Plot Synopsis

After defeating his brother Don John in a military campaign, Don Pedro (Prince of Aragon) arrives in Messina for a visit with Leonato, Messina's governor. With Don Pedro are Beatrice and Claudio, who fought bravely in the military campaign. All three have visited Messina before and are well known to the residents. Also with Don Pedro is the defeated Don John, outwardly repentant for waging war against his brother but inwardly seeking an opportunity for revenge. Leonato has a beautiful daughter named Hero and a sharp-tongued niece named Beatrice. When Claudio first sees Hero, he falls madly in love with her. When Benedick and Beatrice see each other, they parry savage insults. At a masked ball, Don John tries to thwart the flourishing romance between Claudio and Hero. Don John then tries to convince Claudio that Hero loves Don Pedro. His plan fails, and it is agreed that Claudio and Hero will marry.

While all Messina prepares for the wedding, Don Pedro decides to make Benedick and Beatrice fall in love. He arranges occasions in which each overhears that the other loves him or her, and their enmity for each other softens. In the meantime, Don John arranges to have Margaret dress in Hero's clothes and make love to a man at Hero's window, andfor Don Pedro and Claudio to witness this event. At the altar the next day, Claudio and Don Pedro condemn Hero for her indiscretion. Only Benedick, Beatrice, and the local priest, believe Hero's innocence, but Friar Francis persuades Leonato to pretend that Hero died of grief.

Then Beatrice challenges Benedick to kill Claudio for dishonoring Hero. Benedick agrees and challenges Claudio, but Don John's treachery is exposed before they are able to fight. Claudio then praises the "dead" Hero quite highly and vows to do whatever penance Leonato imposes upon him. Leonato offers Claudio the hand of the niece who is "almost copy of my child that's dead, and she alone is heir to both of us: Give her the right you should have given her cousin, and so dies my revenge." Claudio embraces the offer. On the day of the wedding, Claudio discovers that the bride is really his beloved Hero, and they marry. So, too, do Benedick and Beatrice. Don John escapes, but is captured and brought back to await justice.

The cast includes

Hero (Leonato's Daughter) ~ Kay Allmand
Ursula (A waiting gentlewoman to Hero) ~ Debra Babich*
Second Watchman ~ Claire Bancroft
Sexton ~ Neal Beckman
Balthasar (A Musician) ~ Katie Dahl
Verges (Dogberry's partner) ~ Amy Ensign
Don Pedro (Prince of Aragon) ~ Tim Gittings
Beatrice (Leonato's niece) ~ Suzanne Graff*
Margaret (A waiting gentlewoman to Hero) ~ Leslie Ann Handelman*
Don John (Don Pedro's brother) ~ Mitchell Koory
First Watchman ~ Emily Moulds
Signior Benedick (A gentleman from Padua) ~ Stephen Pearce
Leonato (Governor of Messina) ~ Michael Sander*
Count Claudio (A Young Lord from Florence) ~ Ryan Schabach*
George Seacoal (Leader of the Watch) ~ Ryan Patrick Shaw
Messenger ~ Ryan Patrick Shaw
Borachio (Don John's follower) ~ Robb Smith
Antonio (Leonato's brother) ~ William Theisen*
Dogberry (Master Constable in Messina) ~ William Theisen*
Conrade (Don John's follower) ~ James Valcq*
Friar Francis ~ James Valcq*

The crew includes

Direction by Jerry Gomis*
Stage Management by Kimberly Ann McCann*
Lighting & Scene Design by Stewart Dawson
Costumes by Barb Portinga
Assistant Costumes by Kelly Pursley
House Management by John Hansen
Company Chaplain and Box Office by Joan Shiels
Intern Office Administration by Bessie Tockstein and Alyssa Dell

*Members of the Actors’ Equity Association

KAY ALLMAND (Performer) is so happy to be joining Door Shakespeare again after playing Jessica in The Merchant of Venice last season. Recent credits include: Trini in Panto Sleeping Beauty and Queen in Panto Cinderella at Stages Repertory Theatre; Mrs. Molloy in The Matchmaker, Kate in The Taming ofthe Shrew and Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Earnest at Unity Theatre;Carnelle in The Miss Firecracker Contest,Catherine in Proof,and Laura in The Glass Menagerie at the Texas Repertory Theatre; Sister James in Doubt and Isabella in Measure for Measure at the Southwest Shakespeare Festival; Sarah in Translations at Main Street Theater. 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 Jerry and Suzanne, the entire Door Shakes team and to Mom and Dad for their unconditional love and amazing support.

