http://www.pcs.org/blog/ en kinsleys@pcs.org Copyright 2012 2012-02-03T12:11:51+00:00 http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/cymbeline-moves-onstage/ http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/cymbeline-moves-onstage/#When:18:56:18Z The cast of Shakespeare’s Amazing Cymbeline begin to find their way around the Ellyn Bye Studio theater.   It really wasn't enough to just do one of Shakespeare's thorniest plays. This company is also trying to juggle the task of playing multiple roles within that story, along with multiple dialects, a bit of swordplay and costume changes that would take the wind out of any of us.     Danny Wolohan (who you last saw playing Claude in 2011's The Imaginary Invalid) begins the play as Pisanio, Imogen's trusted servant.   He then transforms into a Frenchman, challenging Posthumous in Rome.     Then he changes to Caius Lucius, the Roman Ambassador.     And then to Guiderius, the beastly Welshman, who is actually entitled to the throne.     John San Nicholas plays the evil Queen.     As well as Iachimo, the Roman challenger to Posthumous.     And Arviragus, the other Welsh outlaw.     There are more than 50 quick costume changes throughout the show, at least ten of which happen under 20 seconds!   Chris' blog, 11/12 season 2012-01-31T18:56:18+00:00 http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/greetings-from-camp-fema/ http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/greetings-from-camp-fema/#When:18:00:49Z The North Plan, currently running on the Main Stage, takes place in the not-so-distant future. And that’s probably what makes it so extra creepy and goose bump-inducing – the ripped-from-the-headlines idea that the revered U.S. Constitution could be thrown out so quickly and easily, under our very noses. This has gotten us thinking. Could such a breakdown and seemingly seamless regime changeover really happen?   Our production of The North Plan, currently running on the Main Stage, takes place in the not-so-distant future. And that’s probably what makes it so extra creepy and goose bump-inducing – the ripped-from-the-headlines idea that the revered U.S. Constitution could be thrown out so quickly and easily, under our very noses. Is it possible?   According to Playwright Jason Wells, this idea was his primary inspiration when he set out to write The North Plan. But if such a scenario were to actually play out, it would be much harder to recognize than we might assume. “I think if we had such a coup, it would come clothed in a ‘re-interpreted’ legality, and adorned with talking points. With the help of the media, it would be vague and confusing, at once oversimplified and riddled with impenetrable contradictions, and the great majority of us will be assured that there is nothing we need do but get on with our lives. Such a scenario seems not only possible to me, but plausible. It isn’t hard, unfortunately, to imagine the national tragedy that could ignite it.” This has gotten us thinking.  Could such a breakdown and seemingly seamless regime changeover really happen? The rounding up of millions of “suspicious” American citizens?   And if it did…would I be on the list? Simply for writing this blog post?   It’s not hard to believe that some of today’s current politics and policies could someday lead to the same sort of scenario described in The North Plan.   For example, in The North Plan, civil liberties have been suspended for the supposed purpose of maintaining general safety and order. This political strategy is a direct reference to the US Patriot Act, one of the most controversial legal documents of the last decade. Under the US Patriot Act, the government has the power to jail Americans indefinitely without a trial, deny lawyers to Americans accused of crimes, and search and seize Americans' "papers and effects" without probable cause. Many believe that these and other provisions within the act are unconstitutional.    More recently, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which grants him the legal authority to indefinitely detain, without trial, anyone that the government considers a "threat" to national security. According to the ACLU, this act is particularly worrisome "because it has no temporal or geographic limitations" - meaning the President could potentially invoke these new authority right here on US soil.   In the past few weeks, with the introduction of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the  US House of Representatives and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate, some legislators have seriously discussed the possibility of censoring and even blocking the internet, an issue that is also touched upon in The North Plan.   Do you believe that the scenario portrayed in The North Plan could one day become our reality? Or do you chalk it up to just another conspiracy theory?   11/12 season 2012-01-27T18:00:49+00:00 http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/shakespeares-amazing-cymbeline-a-brief-synopsis/ http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/shakespeares-amazing-cymbeline-a-brief-synopsis/#When:23:43:29Z Let’s be honest. Cymbeline is not usually used in the same sentence with the words “straightforward” and “uncomplicated.”  In fact, some consider it one of the Bard’s most convoluted pieces. When Artistic Director Chris Coleman set out to adapt the play into his world premiere production, one of his main goals was to simplify and streamline the plot. If you don’t mind us spoiling the ending, here’s a short and sweet summary of the play to use a guide before seeing it yourself onstage! Let’s be honest. Cymbeline is not usually used in the same sentence with the words “straightforward” and “uncomplicated.”  