALEZ (Stage Manager/Intern) is senior at Lawrence University where she will graduate next year with an English major and a minor in Theatre. She is thrilled to be back for her second summer with Door Shakespeare as a Stage Manager. Past theatre credits include assistant costumer/costume crew work for LU productions of Machinal, The Mikado, and Gilbert without Sullivan, as well as Door Shakespeare's production of Twelfth Night.
KELLY FITZPATRICK is honored to be working with Door Shakespeare for the first time. She has previously been Costume Design Supervisor for the Utah Shakespearean Festival and Costume Director for Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Design credits include American Folklore Theatre, Milwaukee Rep., Next Act, and Renaissance Theatre Works. Her designs can also be seen this summer on the AFT stage in Packer Fans From Outer Space and Beneath the Northern Sky. Special thanks to Mom and Dad for their love and support.
KELLY KEILER is delighted to be part of the Door Shakespeare gang. A sophomore in UW-Green Bay Theatre program, her main emphasis is in costume. A Green Bay native, she's had a challenging and satisfying year filled with a variety of opportunities in the theatre ranging from scenic artisan, property design, and wardrobe crew/dresser. Kelly would like to thank Kaoime, Jeff, and Kim.
KAREN MAL (Composer) Composer for Door Shakespeare's Twelfth Night & As You Like It, as well as other productions of Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, & A Midsummer Night's Dream (all new music this time!) A company member of American Folklore Theatre from 1992-1998, she orginated the roles of the Kid in Lumberjacks in Love & Angelique in Belgians in Heaven. She plays music full-time and lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Chris Irwin; although she still holds the Door County community close to her heart and is thrilled to be working with Door Shakespeare again. A finalist this year in songwriting competitions at Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, TX and Founders Title Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Park City, UT, she has been touring to promote her new CD Mercury's Wings.
STEWART DAWSON (Lighting, Set and Properties Design) from Albuquerque New Mexico, Stewart returns to Door Shakespeare to lend his accomplished hand to Door Shakespeare. Stewart has designed and built sets for American Folklore Theatre and, closer to home, for Opera Southwest, in Albuquerque, the Ballet Theatre of New Mexico and the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra. Thank you, Stewart for your talent and humor.
TERESE BOECK once again, is this year's Advertisement Representative for Door Shakespeare. She made her return to the stage this spring in The Belgian Detective. Terese looks forward to more opportunities to rekindle her love affair with the theatre.
JOHN HANSEN (House and Box Office Manager) started his summer theatre adventures 20 years ago with Heritage Ensemble and was a founding member of American Folklore Theatre. John ins a professional potter with work featured at Potter's Wheel Gallery in Fish Creek and here in our concessions booth.
BILL LOVE (House Manager/Concessions Manager/Office Manager) has been a tremendous force in taking on the many unexpected details that can arise when bringing a show from rehearsal to performance. Bill takes on everything with a “No problem. Consider it done.” attitude. We breathe easier when Bill is around. Thank you Bill!
CAROL LYONS (PR Coordinator) is a writer and a dog groomer. Formerly an award-winning journalist, she has five plays, two books and numerous magazine articles to her credit. Carol is delighted to be able to hand out with talented people and see great comedy in a beautiful setting. Thanks for including me, DS.
