The Call Is Places 2019–2020 SUBSCRIBER NEWSLETTER
Twelfth Night Feb 8 – March 22 Wurtele Thrust Stage WELCOME
From Artistic Director Joseph Haj SEASON 2019–2020 2019–2020
The Glass Menagerie Sept 14 – Oct 27, 2019 Dear Friends, Wurtele Thrust Stage Twelfth Night is considered one of Shakespeare’s great comedies, and Steel Magnolias many productions play up the laughs. Rightfully so, as delight and Oct 26 – Dec 15, 2019 romance are ever-present in the text. There are love triangles and courts McGuire Proscenium Stage filled with clowns and jubilant musical interludes that keep everyone in Illyria, including the audience, feeling exceedingly merry. But vibrating A Christmas Carol beneath all the wit and gaiety is an undercurrent of grief, loss and Nov 12 – Dec 29, 2019 longing — complex matters of the heart that we all experience as we walk Wurtele Thrust Stage through the world.
Noura When we first began talking about the production as a creative team, Jan 11 – Feb 16, 2020 McGuire Proscenium Stage director Tom Quaintance didn’t want to set the play in a specific period. He envisioned an entire ecosystem created from scratch that was firmly Twelfth Night rooted in the text but felt contemporary and not confined to one era Feb 8 – March 22, 2020 or environment. As a result, this broader vision provides space for the Wurtele Thrust Stage audience to see themselves in Olivia’s mourning, Viola’s heartbreak and Orsino’s desire. The Bacchae Feb 29 – April 5, 2020 And who better to convey the emotional ups and downs of this McGuire Proscenium Stage complicated love story than an all-local, powerhouse cast backed by an ingenious creative team? Their commitment to telling Twelfth Night with Emma their whole hearts and selves has been inspiring to watch, and I’m thrilled April 11 – May 31, 2020 for you to be immersed in the wonderful, whimsical world they’ve created Wurtele Thrust Stage together.
Destiny of Desire Illyria may be an imaginary land, but what happens there is undeniably May 30 – July 11, 2020 real. It’s a place where we are invited to examine our ideas about identity, McGuire Proscenium Stage disguise, pain, joy and, most of all, love. Cabaret Thank you for joining us, and enjoy the show! June 20 – Aug 23, 2020 Wurtele Thrust Stage Yours, Sweat July 25 – Aug 29, 2020 McGuire Proscenium Stage
Visit guthrietheater.org for additional productions and play descriptions.
2 \ GUTHRIE THEATER PHOTO: T CHARLES ERICKSON Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Sponsored by Cast in alphabetical order
MARIA Sarah Jane Agnew* ORSINO/OFFICER Nate Cheeseman* OLIVIA/VALENTINE Sun Mee Chomet* SIR ANDREW/CAPTAIN Joy Dolo* ANTONIO/MUSICIAN Tyson Forbes* VIOLA Emily Gunyou Halaas* SEBASTIAN/OFFICER/MUSICIAN Michael Hanna* This production is part of Shakespeare MALVOLIO/CURIO Jim Lichtscheidl* in American Communities, a program of FESTE Luverne Seifert* the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. SIR TOBY Sally Wingert*
Members of the acting ensemble also appear The Guthrie gratefully recognizes as Musicians and Sailors. Benjamin Y.H. & Helen† C. Liu as Platinum Producers and Tyrone & Delia Bujold as Associate Producers. †In remembrance Creative Team DIRECTOR Tom Quaintance Setting SCENIC DESIGNER Naomi Dawson Illyria and the sea coast. Most of the action occurs in and around Orsino’s COSTUME DESIGNER Ann Closs-Farley palace and Olivia’s house. LIGHTING DESIGNER Yi Zhao SOUND DESIGNER/COMPOSER Sartje Pickett Run Time MOVEMENT DIRECTOR Carl Flink Approximately 2 hours, 40 minutes (including intermission) ASSISTANT MUSIC DIRECTOR Michael Hanna* RESIDENT DRAMATURG Carla Steen RESIDENT VOICE COACH Jill Walmsley Zager Understudies Christian Bardin* (Viola), Shá Cage* RESIDENT FIGHT DIRECTOR Aaron Preusse (Olivia/Valentine/Sir Andrew/ RESIDENT CASTING DIRECTOR Jennifer Liestman Captain), Austen Fisher (Antonio/ Sebastian/Officer/Musician), STAGE MANAGER Jason Clusman* Nathan Keepers* (Malvolio/Curio/ ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Jane E. Heer* Feste), Juan Rivera Lebron* (Orsino/ Officer), Mo Perry* (Maria/Sir Toby) ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Anna J. Crace Understudies never substitute for performers CASTING CONSULTANT McCorkle Casting, Ltd. unless announced prior to the performance. DESIGN ASSISTANTS Katelynn Barker (costumes) Ryan Connealy (lighting) Reid Rejsa (sound)