In fact, some consider it one of the Bard's most convoluted pieces. Although scholars have organized Shakespeare's plays into four distinct categories (history, tragedy, comedy and romance), Cymbeline arguably contains aspects of all four of these genres. When Artistic Director Chris Coleman set out to adapt the play into his world premiere production, one of his main goals was to simplify and streamline the plot, bringing out the best and brightest aspects of each of these genres.   If you don’t mind us spoiling the ending, here’s a short and sweet summary of the play to use a guide before seeing it yourself onstage. But first, let’s go over the cast of characters. It’ll help you keep track of who’s who, especially since most of the actors in our new adaptation will be playing multiple roles!         Shakespeare's Amazing Cymbeline: Cast of Characters   Imogen Cymbeline's daughter, the British princess. Wise, beautiful, and resourceful, she incurs her father's displeasure when she chooses to marry the lowborn Posthumus instead of Cymbeline's oafish stepson, Cloten.   Posthumus An orphaned gentleman, he is adopted and raised by Cymbeline, and he marries Imogen in secret, against her father's will. He is deeply in love with her but is nevertheless willing to think the worst of her when she is accused of infidelity.   Cymbeline The king of Britain and Imogen's father. A wise and gracious monarch, he is led astray by the machinations of his wicked Queen.   Queen Cymbeline's wife and Imogen's stepmother. A villainous woman, she will stop at nothing--including murder--to see her son Cloten married to Imogen and, thus, made the eventual king of Britain.   Cloten The Queen's son, he was betrothed to Imogen before her secret wedding to Posthumus. Her unwillingness to marry him is understandable, since he is an arrogant, clumsy fool.   Iachimo A clever and dishonest Italian gentleman. He makes a wager with Posthumus that he can seduce Imogen, and when his attempt at seduction fails, resorts to trickery to make Posthumus believe that he has succeeded.   Pisanio Posthumus's loyal servant, he is left behind in Britain when his master goes into exile, and he acts as a servant to Imogen and the Queen.   Belarius A British nobleman, unjustly banished by Cymbeline. He kidnapped Cymbeline's infant sons to revenge himself on the king, and, under the name of Morgan, he has raised them as his own sons in the Welsh wilderness.   Guiderius Cymbeline's eldest son and Imogen's brother, he was kidnapped and raised by Belarius under the name of Polydore.   Arviragus Cymbeline's younger son and Imogen's brother, he was kidnapped and raised by Belarius under the name of Cadwal.   Philario An Italian gentleman. Posthumus stays at his home during his exile from Britain.   Caius Lucius The Roman ambassador to Britain and, later, the general of the Roman invasion force.   Cornelius A doctor at the court of Cymbeline.   Soothsayer A seer, in the service of Caius Lucius.       Shakespeare's Amazing Cymbeline: Synopsis   Cymbeline, the King of Britain, is a widower with three children. His two boys Guiderius and Arviragus were kidnapped 20 years ago at age three, leaving his daughter Imogen as the only heir to the throne. Cymbeline marries, gaining a stepson Cloten through his wife the Queen. Cymbeline wishes Imogen to marry Cloten. Imogen disobeys and marries her childhood friend Posthumus Leonatus. Outraged, Cymbeline banishes Posthumus from Britain and imprisons Imogen.     Posthumus goes to Rome and meets his wartime friend Philario. In Rome, Iachimo bets that he can woo Posthumus' wife Imogen, thereby breaking her chastity. Posthumus takes Iachimo up on the bet, and Iachimo heads to Britain. Iachimo fails to seduce Imogen. However, he sneaks into her bedroom, steals her bracelet, and returns to Rome to successfully convince Posthumus that he has succeeded. Heartbroken and murderous, Posthumus orders his servant Pisanio to kill Imogen. Doubting his master’s motives, Pisanio fakes Imogen’s death by taking her to Milford Haven and disguising her as a youth named Fidele. In Milford Haven, Imogen (as Fidele) meets Guiderius and Arviragus living with Belarius, a lord banished years ago by Cymbeline. Imogen is oblivious to the fact that she has just met her long-lost brothers. We learn that Belarius kidnapped the boys in anger towards Cymbeline for banishing him. Thus, Arviragus and Guiderius are ignorant of their true identities.     Unbeknownst to Imogen, Cloten has followed her to Milford Haven, wearing Posthumus' clothes. He plans to kill Posthumus in front of Imogen and then drag her home and force her to marry him. Upon arrival, Cloten meets Guiderius and treats him rudely; a fight ensues and Guiderius cuts off Cloten's head. To cover up the death, he puts the head in the river and lets it float to the sea.   Meanwhile, Imogen falls sick and takes medicine that was given to her by Pisanio as a present. Earlier, the Queen had given the medicine (she thought poison) to Pisanio, thinking he would give it to Imogen or Posthumus as a gift. The Queen wanted one of them dead so that either her son would be the only heir, or Imogen would have no husband and would be forced to marry Cloten. The medicine was given to the Queen by the doctor Cornelius. Though she had requested he give her poison, Cornelius had suspected the Queen's malice and switched out the "poison" with a drug that would cause the imbiber's body to mimic death for a while before reviving. It works. The medicine puts Imogen into a deep sleep, and Belarius et al., thinking she is dead, lay her to rest beside Cloten's body. When Imogen awakes, she thinks (by the clothing) that she is beside her dead husband.     