Antonio, a Venetian merchant, finds himself in a mysterious state of melancholy. His friends, Salerio and Solanio, unsuccessfully attempt to cheer him. Antonio's close friend, Bassanio arrives and reveals his love for Portia of Belmont, a lady of great wealth. He wants to marry her, yet needs financial backing to do so. Antonio offers Bassanio to seek out a loan on Antonio's credit. At Belmont, Portia is pursued by unappealing suitors. According to her late father's will, her suitor must choose one of three chests – gold, silver, or lead –if the correct one is chosen, he may marry Portia. Back in Venice, Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, and Antonio agree on the loan for Bassanio - with Antonio consenting to an unusual bond: a pound of his own flesh.
Meanwhile, Lancelet Gobbo, Shylock's servant, tells his father, Old Gobbo, that he wishes to leave Shylock and work for Bassanio. Shylock's daughter, Jessica, is in love with Lorenzo (Antonio's Christian friend). They make plans to escape during a supper between Antonio and Shylock. Meanwhile, Portia's latest suitors, the Moroccan prince and the Prince of Arragon choose incorrect chests and leave defeated. In Venice, Salerio and Solanio discuss Shylock's rage when he finds his daughter and a large sum of money missing. They also express concern for their friend Antonio when learning of a merchant ship lost at sea.
Word arrives that Antonio's ships are missing and one has sunk. While Shylock laments his daughter's departure and his monetary loss, he rejoices that Antonio is sure to default on his loan. When Bassanio arrives at Belmont (with his friend, Gratiano), Portia begs him to wait in choosing a chest. However, it is too torturesome for Bassanio to wait. He chooses the correct casket, and wins Portia. To seal the union, Portia gives Bassanio a ring, warning that if lost, it presages the ruin of his love. Gratiano then announces his intention to wed Nerissa (Portia's waiting woman). Next, Salerio, Lorenzo, and Jessica arrive, informing Bassanio of Antonio's loss and Shylock's declaration of the forfeiture of the bond. Bassanio leaves for Venice immediately. In Venice, Shylock has Antonio arrested. Meanwhile, Portia has devised that she and Nerissa will disguise themselves as young men and travel to Venice.
At the Venetian court, Shylock intends to cut "a pound of flesh from Antonio's breast," insistent upon the terms of the bond. Nerissa and Portia, disguised as a clerk and lawyer arrive at the court. Portia points out that the deed calls for no blood to be shed and exactly one pound to be taken, or Shylock will be guilty of not following the bond himself. Portia then reveals that Shylock is himself guilty of a crime; namely, conspiring to kill a citizen of Venice, i.e. Antonio. As punishment Shylock must: give half his belongings to the court, promise to give the other half to Jessica and Lorenzo upon his death and lastly, become a Christian. With no other choice, Shylock agrees. As Portia (still in disguise) leaves, Bassanio offers her a monetary gift. Portia turns this down, instead requesting Bassanio's wedding ring. Bassanio, hesitates, but reluctantly gives it. Nerissa then vows to try to get Gratiano to give her his wedding ring.
The next morning, Bassanio and Portia, and Gratiano and Nerissa reunite. After quarreling over the loss of rings, the women admit to their ruse and return the rings to their husbands. Further, they inform Antonio that three of his ships have come to port full of merchandise. Finally, they give to Jessica and Lorenzo the deed promising them Shylock's money and possessions upon his death.