*Member of Actors’ Equity Association
3 \ GUTHRIE THEATER THE PLAY
PHOTOS: DAN NORMAN
Far left: Scenic design by Naomi Dawson; Above: In rehearsal with Luverne Seifert, Sarah Jane Agnew, Sally Wingert, Tyson Forbes and Joy Dolo; Left: Tyson Forbes
SETTING Synopsis Illyria and the sea coast. Most of the action occurs in and around Orsino’s palace “If music be the food of and Olivia’s house. love, play on; give me CHARACTERS Orsino, duke of Illyria excess of it.” Curio, a lord in Orsino’s court – Orsino in Twelfth Night Valentine, a lord in Orsino’s court Viola, twin sister to Sebastian; A storm at sea separates twins Viola and Sebastian. Viola washes disguises herself as Cesario ashore on the coast of Illyria and disguises herself as a man (Cesario) to work in the court of Duke Orsino, who promptly tasks Cesario (aka Sebastian, twin brother to Viola Viola) with wooing the countess Olivia on his behalf. Like Viola, Olivia Captain, rescuer of Viola is mourning a brother and has refused Orsino’s advances, but she Antonio, friend and rescuer agrees to hear Cesario out, which results in her quickly falling in love of Sebastian with “him.” Viola suddenly finds herself in a complicated position: She herself is in love with Orsino, who in turn pines for Olivia. And things Olivia, a countess in mourning only get more confusing when the thought-to-be-lost Sebastian and Maria, Olivia’s waiting his friend Antonio turn up in Illyria. gentlewoman Sir Toby, Olivia’s uncle Amidst all the wooing and pining, several members of Olivia’s household embark on adventures of their own. Olivia’s uncle Sir Toby Sir Andrew, Sir Toby’s friend; encourages his friend Sir Andrew to be a suitor to Olivia. Dampening a suitor to Olivia their drunken merriment is Olivia’s steward Malvolio, who tries to Feste, a fool in Olivia’s household maintain decorum in a house of mourning. In retaliation, Olivia’s Malvolio, Olivia’s steward gentlewoman Maria devises a practical joke to be played on Malvolio. From hijinks to romances, everything in Illyria happens in a spirit that Other characters include befits the revelry of the play’s title. officers, musicians and sailors.
4 \ GUTHRIE THEATER THE PLAYWRIGHT
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was born in 1564 to John and Mary Arden Shakespeare and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, in England’s West Country.
Much of the information about him comes from official documents such as wills, legal forms and court records. There are also contemporary references to him and his writing. While much of the biographical information is sketchy and incomplete, for a person of his class and as the son of a town alderman, quite a lot of information is available. After an eight-year gap where died at age 11, but both daughters Young Shakespeare would have Shakespeare’s activity is not known, were married: Susanna to Dr. John attended the Stratford grammar he appeared in London by 1592 Hall and Judith to Thomas Quiney. school, where he would have and quickly began to make a name learned to read and write not for himself as a prolific playwright. Shakespeare died in Stratford in only English, but also Latin and He stayed in London for about 1616 on April 23, which is thought some Greek. In 1582, at age 20 years, becoming increasingly to be his birthday. He is buried 18, Shakespeare married Anne successful in his work as an actor, in the parish church, where his Hathaway, and the couple would writer and shareholder in his acting grave can be seen to this day. His have three children: Susanna company. Retirement took him back known body of work includes at in 1583 and twins Hamnet and to Stratford to lead the life of a least 37 plays, 100 long poems and Judith in 1585. country gentleman. His son Hamnet 154 sonnets.