Back at the palace, Caius Lucius visits Cymbeline demanding tribute to Rome. Cymbeline refuses and Lucius declares war on Britain. Distressed by war and grieving the loss of her son, the Queen sickens and dies.  On her death bed she admits many evils, including hating Cymbeline. Caius Lucius comes across Imogen right after she awakens and convinces her to join to Roman army. During battle, Cymbeline is first captured by the Romans, and then rescued by Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus. The Britons then capture Posthumus, thinking he is Roman, and take him to Cymbeline. In the last scene of the play, everything is resolved. Imogen returns to her father, Iachimo confesses to his evils and stealing Imogen's bracelet, Cloten's death is explained, Belarius admits to kidnapping the princes, Cymbeline allows Imogen and Posthumus to stay married, and peace is made with the Romans.   Everyone lives happily ever after!       Special thanks to Collin Lawson and Ryan Mooney, our fabulous Education & Community Programs interns, for compiling this clear and concise (as possible, for Cymbeline) synopsis!   11/12 season 2012-01-19T23:43:29+00:00 http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/behind-the-scenes-on-the-set-of-the-north-plan/ http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/behind-the-scenes-on-the-set-of-the-north-plan/#When:21:16:25Z Our world premiere production of Jason Wells’ The North Plan opened here on our Main Stage last week. For the past several weeks everyone at PCS has been busy preparing for the production - and we’ve got the photos to prove it! Before you see the show, come check out these behind-the-scenes photos and read up on some insider tidbits detailing the production’s rehearsal process, set construction, costume design process and more. Our world premiere production of Jason Wells' The North Plan opened here on our Main Stage last week. For the past several weeks everyone at PCS has been busy preparing for the production - and we've got the photos to prove it! Before you see the show, check out these behind-the-scenes photos and read up on some insider tidbits detailing the production's rehearsal process, set construction, costume design process and more. So let's get started!                           Above are photos of our rehearsal space, located on the third floor of the Armory. Rehearsals began for The North Plan on December 13, so our cast has spent the last several weeks in this room. All of our productions rehearse in this space until the set has been completely assembled onstage and tech rehearsals begin, which is actually only a few days before the first performance. It's amazing how quickly the actors must be able to adapt to performing on the actual stage with the actual set! But back to the rehearsal hall. It has the same dimensions as the Main Stage, so we're able to tape the exact measurements of the set to the floor to give the actors a sense of the space. Some of the pieces in the picture above are just being used as temporary props for the month of rehearsals, but several of the items will be used onstage for the real production. One major exception is the jailroom holding cells, pictured on the right. These are temporary models built just for the month of rehearsals. The ones you'll see on the stage will be much different (and more realistic looking), but in the meantime these models will give the actors playing Carlton and Tanya an idea how confined they'll be for much of ACT 1.                       Pictured above are two photos of the 3D set model for The North Plan. Every production on the Main Stage has a set model created by the scenic designer to help the production team build the set and the actors visualize the space as they rehearse the play. However, for this production Scenic Designer Tony Cisek went above and beyond the call of duty! Even the people, flag poles and trash can are built perfectly to-scale - 1/4" for every foot on the Main Stage. Tony also designed the sets for last season's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and the past two seasons' A Christmas Story - two sets that were equally as impressive and complex.                          With the 3D set model in hand, our fabulous production team went to work building the set. All of the pieces were built at our off-site scene shop, then transported to the Armory and put together on the stage. I have to say, the set for this production is kind of awesome. The massive set was built onto a motorized turntable, which will periodically rotate throughout the show to present the different scene settings. The turntable runs on a motor that was actually built into the stage placed near the rear of the theater. The photo above, to the left, shows two of the different settings being built on the turntable. On the right, several PCS crew members haul in different pieces of  the set in preparation for assembly.                         Above are two more photos of the motorized turntable. Our fabulous sound designer for the production, Resident Sound Designer Casi Pacilio, was responsible for designing some carefully placed sound interludes between scenes, to cover the sound of the motor turning the set.                                          