DEBRA BABICH (Performer) proudly marks her Door Shakespeare debut with their 2010 season. She is effervescent at the prospectus of taking on the monikers of Mrs. Malaprop and Ursula in The Rivals and Much Ado About Nothing, repetitively. A Wisconsin native who calls Milwaukee home base, Debra has trotted the boards of many a local theatrical venerable, including the Fireside Playhouse, Next Act Theatre and In Tandem Theatre Company. Her resume consists of a literary of credits, including Mother Superior in Nunsense at Actors' Theatre of Indiana, Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie at Cedar Creek Repertory Company, and innumerable apparitions at the International Mystery Writers' Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky. An infinity of thanks are directed toward Suzanne, Jerry, and the Door Shakespeare company, and she invokes tonight's audience to enjoy the show. And in that she is unanimous.

CLAIRE BANCROFT (Assistant Stage Manager / Performance Intern) is excited to be spending her summer in beautiful Door County for the first time. Currently a student of history and theater at Macalester College, favorite roles include Doc Gibbs in Our Town, Poncia in The House of Bernarda Alba, Maria in The Sound of Music, and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. She would like to thank her fantastic parents for everything.

NEAL BECKMAN (Performance and Technical Intern) is very grateful to be making his debut with Door Shakespeare. Having grown up in Minneapolis, his past theatre credits have all been within the Twin Cities or St. Cloud area. His last works included Emerald and the Love Song of the Dead Fishermen with Nimbus Theatre and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie with G.R.E.A.T Theatre. He has been a part of the newly founded American Shakespeare Rep for a year now and contributed to staged readings of six Shakespeare plays with many more to come. He gives special thanks to his parents for their support and to all the cast and crew for making Baileys Harbor a home away from home.

KATIE DAHL (Musician / Public Relations Associate) is pleased to return for her seventh season of writing and playing music for Door hakespeare. A professional singer-songwriter (www.katiedahlmusic.com), this arleton College alum spends her winters roaming about the U.S. and beyond, cobbling together enough writing, teaching, and music gigs to justify her annual return to Door County. In the summer and fall, Katie can often be found picking fruit at her family's orchard, slinging coffee at Base Camp, writing articles for The Peninsula Pulse, and playing music around microphones or bonfires.

AMY ENSIGN (Performer / Choreographer) is delighted to return for her fourth season with Door Shakespeare, where she was last seen as Portia in The Merchant of Venice. Amy's recent credits inclue Mags in Painting Churches, Laura in The Glass Menagerie, Emily Dickinson in The Belle of Amherst, and Elmire in Door Shakespeare's Tartuffe. Amy (whose website is www. amyensign.com) is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Drama and studied with the Suzuki Company of Toga- Mura, Japan. A voyaging sailor, she lives in Sturgeon Bay with her husband and son. Amy offers thanks to Suzanne and Jerry for the magic of the Garden and to her family for their constant support.

TIM GITTINGS (Performer) is thrilled to be back with Door Shakespeare this summer for his lucky-seventh season! Favorite past roles include: Mercutio (Romeo &Juliet), Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Twelfth Night), Ariel (The Tempest), and Peaseblossom & Flute (A Midsummer Night's Dream). Tim's Chicago credits include work with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Northlight Theatre, Writer's Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, Circle Theatre, and Stage Left Theatre. Regional credits include two seasons with both American Players Theatre and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Special thanks and (happy sixth anniversary) to the wonderful Ellie for all her love and support!