ABOUT TWELFTH NIGHT Twelfth Night was written sometime between 1600 and 1602 during Shakespeare’s mature period, and it was performed at the Middle Temple in London in February 1602. Written slightly after As You Like It, the play marks the pinnacle of Shakespeare’s great comedies.
The play’s source is the 1531 Italian play GI’Ingannati or The Deceived Ones. Shakespeare likely knew of it from other plays that borrowed its mistaken twins plot. The subplot involving Malvolio is Shakespeare’s invention. Twelfth Night was first published in the First Folio in 1623.
Twelfth Night has previously been produced at the Guthrie in 1968 (Robert Lanchester, director), 1984 (Liviu Ciulei, director) and 2001 (Joe Dowling, director). The Guthrie has also presented two all-male, British productions of Twelfth Night: Mark Rylance played Olivia in an “original practices” production by Shakespeare’s Globe in 2003 and Propeller produced Twelfth Night in repertory with The Taming of the Shrew in 2013.
5 \ GUTHRIE THEATER THE DIRECTOR
Tom Quaintance
Tom Quaintance is the producing artistic director of Virginia Stage Company, where he has directed Pride and Prejudice, The Secret Garden and Matilda the Musical. He was previously the artistic director of Cape Fear Regional Theatre, where he produced over 35 plays and directed the world premiere of Downrange: Voices From the Homefront by Mike Wiley, which is based on interviews with military spouses from Fort Bragg.
Directing highlights at Cape Fear Regional Theatre include Amadeus and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, Sweeney
Todd, Jesus Christ Superstar and PHOTO: DAN NORMAN Henry V, in which he played Chorus. An associate artist at PlayMakers Quaintance is the founder of Haj as Nicholas), King Lear and Repertory Company, Quaintance has FreightTrain Shakespeare in Los The Devil With Boobs. He received directed An Enemy of the People, Angeles where he earned a Drama- a B.A. in Theater and Economics Shipwrecked! An Entertainment and Logue Award for his direction of from Wesleyan University and The Little Prince, and he co-directed Pericles. Other Los Angeles credits is a graduate of the University Nicholas Nickleby with Guthrie include Henry V (with Haj as King of California, San Diego’s M.F.A. Artistic Director Joseph Haj. Henry), Nicholas Nickleby (with directing program.
“Twelfth Night is not just another play for me. I grew up two blocks from the original Guthrie on Vineland Place. The Guthrie is where I first worked as an usher during my college summers and where I eventually took a directing internship that changed my life.”
– Tom Quaintance on his Guthrie directorial debut
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Who’s Who in Twelfth Night
Orsino Viola Duke of Illyria (Disguised as Cesario) Works in Orsino’s household
Feste A fool in Olivia’s Sebastian household Viola’s twin brother
Sir Andrew Sir Toby’s Olivia friend A countess in Antonio mourning Sebastian’s rescuer
KEY Family
Love interest
Employee
Friends
Sir Toby Maria Olivia’s uncle A gentlewoman in Olivia’s household Malvolio Olivia’s steward
Puck’s Spotty Lighthouse Illyria Out Damned Spot Dog Walkers
To Brie or Not to Brie Deli To Thine Own Orsino’s Self Be Tattoo Olivia’s Palace Winter of Our House Discount Tent Rentals Shakes Pier I Swoon for Balloons Duncan’s Factory Donuts Hathaway’s Merlots by Any Marital Other Name The Elephant Counseling Divorce, Divorce, Inn My Kingdom for a Divorce Mall of Illyria Lawyers
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Ushers to Artists: A Friendship Story
The friendship between director Tom Quaintance and movement director Carl Flink goes all the way back to the soccer field. Their brotherly bond was on full display when we asked them to reminisce about what’s transpired in their lives and careers since they both were ushers at the original Guthrie. Find out why working on Twelfth Night together is the artistic homecoming of their (and our) dreams.