Above are a few of the costume designs (renderings) for the show, created by Costume Designer Deborah Trout. On the far left is the design for the character Carlton Berg, who will be portrayed by Brian Patrick Monahan; Brian was last seen here at PCS in Frost/Nixon. The center design is for Lotus Police Chief Swenson, portrayed in our production by Portland favorite Tim True. Tim also played The Old Man in our holiday production A Christmas Story. Rehearsals began for The North Plan back in December, meaning Tim was in rehearsals for one show and performances of another at the same time. Busy man! On the right is the "work-in-progress" sketch for the character Tanya Shepke, portrayed by Kate Eastwood Norris. Tanya's costume was probably the most difficult to nail down, as she has to fool a few of the characters into thinking she's someone she's not in Act 2 - without being able to change her costume!    The North Plan runs through February 5, 2012. Get your tickets here!     11/12 season 2012-01-17T21:16:25+00:00 http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/the-magic-of-script-reading/ http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/the-magic-of-script-reading/#When:19:28:08Z Every year the staff at Portland Center Stage must carefully decide on a total of ten plays that will be put onstage the following season. Rachel Mann, Associate Production Manager, is one of the PCS staff members whose input is factored into the mix. Her experiences reading and considering scripts, however, are much different than you might imagine. Every year the staff at Portland Center Stage must carefully decide on a total of ten plays that will be put onstage the following season. The process can be complicated and lengthy, as several different factors must be balanced in determining the perfect mix of titles. Rachel Mann, Associate Production Manager, is one of the PCS staff members whose input is factored into the mix. Her experiences reading scripts, however, are much different than you might imagine.     The Magic of Script reading by Rachel Mann   When I sit down with a stack of scripts to read, I take a much different approach than many of my fellow PCS colleagues. Almost everyone is reading the play for its plot. Is this story a story that PCS wants to tell? They look closely at language, character development and the overall tone and message of the piece. I, on the other hand, am paying almost no attention to the actual plot.   As the PCS Associate Production Manager, I start at the first page just like you do, but with my pen in hand I start to count the number of characters and the number of cast members required to bring life to those characters. Will they need a dialect coach or a musical director? Are there any fights or stunts involved? If so, we need to hire a fight choreographer. Next, how many times do the actors change their costume? And speaking of their clothes, is the play a period piece? Are the characters rich or poor? Can we buy the costumes or would we need to make them from scratch? Will the actors need wigs or special makeup? Every time I answer one of those questions, it lands in my notes.   This is only the very tip of the iceberg. I look at the geography the play is set in. How many locations and sets are needed? Indoors or outdoors? In what time period is the play taking place? Are we building a castle or a ramshackle shack? We have to paint everything, including the floor, so what kind of look are we going for? Is it bright, shiny and new or old and worn? Plus, we have a limited amount of space onstage and off to present scenery to our audience. And it all has to be able to move fairly quickly, so the change of location doesn’t disrupt the magic of the theater.   For lighting, are there many lights onstage (called practicals) or a giant sunset in the background? During what time of day do the scenes take place, and would we need to put a spotlight on anyone or anything? Each show requires hundreds of lighting instruments just to illuminate the stage. For sound, does the show require original music, or pre-recorded music? What kinds of sound effects are needed to bring the show to life? Sound is one of the most underrecognized aspects of entertainment. Movies are masters of using sound to foretell danger or the peak of a romantic moment. In theater, we try to create a similar shared experience through sound.   Then on to props. How many things do actors need to pick up and move around with? Are there guns or weapons? Do the props need to light up or move on their own? Does the item get used or broken in every show? Does it have to be edible? Even the simplest of props need to be able to be handled eight nights a week, which leads to a lot of wear and tear.   In addition to these building blocks of theater production, there is the consideration of using new media like projections or screens to add to the piece. When we meet with the director and designers I may find that they want something I never could have anticipated, or don’t need as many cast members as I had counted. This is the magic of what I do: being prepared to create, onstage, the visions of the designers. And it all starts by sitting down with a script. 2012-01-04T19:28:08+00:00 http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/free-chocolate-manicures-massagesto-benefit-pcs/ http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/free-chocolate-manicures-massagesto-benefit-pcs/#When:11:11:51Z The Women’s Expo is coming to Portland on Saturday, February 25 – and you’re invited! By using a special discount code when registering, PCS patrons will receive a special offer of 2-for-1 tickets to the expo. In addition to more than 150 exhibitors, PCS will be on hand with special ticket offers and a brand new theater display courtesy of our costume and props shop. See you there!   