LESLIE ANN HANDELMAN (Performer / Fight Choreographer) is making her Door Shakespeare debut! In Chicago, Leslie has appeared in The Cassilis Engagement, Midwinter's Tales, You Never Can Tell (ShawChicago), and Romeo and Juliet (Theatre Classics). Regionally, Leslie has appeared in Enchanted April (Meadow Brook Theatre), The Blank Page (Jewish Ensemble Theatre), Henry IV, Part 2 (Milwaukee Shakespeare), Backsliding in the Promised Land, The Dybbuk (Syracuse Stage), and The Odyssey (Stage One). Leslie has also done two tours of A Christmas Carol. Leslie holds a BFA from Syracuse University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a proud and active member of the Actors' Equity Association.

MITCHELL KOORY (Performer) is so thankful to be working with Door Shakespeare this summer in beautiful Door County, WI. He hails from the state across the lake, and his Metro Detroit credits include: Wilding in Enchanted April, Gussie in By Jeeves, and Fred in A Christmas Carol (Meadow Brook Theatre); Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank (The J.E.T.); Orlando in As You Like It and Ferdinand in The Tempest (Michigan Shakespeare). He would like to thank Suzanne and Jerry for extending this great offer, Leslie for being so thoughtful, his family for their continued support, and Anne, the woman who makes it all worthwhile.

EMILY MOULDS (Assistant Stage Manager / Performance Intern) is in her first season with Door Shakespeare and she's very excited to be here. Her past involvement in theater is rather diverse; some of her favorite onstage roles include Viola (Hormel Girls), Salome (The Robber Bridegroom) and, most recently, Feste (Twelfth Night). When not onstage, Emily works towards gaining more experience in the technical field (she has student directed twice, and worked at her high school as a lighting board operator). Emily will be finishing her final year at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and graduating with an Associate in Fine Arts degree for Theater.

STEPHEN PEARCE (Performer) was recently seen in Othello at Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul, MN. He toured Colorado with No Holds Bard Theatre Company performing in Macbeth, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and Twelfth Night. He was a founding member of the Bug Children's Theatre Series, creating original musicals for children, including The Denver Post's 2002 "Best Show for Young Audiences," Spiderella. Other Denver credits include War Anthology and The Long Christmas Ride Home at Curious Theatre, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Comedy of Errors with The Bug, Metamorphoses at Avenue Theatre and Shakespeare's R&J at Theatre on Broadway. This is Stephen's first season with Door Shakespeare.

MICHAEL SANDER (Performer) is delighted that Suzanne and Jerry have invited him for a third season at beautiful Björklunden; last year he was Antonio in The Merchant of Venice. A theatre graduate of Syracuse University, he studied in New York with Uta Hagen and Alice Spivak and has appeared in a number of theatres and tours. After a break of several years, he recently returned to performing. Michael has been an editor of college textbooks and a theatre critic. Of late, he has been directing musicals in Pequot Lakes, MN; this fall it will be Working, based on the noted book by Studs Terkel.

RYAN SCHABACH (Performer) is overjoyed to be performing with the company he has watched with admiration over the last decade. Favorites include: the King in Underpants at Milwaukee Rep; three seasons at the Utah Shakespearean Festival; Daniel McClure in Ears on a Beatle at Next Act; Father Flynn in Doubt at the SW Shakespeare Festival; Complete Works of Shakespeare Abg. at Texas Rep, and new play development by Wisconsin playwright Richard Kalinoski. This fall Ryan will be seen in Madison with Forward Theater Co. A special thank you to those supporters of the arts who make Door Shakespeare such a magical experience.

RYAN PATRICK SHAW (Performance and Technical Intern) is very excited for his first summer at Door Shakespeare! This fall, Ryan will be entering his senior year at UW-Parkside. Some UW-P credits include Oliver in As You Like It, Stanley in Brighton Beach Memoirs, Medvedenko in The Seagull, and Marcellus in The Music Man. The past two summers, Ryan was a company member at The Huron Playhouse in Ohio. Thanks so much to family and friends!