The cast includes
Antonio (a merchant of Venice) – MICHAEL SANDER* Salerio (companion of Antonio and Bassanio) – JAMES VALCQ* Solanio (companion of Antonio and Bassanio) – MATTHEW VAN OSS Bassanio (a Venetian gentleman in love with Portia) – SEAN MICHAEL DOOLEY* Lorenzo (a Venetian gentleman in love with Jessica) – MATTHEW ECCLESTONE Gratiano (companion of Antonio and Bassanio) – KHRIS LEWIN* Nerissa (Portia's waiting-gentlewoman) – SUZANNE GRAFF* Portia (an heiress of Belmont) – AMY ENSIGN Serving woman to Portia – REBECCA LIVENGOOD Shylock (a Jewish moneylender) – STEPHEN J. O'TOOLE* Lancelet Gobbo (servant to Shylock) – KHRIS LEWIN* Old Gobbo (Lancelet's father) – MICHAEL SANDER* Jessica (daughter to Shylock) – KAY ALLMAND Prince of Morocco (suitor to Portia) – SEAN MICHAEL DOOLEY* Prince of Arragon (suitor to Portia) – SEAN MICHAEL DOOLEY* Messenger for Antonio – KAY ALLMAND Tubal (a Jewish moneylender) – MICHAEL SANDER* Jailer – REBECCA LIVENGOOD Balthazar (servant to Portia) – STEPHEN J. O'TOOLE* Duke of Venice – MATTHEW ECCLESTONE
The crew includes
Directed by JERRY GOMIS
Produced by SUZANNE GRAFF
Costumes by BARBARA PORTINGA
Lighting & Scene Design by STEWART DAWSON
Original Music, Arrangements, and Direction by JAMES VALCQ
Stage Management by KARA SCHUETTE
House Management by JOHN HANSEN
Box Office Management by JOAN SHIELS
Costumes Assisted by KELLY PURSLEY
Stage Management Assisted by BERNADETTE RASPANTE
* Appears courtesy of Actors' Equity Association
KAY ALLMAND (Jessica/Messenger) is thrilled to be joining Door Shakespeare for the first time. Most recent credits include Carnelle in The Miss Firecracker Contest at the Texas Repertory Theatre, the Queen in Panto Cinderella at Stages Repertory Theatre, Kate in Taming of the Shrew and Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Earnest at Unity Theatre, Sister James in Doubt and Isabella in Measure for Measure at the Southwest Shakespeare Festival, and Sarah in Translations at Main Street Theater. This fall she will play Ms. Molloy in The Matchmaker at Unity Theatre and a role in Panto Sleeping Beauty at Stages Repertory Theatre. Kay has a BFA in theatre from Midwestern State University, an MFA in acting from the University of South Carolina and completed the acting internship at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Many sincere thanks to Suzanne and Jerry and the entire team and to Mom and Dad for their unconditional love and amazing support.
SEAN MICHAEL DOOLEY (Bassanio/Prince of Morocco/Prince of Arragon) is thrilled to be back after a six year hiatus. In 2002, Sean played Theseus/Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream and in 2003 he played Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet and Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing for Jerry and Suzanne. Since then, Sean has worked at numerous theatres around the twin cities area, including the History Theatre, Old Log Theatre, and Mixed Blood Theatre. In addition, Sean has worked extensively at the Guthrie Theatre, including performing in 1776, Jane Eyre and A Christmas Carol, as well as assistant directing their production of Alfred Uhry's play Edgardo Mine. Sean has also been teaching in Michigan and Wisconsin, and currently is on the faculty at Century College and North Hennepin Community College. Sean wishes to thank his family for their continued support.
MATTHEW ECCLESTONE (Lorenzo/Duke of Venice) is pleased past words to be returning to Door Shakespeare, where he was last seen in the original '03 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. He has enjoyed a highly varied career on stages all across the country, acting, singing, and playing the violin in light opera, musicals, outdoor drama, much Shakespeare and even a few "normal" plays. Some favorite past theaters include APT, Creede Rep, Festival 56, Texas Shakespeare, and Lost Nation Theater. Recent roles include Richard Henry Lee in "1776" and Scrooge in "Christmas Carol." He loves his mother, the outdoors, and Cadbury chocolate very much.
AMY ENSIGN (Portia) is delighted to return for her third season with Door Shakespeare, where she was last seen in A Midsummer Night's Dream. A graduate of the University of Washington's School of Drama, Amy also studied with the Suzuki Company of Toga-Mura in Japan. Favorite roles include Laura in The Glass Menagerie, Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst, and Elmire in Door Shakespeare's Tartuffe. A voyaging sailor, Amy lives in Sturgeon Bay with her husband and 5-year-old son. Thank you to Suzanne and Jerry for letting me share the stage with this wonderful company. And thank you to my family for everything else.
KHRIS LEWIN (Gratiano/Lancelet Gobbo) just finished playing the title characters in Macbeth at Nebraska Shakespeare and Cyrano de Bergerac at TheatreWorks in Colorado Springs. Recent work in New York includes Stomp and Shout! by James Carmichael at the 45th Street Theatre, Selected Shorts and Bloomsday on Broadway at Symphony Space, as well as the world premiere of Deb Margolin's Time is the Mercy of Eternity with Lisa Kron at the West End Theatre. Film work includes independent shorts "The Eyes Have It" and "First Date," and CBS News' wallstrip.com. Training: BA, Duke University; MFA, National Theatre Conservatory. www.khrislewin.com
STEPHEN J. O'TOOLE (Shylock/Balthazar) has been a Twin Cities actor, teacher and director for the past twenty five years. Most recently Stephen directed Twelfth Night at Century College in White Bear Lake, MN and The Foreigner at Lyric Arts in Anoka, where he will direct As You Like It in April 2010. This is Stephen's fifth season with Door Shakespeare. Among Stephen's past roles for Doorshakes are Orgon in Tartuffe, Caliban in The Tempest and Touchstone in As You Like It.