Join Portland Center Stage at the Portland Women’s Expo on Saturday, February 25 at the Oregon Convention Center. PCS will be on hand with special ticket offers and a brand new theater display courtesy of our costume and props shop. But that’s not all! The event features hundreds of free products and giveaways from 150 exhibitors ranging from chocolate and haircuts to manicures, pedicures and massages! For more information about the event, visit www.gogirlpdx.org.   Plus, PCS patrons receive a special offer of 2-for-1 tickets to the expo! By registering using the discount code below, tickets to the Portland Women’s Expo are just $3.50 each ($7 for the pair).   Best of all, for every ticket sold using the discount code the Women’s Expo will donate 50 cents right back to Portland Center Stage! So please feel free to share the discount information with your family, friends and co-workers to help support Portland Center Stage.   Click here to purchase tickets through TicketsWest.   The special PCS promotion code is:  453700   NOTE: Enter the promotional code at the top of the webpage to apply your discount before paying. Tickets must be purchased in increments of two to receive the discount. Special Offers at Partner Organizations 2012-02-03T11:11:51+00:00 http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/red-cast-and-creative-team/ http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/red-cast-and-creative-team/#When:23:15:49Z Meet the cast and creative team of PCS’ upcoming production of Red! Red   Cast:   Daniel Benzali*...........................................................Mark Rothko   Patrick Alparone*.......................................................Ken     Creative Team:   John Logan................................................................Playwright   Rose Riordan..............................................................Director   Daniel Meeker............................................................Scenic Designer   Diane Ferry Williams.................................................Lighting Designer   Jeff Cone...................................................................Costume Designer   Sarah Pickett.............................................................Sound Designer   Mark Tynan*.............................................................Stage Manager   Lydia Comer..............................................................Production Assistant     *Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.   Cast Biographies:     Daniel Benzali (Mark Rothko) Daniel received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the starring role of Ted Hoffman in the acclaimed television drama series Murder One. He also played a recurring role in NYPD Blue as the attorney James Sinclair (Detective Sipowitz's nemesis) and co-starred in the CIA series The Agency. Mr. Benzali’s film work includes co-starring with Harvey Keitel, Steve Buscemi and Mira Sorvino in The Grey Zone; with Christian Bale and John Hurt in All the Little Animals; and with Wesley Snipes and Diane Lane in Murder at 1600. Mr. Benzali is one of the few American actors to become a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in England, fulfilling a boyhood dream. He co-starred with Patti Lupone in the world premiere production of Sunset Boulevard in London. He also starred as Juan Peron in Evita in London. Mr. Benzali has worked at leading regional theaters throughout the U.S., including Yale Repertory Theater, Arena Stage and the McCarter Theater. He also feels privileged to have worked on the stage of the famed Old Vic Theater in London with Malcolm McDowell and Steenburgen in Holiday, and to have recently played the role of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.     Patrick Alparone (Ken) Patrick is a San Francisco-based actor and thrilled to make his PCS debut.  He recently appeared in Tennessee Williams’ Period of Adjustment at San Francisco Playhouse.  Recent roles include Paulie in Phaedra, adapted by Adam Bock and directed by Rose Riordan; Blake in Octopus; Fin in Mrs. Whitney (Magic Theatre); Billy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (San Francisco Playhouse); JJ Rock in Man of Rock (Climate Theatre); Hamlet in Hamlet (Impact Theatre); and Feste in Twelfth Night (TheatreWorks). Other recent productions include Olive Kitteridge (Word for Word/Zspace), A Streetcar Named Desire (Marin Theatre Co.), Skin (Encore Theatre Co.) and Ambition Facing West (TheatreWorks). Film credits include Cherry (opposite Heather Graham), The Wisdom Tree, This is Hamlet, Seducing Charlie Barker and Two from the Line.  Every performance is dedicated to Patrick’s grandma. patrickalparone.com.   Creative Team Biographies:   John Logan (Playwright) John Logan received the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critic Circle and Drama League Awards for his play Red. This play premiered at the Donmar Warehouse in London and at the Golden Theatre on Broadway. He is the author of more than a dozen other plays, including Never the Sinner and Hauptmann. His adaptation of Ibsen’s The Master Builder premiered on the West End in 2003. As a screenwriter, John had three movies released in 2011: Hugo, Coriolanus and Rango. Previous film work includes Sweeney Todd (Golden Globe Award), The Aviator (Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and WGA nominations), Gladiator (Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA and WGA nominations), The Last Samurai, Any Given Sunday and RKO 281 (WGA Award, Emmy nomination).   