TOM QUAINTANCE: Thanks for didn’t direct a play until I was in career was possible. It was so helping me get a job at the Guthrie college at Wesleyan University. different than the prescribed paths back during our soccer-playing of economics or political science. days. How did you end up working CF: And I was going to be a as an usher? politician. After dancing at TQ: Speaking of your career, you the University of Minnesota to spent over a decade in New York CARL FLINK: When I was a improve my soccer skills, someone City, toured around the world as a sophomore at West High School suggested I pursue a dance career. dancer and eventually came back in Minneapolis, one of my buddies Until then, it had never occurred to to Minnesota to practice law. knew I was looking for a job with me that I would do anything other flexible hours that fit our soccer than politics. So I moved to New CF: When I was 30, I performed at schedule. He told me to come York City at 23, convinced I would the White House with the Limón work with him at the Guthrie pretend to be an artist for a year Dance Company. I remember doing because you could see shows, and and then get back to my “life.” Ten this big leap and landing 3 feet in I started ushering. years later, I was dancing with the front of President Clinton, thinking Limón Dance Company. how crazy it was that my first TQ: During my first summer at the time at the White House was as a Guthrie, I saw Great Expectations, TQ: I had no idea what I wanted to dancer. Shortly after that, I reached Cyrano de Bergerac and A do in college. I was an economics a crossroads in my career, and I Midsummer Night’s Dream directed major and only became a theater decided to enroll in Stanford Law by Liviu Ciulei. It was mind-blowing major because I had nearly School. After I graduated, I came in terms of what theater could be enough credits. But after directing back to Minnesota and worked and what a director could do. I had The Indian Wants the Bronx my for Farmers’ Legal Action Group no idea theater could be funny junior year, I realized I wanted as a public interest attorney. The and sexy. to pursue directing. After that, University of Minnesota asked I directed Cyrano de Bergerac me to teach dance classes, and CF: It’s interesting you bring up and worked as a directing intern suddenly I was living this dual life the plays we saw. I don’t have at the Guthrie on Candide and of practicing law and dancing. any formal arts degrees, so I Shakespeare’s History Cycle. After my first daughter was born, I consider that time at the Guthrie realized I had to choose one or the as my artistic education. It’s CF: Working at the Guthrie other. Both careers were fulfilling, where I began discovering my introduced me to a cultural space but I was far more passionate artistic voice. I had never encountered before. about dancing. I remember helping [former TQ: We both took unusual paths to costume director] Jack Edwards TQ: I thought I’d go to law school becoming artists. I wasn’t directing in the costume shop and sitting and become a lawyer like my plays with my friends growing up. in the Box Office observing the dad, but I ended up teaching high We were throwing crabapples at excitement on opening night. That school in Los Angeles. I found each other and playing soccer. I energy made me believe a dance myself in a similar quandary at 30:
8 \ GUTHRIE THEATER Carl Flink and Tom Quaintance during Twelfth Night rehearsals
PHOTO: DAN NORMAN
Do I keep teaching or make a enjoy most about our working TQ: Something you and I share change? I was toying with the relationship is that it’s not is that we’ve both lost a sibling. idea of law school, and I asked precious. There’s a hurly-burly to It’s difficult to understand the your advice. You told me to enroll it. By the end of a project, I’m not gravity of that loss unless you’ve only if I saw it as my true career. sure if I made it or you made it. experienced it. Telling this story Around that same time, I directed And it doesn’t matter. with someone who understands a production of Metamorphoses that grief is a gift. that Joseph Haj saw. He said if I felt TQ: Right. We just want to make called to teach, I should make that good work together. With Twelfth CF: We’ve shared many my life. But if I felt called to direct, Night, there are great depths of experiences — artistic, professional, I should return to professional love and loss in the story we’re familial — that inform the theater. Both you and Joe helped telling. Through the movement intellectual and instinctual places catapult me back into directing. you’re building, the characters we’re working from. I’m also a dad can connect in a way that isn’t to twins, which adds another layer. CF: I’m so grateful we stayed based solely in language. With When they go into twin mode, connected throughout our careers, Shakespeare, you can get stuck it’s frightening and glorious all at from offering notes on each other’s in the words, so having a visceral, once. Viola and Sebastian have work to writing film scripts. And physical language to explore those an intense, genetic connection as now we’re working on Twelfth depths is incredibly valuable. twins. When they’re torn apart, Night together. At the Guthrie! it’s tectonic. CF: The fluidity of gender TQ: We’ve had so many great dynamics in the play shows love TQ: Twelfth Night honors that creative collaborations, like when in all its permutations: siblings, sense of loss and allows delight I wrote that monologue for our friends, lovers. Movement can and love to come through the Dungeons & Dragons campaign. help portray a deep bond darkness. That’s what I hope we [laughs] between Feste and Maria that communicate to the audience. doesn’t lead us to believe they’re Living in the world is hard work, CF: Yes, our true bond is that lovers. It allows the audience to but it’s worth it when we walk we’re both Dungeons & Dragons interpret the complexities of each through the darkness and find joy, nerds. [both laugh] What I relationship in different ways. love and light.