MICHAEL SANDER (Antonio/Old Gobbo/Tubal) is really happy to return to Door Shakespeare, where last season he played Peter Quince in Midsummer and Ragueneau in Cyrano. A graduate of the theatre program at Syracuse University, he studied in New York with Uta Hagen and Alice Spivak. He has appeared at such theatres as the Center for Music, Drama, and Art, Lake Placid, NY; Arena House, Harrisburg, PA; and Keeweenaw Playhouse, Calumet, MI. He has been an editor of college textbooks and a theatre critic for Los Angeles Drama-Logue and New York Backstage. Of late, he has had a wonderful time directing musicals at Pequot Lakes Community Theatre in MN; this fall it will be the Kander/Ebb musical comedy whodunit Curtains.
JAMES VALCQ (Musical Composer, Arranger, & Director/Salerio) composed the score of the Off-Broadway musical The Spitfire Grill (Playwrights Horizons, 2001) which won the Richard Rodgers Production Award and received Best Musical nominations from the Outer Critics Circle and Drama League as well as two Drama Desk nominations. The show, written with collaborator Fred Alley, has been produced almost 300 times across the United States, in Germany, South Korea, the UK, and Japan. Also Off-Broadway, James was the composer/author of Zombies from The Beyond, which opened to critical acclaim in 1995 (and featured Suzanne Graff). Broadway credits as conductor and/or musician include Chicago, Flower Drum Song, Cabaret, Scarlet Pimpernel. Other conducting credits: Maurice Sendak's production of Really Rosie (national tour), Candide, Lady in the Dark, South Pacific, The Producers (Skylight Opera Theatre), and She Loves Me (Indiana Rep). As an actor, James has played the role of Cosme McMoon in Souvenir at Boise Contemporary Theatre and American Stage in Florida. Also: Ernie in Guys on Ice at Milwaukee Rep and created role of Pierre in the premiere of How I Became a Pirate at First Stage.
MATTHEW VAN OSS (Solanio/Intern) is from Green Bay, WI and attends Butler University, studying Theatre and Piano. At the University he has been seen on the mainstage as Balzaminov in Balzaminov's Wedding and Anuchkin in Marriage. Favorite roles include Nelson in End Days (Phoenix Theatre) and Howard Morgan in The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial (L.A. Theatre Works) starring Ed Asner and Mike Ferrell. Matthew recently completed an acting intensive at the Moscow Art Theatre School and interned with American Folklore Theatre last summer.
SUZANNE GRAFF (Producer/Nerissa) has been involved in Door County theatre for more than 18 years. After spending several seasons at the company that gave birth to Door Shakespeare, American Folklore Theatre, she and her husband, Jerry Gomis, have collaborated as producers of Door Shakespeare for over ten years - for which Suzanne has directed: Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, The Tempest and Cyrano. Her Door Shakespeare acting credits include Viola in Twelfth Night, Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Phoebe in As You Like It, Gwendolyn in The Importance of Being Earnest, Dorrine in Tartuffe and the Duena in Cyrano. On other stages, Suzanne's acting credits include Off-Broadway in James Valcq's hit, Zombies from the Beyond and Twelfth Night. She has performed in national tours of She Stoops to Conquer, As You Like It, Oedipus, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Regionally she's appeared at Indiana Rep; in her hometown of Milwaukee at: Skylight Opera Theatre and Theatre Tesseract; in her current home of Minnesota at: The Old Log Theatre, History Theatre, The Jon Hassler Theatre, and in the Buffalo Gal Production of James Valcq's The Spitfire Grill as Effy. Thank you for joining us tonight! Enjoy the show! BLTJAM&W.
JERRY GOMIS (Producer/Director) has directed many productions at Door Shakespeare, including Tartuffe, Importance of Being Earnest, She Stoops to Conquer, The Comedy of Errors, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, and As You Like It. Jerry has also been seen in the Garden in various roles, including Cyrano in Cyrano de Bergerac, Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing and Malvolio in Twelfth Night. Other favorite roles include Arles, etc. in Greater Tuna, the title role in Macbeth and the juggling bunny in Carousel (you didn't know there was a juggling bunny, did you?). Great thanks are owed to Suzanne, William and Anna Marie for their continual inspiration and patience. With deep gratitude, Jerry also acknowledges his family, friends, supporters during his recent job transition, and you - supporters of this magical event called Door Shakespeare!