Rose Riordan (Director) Rose is in her 16th season at Portland Center Stage, where she serves as associate artistic director. Previously at PCS she has directed The North Plan, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, A Christmas Story (2010 & 2011), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Receptionist, A Christmas Carol, Frost/Nixon, How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found, Doubt, The Underpants, The Pillowman  and The Thugs, which won four Drammy Awards, including Best Ensemble and Best Director. Locally she has directed Passion Play, Telethon and The Receptionist.  Born and raised in Alaska, Rose began her career in theater before she had acquired a lexicon for describing the work. Her first “professional” play, an intense examination of six stewardesses and their “man troubles,” was presented at Eagle River Elementary School. It solidified Rose’s commitment to a pursuit of theater with the sole desire to illuminate and be illuminated. In 1999 she founded Portland Center Stage’s annual playwrights festival, JAW. JAW has been instrumental in developing new work for the PCS repertory: Outrage, Flesh and Blood, Another Fine Mess, O Lovely Glowworm, Celebrity Row, Act a Lady, The Thugs and A Feminine Ending. She directed staged readings for plays at five of the JAW festivals: The Thugs (2005), Telethon (2006), A Story About a Girl (2007), 99 Ways to F*** a Swan (2009) and The North Plan (2010). She enjoys being part of a company committed to new work and having a beautiful building in which to do so.   Daniel Meeker (Scenic Designer) Daniel is a freelance set and lighting designer based in Portland, Oregon. Previously at PCS he has designed sets and lighting for The Real Americans and Mike’s Incredible Indian Adventure. Other recent credits include lighting for The Last Romance at San Jose Repertory Theatre; set and lighting for Gem of The Ocean and Angels In America for Portland Playhouse at The World Trade Center; set design for I Am Still The Dutchess of Malfi at Artist’s Repertory Theatre; set and lighting for At Home At The Zoo at Profile Theater; lighting for Reasons To Be Pretty at COHO; and lighting for a new collaboration between the Ahn Trio and Nai-Ni Chen Dance in Gainsboro, Florida. Upcoming projects include The Brother Sister Plays at Portland Playhouse and The Understudy at San Jose Repertory Theatre. Prior to moving west with his wife and two children, Daniel designed over 150 shows for theaters both in New York City and regionally. Daniel was a member of the design faculty at Ithaca College from 2000-2005 and is a graduate of Ithaca College and The Yale School of Drama. He is a member of United Scenic Artists. Portfolio at danielmeeker.com.   Diane Ferry Williams (Lighting Designer) Diane Ferry Williams is, as always, pleased to be returning to Portland. Diane is the Resident Lighting Designer at the Marriott Theatre in Chicago and has also worked for many other theatres around the country, including The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Theatre Under the Stars, Goodspeed, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Goodman, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, ACT Seattle, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Ford’s Theatre, Hubbard Street and Regional Dance America. International work includes The Harlem Gospel Singers in Paris and their European tour, and Die Shone Und Das Biest in Berlin and their European tour. She has also lit several national tours and the premiere of Don’t Stop the Carnival by Jimmy Buffet and Herman Wouk. Awards include a Jeff Award, an After Dark Award, a Carbonelle Award, four Drammy Awards (the most recent being One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and seven Jeff nominations.  Diane has a Master of Fine Arts in Theatrical Design from Northwestern University.   Jeff Cone (Costume Designer) This is Jeff’s thirteenth season at PCS. In that time he has designed costumes for fifty-two productions. Of those shows, thirty-one have been in the last five seasons at the Armory. Favorite productions include West Side Story, Cabaret, Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Sometimes a Great Notion, Snow Falling on Cedars and The Imaginary Invalid. Jeff received Drammy awards for his costume designs for Dirty Blonde and Act A Lady. In addition to his resident costume designer duties, Jeff is happy to manage the costume shop here at Portland Center Stage.   Sarah Pickett (Sound Designer) Recent theatrical credits in sound design and/or composition include Gypsy at Drury Lane Oakbrook, To Kill A Mockingbird at Dallas Theatre Center, Macbeth and Othello at Theater for a New Audience, A Delicate Balance at Yale Repertory Theater, Of Mice & Men and All’s Well That Ends Well at American Players Theater, Much Ado About Nothing at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, The Life & Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby at Playmakers Rep, and The Winter’s Tale at Asolo Repertory Theater. She holds an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama and a B.F.A. from Syracuse University.   Mark Tynan (Stage Manager) Imagine being in a room full of artists, watching the birth of an idea, a movement given purpose, a sentence, phrase, scene, act given life.  