ROBB SMITH (Performer) is delighted to be spending his first summer with such a generous and talented cast and crew at Door Shakes. A Milwaukee-area native, Robb has had the opportunity to perform on-camera and onstage on a few continents. He has performed with Chicago, Milwaukee and Wisconsin Shakes as well as most of the theatres in Milwaukee. His work as a set/sound/lighting designer has been seen in dozens of productions, and he continues to teach and coach performers with Studio underground. Uncountable thanks go to Team Anderle-Smith, without whom this would not be possible.

WILLIAM THEISEN (Performer) is thrilled to spend the summer in Door County now that he is officially a part-time resident of Sturgeon Bay. He works as a director and performer for theatre and opera companies throughout the country. Favorite roles include Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Norman in The Boys Next Door, and, most recently, Edna in Hairspray. Bill is currently in his seventh year as artistic director of the Skylight Opera Theatre in Milwaukee. He is also a visiting professor at the University of Iowa as well as an adjudicator for PBS. Thanks to Suzanne and Jerry for the opportunity.

JAMES VALCQ (Composer / Musical Director / Performer / Musician) 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 over 300 times across the United States, in Germany, South Korea, the UK, Japan, and Australia. 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, and 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). James has composed scores for Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Door Shakespeare, Idaho Youth Theatre, and American Folklore Theatre. 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, Solanio in Door Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, and created the role of Pierre in the premiere of How I Became a Pirate at First Stage.

JERRY GOMIS (Artistic Director / Director) has guided the artistic vision of Door Shakespeare since it was established as an independent company in 1999. Jerry has directed most of Door Shakespeare's plays and has also served as a member of the Board of Directors and as a producer. Plays directed include: As You Like It ('99), The Taming of the Shrew ('00), A Midsummer Night's Dream ('02 and '08), Romeo and Juliet ('03), The Merry Wives of Windsor ('04), She Stoops to Conquer and The Comedy of Errors ('05), The Importance of Being Earnest ('06), Tartuffe ('07), and The Merchant of Venice ('09). Jerry has graced the Door Shakespeare stage as an actor as Malvolio in Twelfth Night, Cyrano in Cyrano, and Benedick in Much Ado, as well as roles in The Tempest and The Taming of the Shrew. Outside of Door Shakespeare, Jerry is or has been an actor, director, teacher, and a certified Project Manager. He ran the Children's Theatre at Hampton Playhouse in Hampton, NH and toured extensively with the National Shakespeare Company. Jerry has also performed with Atlanta Shakespeare and as Blue Jacket in Tecumseh. Jerry is inspired by the brilliant hearts, minds and spirits of his incredible children, William and Anna Marie.

SUZANNE GRAFF (Executive Director / Performer) is proud and thrilled to see this season come to fruition. For twelve years she and her husband, Jerry Gomis, have dedicated themselves as producers, directors, and actors to Door Shakespeare's growth. She would like to extend a big thank you to all who have brought joy to this craft over the years: actors, designers, volunteers, administrative staff, and (last but not least) audience members, who share in the performances and give great energy back to the actors! Outside of Door Shakespeare, Suzanne has acted: at home in the Twin Cities with the Old Log Theater, History Theatre, and Buffalo Gal (as Effy in James Valcq & Fred Alley's The Spitfire Grill); in her hometown of Milwaukee, with Theatre Tesseract and The Skylight Opera Theatre; Off-Broadway, in Riverside Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and originated the role of Charlie in Zombies from the Beyond; on tours including Viola in Twelfth Night, Celia in As You Like It, and Constance in She Stoops to Conquer. Her favorite Door Shakespeare roles include Dorine in Tartuffe, Gwendolyn in The Importance of Being Earnest, Titania in Midsummer and the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. Suzanne has directed Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, The Tempest and Cyrano for Door Shakespeare. I love you WG and AMG!!