REBECCA LIVENGOOD (Arts Administration Intern/Serving woman/Jailer) is absolutely thrilled to be joining Door Shakespeare for the first time, experiencing the best of both worlds on and offstage this summer. She is currently a student at New York University, studying dramatic literature and creative writing. Acting training includes Northwestern University (two years), the Piven Theatre Workshop, and the British American Drama Academy at Oxford. She has worked as producer, publicity director, and stage manager for a number of productions at Northwestern, including Macbeth, The War Hall, The Oedipus Cycle, and How to Save Your Family From Dying. Favorite acting performances include Beautiful Radiant Things (a play she also wrote and directed), Working the Musical, 42nd Street, Illuminations/Marginalia, and most recently Albert Camus' Les Justes (performed in French) at NYU. Her work this summer is in memory of her father, Larry Livengood.
STEWART DAWSON (Lighting, Set, & Properties Design) I am wandering back into these woods this year with a greater understanding and appreciation of the obstacles and barriers that I face every day in my life. (Not to mention this Shakespeare acting troupe). During the winter, I manage room service for Opera Southwest in Albuquerque. This past season I designed a huge nose on wheels that sucked up all the air for their production of a new children's opera called GASP! It blew everyone's mind! I hope you are having a great summer! Enjoy!
JOHN HANSEN (House Manager/Public Relations) has been with Door Shakespeare from the beginning. He performed as Jean, the theater manager in Cyrano last year and has had many roles with our company. John's theater work started in Door County with Heritage Ensemble in the early 80's. He did most of the behind the scenes work to transition to American Folklore Theatre where he was house manager for many years. John is also an exceptional potter with work shown nationally and in Europe. He made the ceramic speaker enclosures for our house sound system and the pottery in our concessions area. You may also find his work at Potters' Wheel Gallery in Fish Creek. John wishes you enjoy the magic this evening that is Door Shakespeare.
KARA SCHUETTE (Stage Manager) is very excited to return to Door Shakespeare (and Door County!) after having stage managed the 2007 season of The Tempest and Tartuffe. Kara makes her home in Minneapolis, MN with her husband, Terry Flynn and has worked in various theatres in the Twin Cities area over the last 9 years. A proud member of Actor's Equity Association, some of her favorite shows over the years have been: Death of a Salesman, Broadway's Legendary Ladies, Farm Boys, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Akespearshay and The Baron (about the infamous wrestler Baron Von Raschke-starring himself).
BERNADETTE K. RASPANTE (Assistant Stage Manager) is a Chicago native who has been spending her summers in Door County for as long as she can remember. She will be entering her final year as a theatre major at Saint Mary's University of Winona with a focus in directing and stage management. Last fall Bernadette had the opportunity to study in London and Dublin and worked with the Rose Bruford School of the Arts and the Gaiety School of Acting. Bernadette is grateful and excited to join the Door Shakespeare Company for the season and would like to extend a large thank you to John Hansen, Suzanne Graff, Jerry Gomis and Kara Schutte.
BARB PORTINGA (Costume Designer) rates her design gig with Door Shakespeare as one of the highlights of her year. This is Barb's ninth year in beautiful Door County, where she has also designed for AFT. She makes her home in the Twin Cities area and her design work has been seen throughout the Midwest. She had her on-the-job training at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre where she is a cutter/draper for each main stage show. Barb has been making her way in the world solely designing and building shows for over 20 years. Barb is the proprietor of Portable Costumes.
KELLY PURSLEY (Costume Intern) is currently a sophomore at the University of Minnesota: Morris and is working on a theater arts and chemistry major. She assistant stage-managed Morris' children's show Jack and the Beanstalk and has costumed many of her high schools shows which have included Chicago, Les Miserables and Our Town.
JOAN SHIELS (Box Office Manager/Company Chaplain) has two professions and two loves: ministry and theater. Some people find that an odd combination but she says "Church and theater really have a lot in common. In both places, we put on a show and then we ask for money." Joan called us eight years ago, when she moved here from California, and said "You're wonderful! I want to work for you!" Every summer since she has housed actors, worked box office, helped in the office or moved chairs ---whatever was needed. She says "Shakespeare under the stars is a slice of heaven. There is no place I would rather be on a summer night that in this magic garden."
JENNEFER LUDWIGSEN (Doorways Program Director) founded Doorways: Creating Theatre for Children in the summer of 2000 after graduating from Northwestern University. Jenn, who resides in Los Angeles, has been a company member of Door Shakespeare for seven seasons and has also performed with AFT, and in Chicago with the Apple Tree Theatre, Shaw Chicago, and has appeared on television with "Entourage", "Dexter", "Desperate Housewives", "ER", and in numerous commercials. Jennefer has taught in Chicago with Free Street Programs, at the Apple Tree Theatre with the Eileen Boevers Center for Performing Arts, for the United Way in Sturgeon Bay, at Northwestern University, and the University of Washington where she recently completed her MFA from the Professional Actors Training Program.
