You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July 2008.
The following is the list of artists we have booked for our gallery and pre-show features during the run of Hamlet (August 14- September 13). The WSF is a part of a rich and diverse artistic community in Fresno and we are happy to give these artists the opportunity to show their work to our audiences.
Th August 14: Artist: John Sanchez Photography
Pre-show: Dr. Craig Bernthal of CSUFresno with a discussion on “Hamlet”
Fri August 15 : Artist: John Sanchez Photography
Pre-show: Tanjora Tribal Bellydance
Sat August 16: Artist:
Pre-show: Megan Bohigian, poet, with a discussion on the Sonnets of Shakespeare and their modern forms.
Thu August 21: Artist:
Pre-show: TBA
Fri August 22 : Artist:
Pre-show:
Sat August 23: Artist: Christine DeLaHofer
Pre-show: Pipe on the Hob Celtic Music
Thu August 28: Artist: Terrance McArthur
Pre-show: Dr. Craig Bernthal
Fri August 29: Artist: Terrance McArthur
Pre-show:Tanjora Tribal Bellydance
Sat August 30: Artist: Lupe Posada
Pre-show: Peter Moerdyk (tentative)
Thu September 4: Artist:
Pre-show: Tanjora Tribal Bellydance
Fri September 5: Artist: Inez Zuniga
Pre-show:
Sat September 6 : Artist: Gail Daley
Pre-show: The Knuckledraggers or Tanjora Tribal Bellydance TBA
Thu September 11: Artist: Inez Zuniga
Pre-show:
Fri September 12 : Artist: Katheryn Pedroza; Christine DeLaHofer
Pre-show: Jeremy Hofer and his band
Sat September 13: Artist: Katheryn Pedroza; Diego Monterrubio
Pre-show:The Knuckledraggers
The following are dates are coming up on our Production Calendar:
Sunday, July 27th: 1st Hamlet Set Workday, begins 8:30 a.m. (Further workdays TBA)
Sunday, July 27th: 12N load out and clean up, begins at 11 a.m.
Wednesday, July 30- Wednesday, August 5– Hamlet Costume Fittings, to be scheduled by Debora Bolen.
Sunday, August 10th — Hamlet First Tech Run
Monday, August 11th– Hamlet Costume Load in. Tech Rehearsal.
Tuesday, August 12th– Hamlet tech/dress rehearsal
Wednesday, August 13th– Hamlet Full tech/dress. FINAL REHEARSAL
Thursday, August 14th– Hamlet Opens.
The following dates have events in the Rotary Amphitheater (that we know of!): Saturday, 16th and Saturday, 23rd.
Saturday, August 30th– Deadline for WSF New Playwright Competition
Saturday, September 13th– Hamlet closing night.
Sunday, September 14th– Hamlet load out. Hamlet strike begins. Full strike dates and times TBA.
As company members, we ask that you arrange your schedules as well as possible to fully participate! We need to meet all of our deadlines to finish this season out successfully. The company needs you!
Philip Henslowe: Mr. Fennyman, allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.
Hugh Fennyman: So what do we do?
Philip Henslowe: Nothing. Strangely enough, it all turns out well.
Hugh Fennyman: How?
Philip Henslowe: I don’t know. It’s a mystery.”
This bit of dialogue from “Shakespeare in Love” is recognizable throughout the theatrical world. We’ve all been there. Multiple times. But, strangely enough, it all usually does turn out well.
Our Twelfth Night is a prime example. Stuck in the middle of a very traumatic move from one site to another, bound by the need to build a new stage and theatre space, but completely hindered by bureaucracy and red tape, and then woefully understaffed and under-resourced on a technical front. . . . this show was bound for imminent disaster.
But, as will happen in the mysterious and mystical world that is theatre, this cast pulled it out and pulled it off. Our audiences are steadily growing in our lush new venue in the Shaded Glen. And they are walking away largely pleased by the show. We’re getting repeat business from last year and, what’s more, for about half of our audiences this is their first experience with Shakespeare in Woodward Park. For many it’s their first Shakespeare experience at all. . . and for some, probably their first theatrical experience.
So, apparently, all things considered, this Twelfth Night has been good for us in terms of audience growth and community satisfaction. Could we do better? Yes. Always. But this cast has got to be given kudos for sticking it out against great odds to achieve a lively little show.
We’re expecting capacity crowds for tonight’s closing, and expect audiences to be just as large– perhaps a bit larger– for Hamlet.
Richard Burbage: The Master of the Revels despises us all for vagrants and peddlers of bombast. . . We must show them that we are men of parts. Will Shakespeare has a play. I have a theatre. The Curtain is yours.
To the cast of Twelfth Night: You have proven that you are men and women of parts. Most exceptionally. Woodward Shakespeare Festival sees all you have done and truly thanks you for it.
~WSF
Last night began our final weekend of Twelfth Night and we had nearly 500 people in the audience– our biggest house of the season thus far, and our biggest on a Thursday EVER! Huzzah!
The final two Twelfth Night performances are like to max out! So get there early or bring your own chair. Or both!
For the absolute latest news at WSF, check in here! We’ll hopefully build up a regular readership to get feedback on our productions and on theatrical ideas in general.
Recent Comments