Insights A Study Guide to the Utah Shakespeare Festival

Desperate Measures The articles in these study guides are not meant to mirror or interpret any particular productions at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. They are meant, instead, to be an educational jumping-off point to understanding and enjoying the play (in any production at any theatre) a bit more thoroughly. Therefore the stories of the plays and the interpretative articles (and even characters at times) may differ from what is ultimately produced on stage.

Also, some of these articles (especially the synopses) reveal the ending and other “surprises” in some plays. If you don’t want to know this information before seeing the plays, you may want to reconsider studying the information in this section.

The Study Guide is published by the Utah Shakespeare Festival, 351 West Center Street; Cedar City, UT 84720. Bruce C. Lee, publications manager and editor; Clare Campbell, graphic artist. Copyright © 2020, Utah Shakespeare Festival. Please feel free to download and print The Study Guide, as long as you do not remove any identifying mark of the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

For more information about Festival education programs: Utah Shakespeare Festival 351 West Center Street Cedar City, Utah 84720 435-586-7880 www.bard.org.

Cover Art for Desperate Measures by Cully Long. Desperate Measures

Contents

Information on the Play Synopsis 4 Characters 5 About the Playwright 6

Scholarly Articles on the Play Adaptation Meant First and Foremost to Entertain 9

Utah Shakespeare Festival 3 351 West Center Street • Cedar City, Utah 84720 • 435-586-7880 Synopsis This musical story is set in the Wild West of Arizona in the 1890s. Johnny Blood, a hot-headed young cowboy, has been unjustly condemned for shooting a man while trying to defend his one love, the saloon girl Bella. His hanging day is only two days away, and, with no hope for a pardon, his friend Sheriff Green asks if he has any family who could plead his cause to the callous governor of the territory. He says he is estranged from his only family member, his sister Susanna (a.k.a. Sister Mary Jo) who is days away from taking her vows as a nun in a nearby Franciscan mission. The Sheriff convinces her that she is her brother’s only chance, and he takes her to see the governor. After two feeble attempts at getting him to reconsider, the Sheriff encourages Susanna to show a bit more emotion and compassion to plead her brother’s case. She does, and it moves the governor so much that he agrees to free her brother—under one condition: that she give him one night of passion in return. Mortified, she refuses and leaves. Susanna goes to visit Johnny, who upon hearing about the proposition, tries to convince her that his freedom is worth more than her chastity. She holds her ground. Overhearing, the Sheriff suggests she accept the deal; and, when it is dark, they will switch Susanna with another girl who wouldn’t be opposed to act the part, without the governor being any the wiser. And the Sheriff knows just who could do it! The Sheriff and Susanna find Bella “performing” at the local saloon and propose the idea to her. She accepts and says she’ll do anything to save Johnny. Through some coaching, Susanna teaches Bella to imitate her modest mannerisms so the governor doesn’t suspect the switch. It’s a risky plan: Johnny’s life rests on the success of it. In the meantime, the ice begins to melt between Susanna and the Sheriff, though neither will admit it. That night the goes according to plan. But when Susanna comes to collect Johnny’s pardon the following day, the governor admits he has fallen in love with her. He refuses to honor the bargain until she agrees to marry him immediately. Susanna is distraught and tells the Sheriff of the complication. He says he has an idea. Meanwhile, Bella proudly admits to Johnny what she did to help him, but he doesn’t seem to appreciate her “selfless” ges- ture, saying his sacrifice of defending her and going to jail is greater. They argue (and sing) about whose love is deeper. With things getting complicated and time running out, they move forward with a new idea the Sheriff has, but will it be enough to save Susannah, whom he now admits he loves, from marrying the gover- nor? And will the plan help Johnny avoid the noose and be together with Bella?

4 Utah Shakespeare Festival 351 West Center Street • Cedar City, Utah 84720 • 435-586-7880 Characters Johnny Blood: A hot-headed young cowboy in love with Bella, Johnny sings tenor.

Father Morse: An Irish Franciscan priest; Father Morse sings baritone.

Sheriff Martin Greeen: An old-time Western lawman who falls in love with Susanna, Sheriff Green sings baritone.

Susanna, aka Sister Mary Jo: A novice nun and Johnny’s sister, Susanna sings soprano

Governor von Richterhenkenpflichtgetruber: The German territorial governor, Richterhenkenpflichtgetruber sings baritone

Bella Rosa: A saloon girl in love with Johnny, Bella can belt out a song.