9 \ GUTHRIE THEATER IN THE COMMUNITY
Connecting Local Youth With the Arts
Our community partner for Twelfth Night is Legacy Arts Group — a nonprofit on a mission to create arts immersion experiences that provide a platform for the next generation of artmakers in the Twin Cities. This spring, their students will partici- pate in post-play discussions at the Guthrie and perform in the Dowling Studio. Artistic Assistant Morgan Holmes recently caught up with Tamiko French, founder and artistic Tamiko French, founder director, to chat about her heart for and artistic director of Legacy Arts Group local youth and the arts. PHOTO: COURTESY OF LEGACY ARTS GROUP
MORGAN HOLMES: Tell me about scaffolding are the same as theirs. them as a model to speak their your work with Legacy Arts Group. Anything is possible. Listening to own language. So we must director Tom Quaintance talk about understand stories of the past TAMIKO FRENCH: Legacy Arts his personal connection to Twelfth in order to reflect, fragment and Group exists to assist students Night was so inspiring. That’s transpose them in the present. in finding mentorship and a safe what I’m trying to reflect to my space to express their feelings students. It means something to MH: How do your students feel through art-making. They are me to make art and build a career about theater’s relevance to able to explore and apply the in my hometown. It’s an investment their lives? arts education they receive to in the future. theater, dance, visual arts, vocal TF: Theater helps students dig performance, broadcast recording MH: What do you hope your students into issues they feel they can’t and fashion design. understand about Shakespeare? speak about: being different, experiencing love, having family MH: What sparked your interest in TF: The themes in Twelfth difficulties, wrestling with demons partnering with the Guthrie around Night — grief, survival, doing in their head, struggling to connect Twelfth Night? something daring to find your with others. Cultural relevancy identity, love so blind that you is part of our mission. We want TF: Young people often feel they forget who you are and then to develop the next generation aren’t in control of their futures. suffer — are prevalent in every of artmakers by helping them Being mentored by this all-local culture and transcend boundaries understand history and how past cast allows them to see that of race and age. Artists break generations affect and reflect back the process, through lines and stories, abstract them and use their modern voices.
10 \ GUTHRIE THEATER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Next on the 10 Actors, One Challenge McGuire Proscenium Stage
The Guthrie Theater presents a SITI Company production of The Bacchae We put 12 seconds on the clock and asked the cast of Twelfth Night Feb 29 – April 5 to boil down Shakespeare’s sweeping romantic comedy into a super- by EURIPIDES short synopsis. And they didn’t miss a beat. Or did they? translation by AARON POOCHIGIAN directed by ANNE BOGART WATCH THE TRAILER created and performed by SITI COMPANY
Say it with Shakespeare. Friends, lovers, siblings, clowns — everyone has something to say in Twelfth Night. Our collection of keepsakes will do the talking for you, from punny mugs to show-themed gifts.
Visit us on Level One or shop online at guthriestore.com.
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