Then imagine that room translating to the stage with lighting, sound, costumes, scenery and props -- then you can imagine what Mark’s job is like.  Special thanks to the phenomenal PCS production assistants: Kailyn McCord, Kelsey Daye and Lydia Comer, who help keep the vision attainable.  Prior to PCS, Mark toured nationally and internationally with musicals including Dreamgirls, The King and I with Rudolf Nureyev, How to Succeed…, Grand Hotel, The Phantom of the Opera and Rent. Other Portland credits include several summers with The Broadway Rose Theatre Company in Tigard. Regional credits include The Alley Theatre (Houston, TX) and La Jolla Playhouse (La Jolla, CA). Remember to take time to smell the roses.   Lydia Comer (Production Assistant) Red is Lydia’s sixth show as a production assistant at PCS. Previously, Lydia was a production assistant for The Santaland Diaries, An Iliad, Opus, The Imaginary Invalid and The Real Americans. Lydia started at PCS as the audience recruiter for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. A recent graduate, Lydia received her B.F.A. in Theatre, specializing in production and management, from the University of Victoria. University credits include stage managing La Ronde and Romeo & Juliet. For the last two years of university, she also served as the assistant technical director and master electrician for her program. Lydia would like to thank all the amazing people she gets to work with every day.     11/12 season 2012-02-01T23:15:49+00:00 http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/much-ado-about-shakespeare/ http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/much-ado-about-shakespeare/#When:21:17:15Z As we prepare to open Chris Coleman’s world premiere adaption of Shakespeare’s Amazing Cymbeline, Marketing & Communications Director Cynthia Fuhrman, who has been with PCS from the beginning, gives a brief overview of PCS’ 24 years of experience with Shakespeare.   As we prepare to open Chris Coleman's world premiere adaption of Shakespeare's Amazing Cymbeline, Marketing & Communications Director Cynthia Fuhrman, who has been with PCS from the beginning, gives a brief overview of PCS' 24 years of experience with Shakespeare.       Much Ado About Shakespeare by Cynthia Fuhrman   Telling the story of Portland Center Stage is a particular treat when I meet someone who is a fairly new audience member, or one who has been coming for a few years but doesn’t know all of our history. It’s fun to watch their faces as they hear the story of our founding as the northern branch of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 1988, and our eventual “spin off” to an independent company. Amazement, delight and surprise are among the expressions I see on their faces. Oregon has a unique relationship to Shakespeare; unlike many parts of the country, audiences here are comfortable with the Bard, thanks largely to Ashland’s legacy.   At PCS, of course, Shakespeare is in our DNA, so it's fun to look back at our experiences with his work over the years and the contribution we’ve made as a company to Oregon’s history with Shakespeare. A review of our first 24 years yields some interesting stats:   15 total productions of plays by Shakespeare (including this year’s adaptation of Cymbeline). 13 of his 37 titles produced (we’ve produced both Twelfth Night and King Lear twice). Our very first Shakespeare was Pericles, Prince of Tyre, one of his least produced works; our Shakespeare this season, Cymbeline, is also a play produced less frequently. Pericles transferred to Ashland and joined the season there for several months. Shakespeare’s plays have been organized by scholars into four categories: History, Tragedy, Comedy (this word used in the classic sense of “happy ending”) and Romance. Our tally? Seven comedies: Twelfth Night (1993, 2008) The Comedy of Errors (1994), Measure for Measure (1995), The Merchant of Venice (2004) (these last two often also noted as two of his “problem plays”), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1996), As You Like It (1999), Much Ado About Nothing (2003). Three romances: Pericles (1989), The Tempest (1991), and Cymbeline (2012). Three tragedies: King Lear (1992, 2005), Hamlet (1999) and Macbeth (1998). No histories…yet. In addition, in the 2007-2008 season we produced Amy Freed’s play The Beard of Avon, a contemporary comedy that toys with the ongoing authorship debate on the plays, which you may find either intriguing or annoying, depending on your passion for the argument or for William Shakespeare.   11/12 season 2012-01-29T21:17:15+00:00 http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/shakespeares-insults/ http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/shakespeares-insults/#When:22:41:47Z No one knows how to hurl an insult quite like the Bard. Based on the fact that there are hundreds of imaginative, biting quips throughout Shakespeare’s plays (including Cymbeline), it’s obvious that the man adored a good insult. Unfortunately, modern English is quite unimaginative when it comes to expletives. But fear not! Learn a few of these basic phrases and you’ll be cursing like an Elizabethan sailor in no time. Renowned for his psychological insights, subtle characterization and capacity to coin original expressions, Shakespeare would not at first sight seem to have much to contribute to the topics of swearing, profanity, foul language, obscenity and slurs. But the truth is, no one knew how to hurl an insult quite like the Bard. Based on the fact that there are hundreds of imaginative, biting quips throughout Shakespeare's plays, it’s obvious that the man adored a good insult. Shakespeare is thought to have invented (or first published) nearly 1,700 words, so it is fitting that his delight with language would filter into the art of mudslinging. His mastery of language is showcased throughout his plays in the clever weaving together of terms to form stinging phrases of wit.   