A Mythic Realm in the Shakespeare Cosmos
I’m Danny Scheie, and I play Grumio in Folger Theatre’s upcoming production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. As a tiny Shakespeare nerd in the wilds of the Prairie State, I repeatedly encountered mention of the faraway Folger Shakespeare…
A Fast, Furious, and Fun First Week of Shrew Rehearsals
Was ever match clapped up so suddenly? –Gremio And, just like that, the first week of rehearsals for Folger Theatre’s 2012 production of The Taming of the Shrew is in the books. And what a fast, furious, and productive week…
Blogging of the Shrew, Day 1
Here let us breathe and haply institute / A course of learning and ingenious studies. Hello and welcome, one and all, to the Folger Theatre Production Diary. I’m Thomas Keegan, and I play Lucentio in Folger Theatre’s upcoming production of…
Director Aaron Posner on his Deadwood-inspired The Taming of the Shrew
The Taming of the Shrew is a great story. And while it is funny, surprising, playful, and political, too, a great deal of it swirls around issues of gender roles, identity, money, and power. Last year, while I was thinking…
Louis Butelli: Henry VIII in Alabama
Hello, readers of the Folger Theatre Production Diary! My name is Louis Butelli. I was a contributor here during Folger’s recent production of Othello, in which I played Roderigo. Last week, I was asked if I would put together a…
Is this Adieu?!? Oh, Mon Cour!
No! Say it ain’t so! On behalf of the whole cast, I think I can safely say that a marvelous time was had by all during this lovely production of The Gaming Table. It was certainly not without its hiccups!…
"Farewell Friends... thou Dear Play-house... Farewell"
Farewell Friends, Parents, and my Country; thou Dear Play-house, and sweet Park, Farewell. —Buckle, The Gaming Table It’s hard to believe we have just closed The Gaming Table. It simultaneously seems like just yesterday we were sitting around a table…
A Postcard from PlayMakers Rep
On the road in North Carolina, I recently saw Cody Nickell (Petruchio in our upcoming production of The Taming of the Shrew) at PlayMakers Rep, where Joe Haj (who directed Folger Theatre’s award-winning Hamlet) is artistic director. Heart on sleeve and…
The Show Must Go On...Or, the Curious Case of the Understudy
I had a friend who was studying to be an anesthesiologist. When I asked him what it was like he described it as “hours of boredom and seconds of terror.” I found his statement astonishingly applicable to working as an understudy in live…
What Happens in Vegas Doesn't Always Stay in Vegas...
Hello there. Emily Trask here. Since writing my previous blog entry about Marion Williams’ extraordinary set design for The Gaming Table, I became inspired and curious about her idea of the theatre, the building, and the space as a game itself. What…
The Art of the Fan
Hello, friends! Emily Townley (Alpiew) here. The Gaming Table is now in the third week of its six-week run, and we’re having lots of fun with it! As a little addendum to my most recent entry, I thought I’d mention a…
Corsets, Curls, and Fontanges! Oh, my!
Hi, Blog-ites! The other Emily T, aka Alpiew, here. So The Gaming Table is officially up and running, and I’ve heard that we’ve received some terrific press, which is lovely and much appreciated. Looks like we have a hit on…