Big Swede

Bartender

Chorus of Cowboys, Saloon Girls, Government Clerks, and Nuns

Peter Kellog and David Friedman

Utah Shakespeare Festival 5 351 West Center Street • Cedar City, Utah 84720 • 435-586-7880 Peter Kellog and David Friedman By Rachelle Hughes

Desperate Measures lyricist/librettist Peter Kellogg and composer David Friedman have developed a system that works. After writing five musicals together they have found a theatrical partnership that creates comedic musical magic. They both have some heavy-hitting experience and exposure in the entertainment world, and together they have learned how to create their own kind of harmony for the stage. Entertainment writer Alix Cohen summed it up perfectly: “In optimum pairing, the wordsmith wants people to laugh, the composer to touch people’s hearts. ‘I like to write tunes that stick to the ribs,’ Friedman says. ‘If Peter was in control, it might be a little sterile. If I was in control, you might throw up from emotion” (“Desperate Measures Rides Again,” Sandi Durell’s Theater Pizzazz [http://www.theaterpizzazz.com/desperate- measures-rides-again/], May 13, 2018). Peter Kellogg spent twenty years in the advertising industry before he wrote his first play, the broadway hit Anna Karenina. On August 26, 1992, the Broadway production of Anna Karenina opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York City where It ran for forty-six performances. In 1993 Kellogg received two Tony Award nominations for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score for the play. He certainly entered the theatre playwriting world with a grand entrance. In 2000, Kellogg teamed up with Friedman to write the romantic comedy musical Chasing Nicolette which was initially titled Nicolette and Aucassin and played at the Westport Country Playhouse from August 28, 2000 to September 9, 2000. Although it was a short initial run, tweaks were made and the play had its off-Broadway debut in 2005. From there Kellog has been a prolific writer and teamed up with Friedman numerous times. Kellogg writes the book and lyrics first and then brings it to Friedman who composes the music. Together they have worked on Stunt Girl (2009) inspired by trailblazer journalist Nellie Bly (who Kellogg first heard about from his wife), Money Talks (featuring Benjamin Franklin) and Desperate Measures (a musical wild west retelling of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure). Desperate Measures (2004) is the oldest of this illustrious list, but like all of Kellogg’s and Friedman’s musicals continues to see ongoing productions at theatre companies throughout the country. Desperate Measures, especially, seems to be taking the award circuit by storm. Kellogg received the New York Musical Theatre Festival 2006 award for Excellence in Musical Theatre Writing (Book) for Desperate Measures and the 2018 for Outstanding Lyrics for the musical. Attracting talented collaborators could be Kellogg’s superpower. He has also collaborated with two-time Richard Rodgers Award winner Stephen Weiner (The Honeymooners) on the world premiere of the musical comedy The Rivals (2018) based on Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s farce. In collaboration with Albert C Todd, Kellogg wrote the English lyrics for Unruly Horses, a musical conceived by Moni and Mina Yakim and based on the Soviet Union songwriter and folk hero Vladimir Vysotsky. The show features twenty-four musical numbers with English lyrics by Peter Kellogg and Albert C Todd and musical adaptation by .

6 Utah Shakespeare Festival 351 West Center Street • Cedar City, Utah 84720 • 435-586-7880 It is unknown what Kellog’s next project will be, but somewhere in Chappaqua, New York, he is hopefully writing another musical story to captivate theatre audiences.

David Friedman’s musical resume is epic. Born May 16, 1950, he has been a film and theatre composer, songwriter, author, lyricist, and conductor. By the time Friedman was seventeen, he had already earned a teacher’s certificate from Dalcroze Society of America (a musical education methodology using eurhythmics). His next stop in in his music education was the New England Conservatory where he focused on classical music, but he knew Broadway was calling to him. “Throughout my stay at New England Conservatory, I studied classical and choral , but I kept my Dionne Warwick and show hidden behind the Shostakovich symphonies. When I finished college, I went back to New York City, my home town, and immediately began music directing off-off Broadway theatre. This soon led to me conducting on Broadway and then, after I met Alan Menken, to conducting and vocal arranging Disney movies such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” he said in an interview with Adam Rothenberg (“Call Answered: David Friedman: ‘Desperate Measures,’ LaMott, & Kathie Lee Gifford” [Call Me Adam, https://www. callmeadam.com/interviews/mmwnrwxerpftlmj3hcrfx7axca6tam]). However, despite landing a dream job with Disney and Alan Menken, Friedman still hadn’t found his musical destiny that would bring him real joy, He credits Menken with helping him make the leap he needed to make to become a composer full time. Friedman tells the story in a Forbes interview with Jeryl Brunner of how Menken gave him the following advice: “You are depressed because you are supposed to be doing what I’m doing. I’m going to shoot myself in the foot right now, because we have a brilliant working relationship. But if I were you, I’d phase me out of your life and go write” (“What This Hit Composer Gave Up To Get What He Wanted Most,” [https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerylbrunner/2018/07/25/what-this- hit-composer-gave-up-to-get-what-he-wanted-most/#3f7da7ab5656] July 25, 2018). Walking away from this opportunity and following his heart seemed risky, but for Friedman it opened new doors. As a composer Friedman’s songs have been recorded by Diana Ross, Barry Manilow, Nancy LaMott, Kathie Lee Gifford, Laura Branigan, LMNT, and Petula Clark, among others. His work as conductor/ vocal arranger for Disney led to his writing music and lyrics for Disney’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves. He also wrote all the music and lyrics for three animated television series Happy Ness (ABC), Dragon Flyz, and Skydancers. He won The Award for Songwriter of the Year and The Backstage Bistro Award for Composer of the Year. His work has been performed at Carnegie Hall with the Boston Pops, on numerous albums and on Touched by an Angel, The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, and Live, with Regis & Kathie Lee. Friedman has recorded over 100 songs with Kathie Lee Gifford and collaborated with her for years on The Today Show’s segment “Everyone Has a Story.” He produced all of the late Nancy LaMott’s CDs and actively does what he can to keep her memory and voice alive. He is also the creator of a metaphysical

