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CAST'S Next Production:

"Closets"

By Nat Segaloff
Directed by Joseph Stiliano

The premier of a new comedy inspired by the early seventeenth century satire "Volpone" (the fox) by Ben Jonson, William Shakespeare's friend and rival. Set in the gay community of West Hollywood, California, the protagonist, Julian Reynolds, feigns a fatal illness to test the loyalty of his closest freinds. Fast-paced, witty, and sometimes outrageous, it probes the bounds and bonds of love and friendship in a sometimes facile and self-centered society.
March 8, 9, 10, 16, 17 @ 8 PM
March 11, 18 @ 3 PM
Gorton Theatre
(Home of the Gloucester Stage Company)
267 East Main Street
Gloucester MA
Tickets: $15, general admission; $10, student; at the door or reserve at cast2008@prodigy.net .

2011 - 2012 Season

"The Taming Of The Shrew"

October 27, 28, 29 @ 8 PM

October 30 @ 3 PM

Gorton Theatre 267 E. Main St. Gloucester

"Closets"

By Nat Segaloff

The new 400 year old comedy inspired by Ben Jonson's "Volpone"

March 8, 9, 10, 16, 17 at 8 PM

March 11, 18 at3 PM

Gorton Theatre

"A Shakespeare Celebration"

Our fifth annual tribute to the birth of The Bard of Stratford, this year sub-titled "Enter The Clown" and featuring some of Will's fools, jesters, buffoons and windbags.

April 27 & 28 @ 8 PM

Old Sloop Coffee House 12 School Street Rockport
(Rockport Congregational Church)

"I Hate Hamlet"
By Paul Rudnick

May 25, 26 @ 8 PM; Mat 27 @ 3 PM

June 1, 2 @ 8 PM; June 3 @ 3 PM

The Cape Ann 1 Washington Street Gloucester

Admission for all shows:
$15, general; $10, student; $5, Youth (18 & under)
Reserve at cast2008@prodigy.net

CAST is casting!

"The Taming of the Shrew" to be performed October 27 - 30 at the Gorton Theatre, with rehearsals beginning in September. For further information contact the director, Ray Jenness at rayjay045@comcast.net .

"Closets", the new four hundred year old comedy written by Nat Segaloff and inspired by Ben Jonson's "Volpone" will have its premier March 8 - 18 at the Gorton Theatre. Rehearsals will start in December, break for the holidays, and restart in January. The action takes place in present day West Hollywood with the following characters:
Corresponding figures from "Volpone" in ( )'s.
Julian (Volpone) - gay in his fit mid-forties.
Calvin (Mosca) - gay, good looking, thirty, been around the block.
Sharon (Voltore) - Julian's ex wife, late thirties/forty, a tough minded lawyer.
Charles (Corbaccio) - straight, handsome mid-forties, Julian's college room mate.
Brendan (Corvino) - Julian's ex lover, in his not so fit mid-forties.
Paolo (Celia) - Brendan's toy-boy, a bi-sexual hustler in his late twenties.
Adam (Bonario) - Charles' eighteen year old son, seeking his sexual identity. A virgin.
For further information, contact the director, Joseph Stiliano, at cast2008@prodigy.net .

Season Finale



SHAKESPEARE'S 447TH

CAST is presenting its fourth annual production of "A Shakespeare Celebration", a tribute to the Bard of Stratford-Upon-Avon marking his birthdate, April 23, 1564. Our production will play May 6th and 7th, 8 PM at the Shalin Liu Performance Center, 37 Main Street, Rockport. The SLPC is Rockport Music's exquisite new concert hall in the center of town and overlooking Sandy Bay.
Considering the venue, this year's theme will be scenes  featuring music and song, with original compositions by Rebecca Shrimpton and also traditional Elizabethan pieces. Some of the dances from our production of "The Tempest", directed by Ray Jenness, and choreographed by Sarah Fader will also be performed. Along with the scenes, music, dance, and songs, several of the sonnets will be performed by Michael McNamara. Directors are Ray Jenness, Nick Neyeloff and Joseph Stiliano, the artistic dirrector and founder of CAST.
Tickets are $15, general; $10, student; $5, youth 18 years and under. They are available starting April 1st at the SLPC box office at 35 Main Street, reserved at cast2008@prodigy.net or at the door at the time of performance.

CAST On The Air

Listen for an interview by Aureila Nelson with Ray Jenness and Joseph Stiliano on North Shore 104.9 FM, at 9 AM, Sunday February 20, 2011. Or on your computer at http://www.northshore1049.com/

CAST's Tempest - The Musical

 Cape Ann Shakespeare Troupe's coming production of "The Tempest" will feature an original musical score composed by musician/vocalist and New England Conservatory teacher, Rebecca Shrimpton.

Incorporating Music into the Play
 
When director, Ray Jenness, decided upon "The Tempest", one of the things he wanted was to bring the many songs and incidental music to the fore:

"To Shakespeare and his audience, the dance of life and the music of the spheres were very real elements in the world as they knew it. Some of his fellow players were accomplished singers and musicians and Shakespeare's final play is filled with songs and musical sounds", says Jenness.

Rebecca Shrimpton, Composer

Finding an Organic Sound
 
Shakespeare wrote lyrics for eight songs in the play, and there are stage directions for instrumental music, including a formal dance scene. The action takes place on Prospero's island, rich with magic, mystery and nature and the director and composer wanted to evoke its other-worldly qualities.

"We needed instruments that would sound organic to such a place", explained Rebecca Shrimpton, "so we chose voice, recorder, guitar, bodhran and a variety of hand percussion, played by Olivia Gale, Kevin Quinn and myself."

The Inspiration of Ariel

"In writing the melodies for the songs, I was largely inspired by the characters themselves", continued Shrimpton. "Much of the music is centered around the ethereal and playful sprite, Ariel, whose strange and haunting songs are meant to enchant and bewilder other characters. In this production, Ariel is able to divide into multiple beings (staged by a group of dancers), so I thought it would be fun if Ariel played duets with him/herself on voice and recorder. The rest of the music includes boisterous drinking songs, a stately dance, a tender love theme, and, finally, a merry jig to send everyone home dancing."

Performance Dates

Thursday, February 24 - Saturday, February 26 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, February 27 at 3 p.m.

The Gorton Theatre (Home of the Gloucester Stage Company).

How to Purchase Tickets
 
Tickets are $15 (General) and $10 (Student) and may be reserved at cast2008@prodigy.net or purchased at the door.

Youth tickets (18 years and younger) are $5 and are available only at the door.

Learn More
 
Check out behind the scenes coverage of the production on CAST's Facebook page.