According to this encyclopedia article, "in presenting characters in extreme situations of love, passion, vengeance, and suffering, Shakespeare explored the complexities of swearing and exclamation from both individual and cultural perspectives. His plays show the whole gamut of swearing, namely asseveration, invocation, malediction, blasphemy, profanity, and obscenity, ranging from the most solemn oaths and deadly curses to the most absurd and trivial exclamations."     Unfortunately, modern English is quite unimaginative when it comes to expletives. It seems that the entire scope of human emotion and distress can now be described by a few measly four-letter words. Shakespeare just might be rolling in his grave. But fear not! We've compiled a list of our very favorite Shakespearean oaths, curses and even trivial exclamations (including a few from Cymbeline!) to use the next time someone cuts you off in traffic, holds you up at the airport or buys the last seat to a now sold-out theater performance. Learn a few of these basic phrases and you’ll be cursing like an Elizabethan sailor in no time!   You, minion, are too saucy.  – The Two Gentlemen of Verona Away! Thou art poison to my blood. – Cymbeline Pall thee in the dunnest smoke of Hell.  – Macbeth   Thou wrong'st a gentleman who is as far from thy report as thou from honour. – Cymbeline O, [thou art] as tedious as a tired horse, a railing wife, worse than a smoky house.  –  Henry IV, Part I It is fit that I commit offence to my inferiors. – Cymbeline Thy food is such as hath been belch'd upon by infected lungs. – Pericles   O disloyal thing, that shouldst repair my youth, thou heap'st a years age on me. – Cymbeline [You] speak an infinite deal of nothing.  – The Merchant of Venice   Not Hercules could have knocked out his brains for he had none. – Cymbeline Truly thou art damned, like an ill-roasted egg, all on one side.  – As You Like It As I told you always, her beauty and her brain go not together.  – Cymbeline   [Thine] breath stinks with eating toasted cheese.  – Henry VI, Part II   O thou vile one!  – Cymbeline   Dissembling harlot, thou art false in all!  – The Comedy of Errors   Below, you can also listen to young children with British accents sling a few Shakespearean jabs.  You truly can find anything on the internet! Trust me, it's awesome.   Shakespearean Insults Pt3 (mp3)   Want more? Check out this Shakespearean Insult Generator, or, better yet, build your own Shakespearean insult!   Then come see Shakespeare and his insults in action in Shakespeare's Amazing Cymbeline, running January 31 - April 8 in the Ellyn Bye Studio. 11/12 season 2012-01-24T22:41:47+00:00 http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/its-your-turn-to-read-cymbeline/ http://www.pcs.org/blog/item/its-your-turn-to-read-cymbeline/#When:22:25:21Z We’re teaming up with an Alaskan Shakespeare company to offer a community reading of Cymbeline. Join us on Monday, February 20 from 5-9 p.m. in the Ellyn Bye Studio. Admission is free. Come read with us! Portland Center Stage & Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre present:       The Bard-a-Thon: Cymbeline Community Read Monday, February 20 from 5-9 p.m. Ellyn Bye Studio Free Admission, All Ages Welcome                 Join up with an Alaskan Shakespeare troupe and get to know Cymbeline!   I have been a Shakespeare nerd for almost 20 years now - I first got hooked on the Bard at age 11, transfixed by an outdoor production of A Midsummer Night's Dream under the Midnight Sun in my hometown of Fairbanks, Alaska. The Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre, the world's northernmost Shakespeare company, has been staging high-quality productions since 1992. Each year they tackle the Bard-a-Thon, a free, round-the-clock public reading of Shakespeare's complete works - right down to the sonnets. This whole process takes eight days, with a new play starting every four hours. After all, what better way to spend the darkest months of winter than curled up with ol' Willy Shakes? (By the way, Fairbanks was given the distinction of the coldest city in the U.S. last year!)     In celebration of our world premiere adaptation, Shakespeare's Amazing Cymbeline, we'll be teaming up with the folks in Alaska for the Cymbeline read.  If you're curious about what some call Shakespeare's most convoluted play, come join us!  All are invited to read a scene or two or just sit back and listen. Scripts will be provided.   I was a senior in high school the first time I participated in the Bard-a-thon - I'll never forget the 4 a.m. reading of The Tempest!  I've called in from Italy, South Korea and here in Oregon, and even once at 4 a.m. to read Two Gents with just three other people (whew!). For me, the 'Thon gets to the spirit of Shakespeare; just hearing the language spoken aloud in a room can help make it more accessible for everyone involved. I'm thrilled to share a little piece of my hometown with Portland, so I hope you'll come join us! Portland Center Stage’s production is part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, a national program of the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest. 11/12 season, Education and Classes at the Armory 2012-01-21T22:25:21+00:00