Praise for Cast of Lettice and Lovage

Sunday, May 2, 2010
Excerpts from Michael Howley's review

The actress playing the role [of Lettice] must be an exceptional storyteller, and Ms. VanFossen... rises to an inspired portrayal.

ASF intern Melanie Wilson's... bubbly...vivacious presence serves well to counterbalance Miss Schoen's propriety

Ms. Monferdini [as Lotte Schoen]...is a delight. Her... changes are so subtle.

Mr. Bardolph, Anthony Cochrane ... in a wonderfully comic turn that is infectious.

....as we have been transported by their performances, we join these two exceptional women in their triumph.

BRAVA!! TOI, TOI, TOI!!!

Spread the word: Fantastic shows in the REP SEASON at ASF! the best HAMLET people have ever seen, a great clear production of the rarely done ALL'S WELL and Tudor fun and hijinks in LETTICE AND LOVAGE.

We're back!!!!

FAN MAIL

Diana, dear:

I hasten to tell you that you were GREAT!!! I've just returned from your matinee where I went with Chip, Becky and their daughter, Allie. I LOVED your performance which had a perfect blend of the dear and the outrageous--a plateau to be strived for not only on stage but in real life!!! We chatted with Geoffrey both before the play and at intermission and we sat with Kay Blount, Red Blount's daughter, who also loved it. Her brother, Tom, who designed the theatre and I with my John who was also an architect, gave us a certain osmosis knowledge in the segment involving lousy architecture--and also the attitude of their priorities when a beautiful building was demolished--with people in it!!!

You depicted the blood and gore beautifully but I only wish you could also have told the tourists about Lord Cranmer's burning at the stake. I could see you standing there against the flames putting your hand out and having the hand severed in the fire and your taking the severed hand up with the other hand, holding it up to heaven and addressing God in no uncertain terms by saying, "As you are my witness, I have done all I could to see that the bloody prayer book is preserved as I envisioned it." Or maybe Lord Cranmer could have been visiting the house with the steps, got into fisticuffs with the Pope who just happened to be visiting and wrestled him down the stairs where the Pope was pinioned on the peak of his miter and was overheard to say, "My good man, this will cost you more indulgences than you can imagine." I have no idea why I came to your mind as you said I did whilst you were working up the character!

I did enjoy it so much and you do such a splendid job. All in my party were thoroughly enmeshed and enjoyed it greatly. That was a very difficult role and I'm now marveling about things like learning all the lines and being on stage the whole time and technicalties like that. They defy me. I cannot do any sort of public speaking--just rave to my closest friends and I am in awe of your performance.

Brava and Love,
Dodgie

PBS Hamlet

Hamlet. Another shiny floor Shakespeare with Dr. Who in the lead! Broadcast on PBS last night. Not to be confused with a chance to see a real live production of "Hamlet" on stage.
Did all this mirror floor stuff get started with Jack Gold's production of Tom Stoppard's "The Coast of Utopia" at Lincoln Center? I saw that in about 2005.
I know Alice saw at least two shiny floor Shakespeare plays in London in 2006 during her junior year semester in London. The thing about "The Coast of Utopia" that really set it apart was the hoard of migrating peasants moving through fog on the shiny floor.


http://iamatvjunkie.typepad.com/i_am_a_tv_junkie_a_blog_f/2010/04/david-tennants-hamlet-on-pbs-great-performances-starting-tonight-on-bluray-dvd-may-4.html

Bringing back Memories of London
Re- Member - ing

Thank you for your good wishes. Here I was just casting the runes, looking for the auspicious, keeping vigil, raking the coals to rise above doubt and fears and agonies past, and be able to waft on a stream of pure smoke to join my tribe again, what and where I was born to be, no matter.... Lettice Douffet is a story teller deluxe! We are story tellers born and it is a high calling -- but we always have to act like it doesn't matter so much and make remarks and shrug -- when we love it so much and it is so holy. I want to be happy here for a little time. For the 9 performances!! So I thank you for your very gracious kindness.

I must comment on this line learning before rehearsals begin - you really can see what a fine author Peter Shaffer is! After "The Royal Hunt of the Sun," "Equus" and "Amadeus" he wasn't just whistling Dixie when he wrote "Lettice and Lovage."
Lettice says "Without danger, Mr. Bardolf, there is no theatre." So we start.
P.S. They say that using dashes is for people too lazy to figure out the grammar.

Accidental Tourguide at the Getty last summer.

Working away on "Lettice and Lovage." Now to the chopping block! Love Bardolph's thought "must have been blocks all over England at one time." Could this take the place of Marie Antionette's courtroom??!! Summer before last I read Antiona Frazer's Marie Antionete:The Journey. Last year I read the bio Georgina:Dutchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman (tiresome.) Rehearsals start next week! We're having some of Shakespeare's "strange snow" in Alabama. Perfect for conjuring up stories!!

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/CharlesI_execution.htm

"he, the said Charles Stuart, as a tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy to the good of this nation, shall be put to death by severing of his head from his body."

When the judgment of the court was announced, Charles finally started to defend himself. He was told that his chance had gone and the king of England was bundled out of the court by the guarding soldiers.

His date of execution was set for January 30th1649.

The execution of Charles I

Charles was executed on a Tuesday. It was a cold day. Charles was allowed to go for a last walk in St James’s park with his pet dog. His last meal was bread and wine. However, there was a delay in his execution.

The man who was to execute Charles refused to do it. So did others. Very quickly, another man and his assistant was found. They were paid £100 and were allowed to wear masks so that no-one would ever know who they were.

At nearly 2.00 o’clock in the afternoon, Charles was lead to the scaffold which was covered in black cloth. He had asked to wear thick underclothes under his shirt as he was very concerned that if he shivered in the cold, the crowd might think that he was scared. Charles gave a last speech to the crowd but very few could hear him. He said:
"I have delivered to my conscience; I pray God you do take those courses that are best for the good of the kingdom and your own salvation."

It is said that when he was beheaded a large groan went up throughout the crowd. One observer in the crowd described it as "such a groan by the thousands then present, as I never heard before and I desire I may never hear again."

Even in death, Charles found no dignity. Spectators were allowed to go up to the scaffold and, after paying, dip handkerchiefs in his blood as it was felt that the blood of a king when wiped onto a wound, illness etc. would cure that illness.

On the 6th February, 1649, the monarchy was abolished. Parliament stated that
"the office of the king in this nation is unnecessary, burdensome and dangerous to the liberty, society and public interest of the people."

What became known as a Council of State was set-up instead of the monarchy and Oliver Cromwell was its first chairman.

When Charles II returned to become king of England in 1660, those men who had signed his father’s death warrant (and were still alive) were tried as regicides (the murderer of a king) and executed. Anyone associated with the execution of Charles was put on trial. The only people to escape were the executioners as no-one knew who they were as they wore masks during the execution.