TERESE BOECK (Company and Business Manager) has had a love affair with Door Shakespeare since way back in 1996, when she said "sure" to Fred Alley's request to help as a volunteer and park cars at Bjorklunden. She is honored to take the helm as Door Shakespeare's company and business manager for the 2010 season. Inspired over the years by Jerry's directing skills, Terese decided to take a stab at directing last fall with a production of Little Shop of Horrors at Sevastopol High School, and loved it! She extends much appreciation to Mark, Ryan and Megan for all their help with mailings, shopping, building, cleaning and the many other tasks that helped keep Door Shakespeare running during the fall, winter and spring; and most especially their encouragement to take on this new position. Terese would like to dedicate this season to her late husband, Jeff, and her new granddaughter, Olivia May.

STEWART DAWSON (Lighting, Set, & Properties Design) says: I am befuddled beyond belief that mosquitoes haven't flattened my tires yet this summer. During the winter I am the Technical Director for Opera Southwest in Albuquerque. Essentially, my job consists of sharpening my pencils, and when they get dull, I sharpen them again. I also create special lighting effects for New Mexico Young Actors. This means you can see them when they are onstage. I am excited and thrilled and happy and delighted and pleased and ecstatic.

ALYSSA DELL (Arts Administration Intern) moved to Door County from Madison, WI and has just graduated from Gibraltar High. Since the age of seven she has been involved with theater, both onstage and off, acting many significant roles in seven Shakespeare and two Shaw plays. In her first play, Romeo and Juliet, she played five minor characters and had her first staged sword fight as Sampson. Other experiences include Bluebeard/ Gilles de Rais (Saint Joan), Miranda (The Tempest), Rodrigo (Othello), and The Clown (The Winter's Tale). She looks forward to continuing her passion for theater, writing, and art in college.

JOHN HANSEN (House Manager) is celebrating his twenty-seventh season of theater work in Door County. John has had many roles with Door Shakespeare and American Folklore Theatre, including an onstage role in 2008's Cyrano de Bergerac. He is also known as an exceptional potter, making our house sound speakers and mugs. John's pottery work can also be seen at Potter's Wheel Gallery in Fish Creek.

KIMBERLY ANN MCCANN (Production Stage Manager) is excited to be a part of Door Shakespeare for her first season! Her favorite credits include Million Dollar Quartet in Chicago, Curtains on Broadway, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, How to Save the World, John Ferguson on Off-Broadway, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in San Francisco. Kimberly has toured four productions with ArtsPower National Touring Company. She has also worked at Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Colorado Shakespeare Festival and The Julliard School. Kimberly is a graduate of Illinois State University and a proud member of Actors' Equity.

BARB PORTINGA (Costume Designer) rates her design gig with Door Shakespeare as one of the highlights of her year. This is Barb's eighth 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 mainstage show. Barb has been making her way in the world solely designing and building shows for over 20 years. She is the proprietor of Portable Costumes.

KELLY PURSLEY (Costume Intern) is happy to be back for another summer with Door Shakespeare. This is Kelly's second year in beautiful Door County. She makes her home in the Twin Cities area and is currently going to school at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, earning a BFA in Technical Production. She has also attended school at the University of Minnesota – Morris, where she worked as an assistant stage manager for Morris's production of Jack and the Beanstalk and was recently a part of the costume design team for Morris's green production of Shakespeare's As You Like It.

JOAN SHIELS (Box Office Manager) first attended a performance of Door Shakespeare nine years ago, and she fell in love–with the play, with the production and with this enchanted garden. She called the producers the next week and said, "I want to work for you." And she has ever since. She has, alternately, provided housing for actors, been the company manger, fed the producers, thrown the opening parties, picked up trash after the show, and managed our box office. She says, "Shakespeare under the stars, surrounded by summer–what could be more sublime?"

BESSIE TOCKSTEIN (Arts Administration Intern) is a sophomore theatre major at Northwestern University. Originally from Elburn, Illinois, she spends her summers in Rowleys Bay and has volunteered at Door Shakespeare for many years. Past performances include Celia in As You Like It, Kim MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie, and Emily Webb in Our Town. She would like to thank Jerry and Suzanne for giving her this opportunity, her family for their support, and you for coming to the show!