Utah Shakespeare Festival 7 351 West Center Street • Cedar City, Utah 84720 • 435-586-7880 method called The Thought Exchange, and the author of a book by the same name published in 2011. Friedman appeared in the 2012 documentary film The Thought Exchange, based on the book. In his book, Friedman admits to being diagnosed with severe agoraphobia at age twenty which is his inspiration for creating the Thought Exchange concept. He continues, in addition to all of his songwriting, to write metaphysical books. One of his most recent books We Can Be Kind—Healing Our World One Kindness at a Time is filled with essays and has stories about kindness. One of his greatest bucket list items is to have his song “We Can Be Kind” reach the entire world. He tells Adam Rothenberg in an interview that of all the songs he has written this is the one he hopes will reach the world (Rothenberg). And David Friedman has written many songs in his illustrious and varied career and he does not seem to be close to done.

8 Utah Shakespeare Festival 351 West Center Street • Cedar City, Utah 84720 • 435-586-7880 Adaptation Meant First and Foremost to Entertain By Jess Boles Lohmann

Desperate Measures has a lot to offer in terms of laughs: funny accents, a drunken priest, bawdry. It’s clearly a fun night at the theatre, and it’s important that we don’t wreck the fun by going esoteric in discussing it. In this piece, I will attempt to follow the example indicated by director Brad Carroll in his notes about the play: “I’ll read the Arden, but then I think I’ll leave it at home!” I’ve read the Arden, and I have a few thoughts, mainly about how we can judge Desperate Measures as a piece of art, understanding, of course, that the play is meant first and foremost to entertain. How can we assess the play? The fact that it is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure is inseparable from its value as a work. It’s one of the very first things the characters tell the audience. Because it is an adaptation, there are guidelines by which we should appraise the play other than whether or not it’s “true” to the original or whether or not we enjoy it. It’s impossible to determine whether one is better than the other in an objective way. But we can examine the changes to the story themselves. Our guiding questions are as follows: 1. What was attempted/changed in the act of adaptation? 2. How successful were the attempts/changes? 3. Were the attempts/changes worth doing? At the start of the show, saloon girl Bella announces that this is an adaptation of Measure for Measure, a problem play, and that they’ve “thrown out half the plot” and cleared up the language but kept all the bits with “(whispers) sex” (Peter Kellogg and David Friedman, Desperate Measures [Steele Spring Stage Rights], 1). With her opening remarks, Bella brings us into the world of adaptation theory and posits that the biggest change to the story is in making it understandable to our modern audience, but she leaves out a most critical change: not the change in vocabulary, but the change in showing a romance developing between Susanna and the Sheriff, replacing Isabella’s silent victimhood at the end of Measure for Measure. The addition of a proper love story is what intrigues me most about Desperate Measures, and I think it’s one of the play’s most evocative departures from Shakespeare’s original. Famously, at the end of Measure for Measure, the novice nun Isabella is claimed as wife by the most powerful person in the play, the Duke. After at last pardoning her brother, he says to Isabella: “Give me your hand and say you will be mine” (5.1.564). This pseudo-proposal comes, it seems, out of virtually nowhere. While the Duke has been kind to Isabella, they have no real relationship in the text. In this era of #metoo, I think I can safely encourage you to view his line as it is, as a command. It is a declaration. It is not a matter of choice for Isabella, who is silent and remains silent for the rest of the play. It’s frankly disturbing that she has no choice in the matter; it’s part of what makes this a problem play, especially in our era, which is keener to address women’s voices and freedoms. In Desperate Measures, Isabella becomes Susanna, and the Duke becomes the Sheriff. The play still ends with marriage for the Isabella/Susanna character, but the journey there is entirely different. Rather than being seized for marriage by a powerful man, with literally no say, Susanna gives enthusiastic consent—

Utah Shakespeare Festival 9 351 West Center Street • Cedar City, Utah 84720 • 435-586-7880 an important word for this play and our culture—to be the Sheriff’s wife. What’s more, she exercises agency throughout the entire play, and when the moment comes for a wedding, she is the one who seizes the Sheriff for a passionate kiss in response to his question (not command) about whether or not they should marry. We see the building blocks of Susanna and the Sheriff’s relationship early on, as it’s established from her first entrance that Susanna is not like other Isabellas we may have seen; she comes in with a loaded shotgun, and when the Sheriff challenges her, she trades barbs with him. One way she correlates with Isabella is in her high-minded opinions, and the Sheriff from the outset encourages her to embrace her messy, human side, saying “How ‘bout you climb/ Off that high horse you’re on all the time/ Get down with us mortals in the mud” (17). Susanna learning to be in touch with her feelings and to trust other people is a continuing motif, and it’s part of her decision at the end of the play not to go forward with her vows to become a nun. Even more importantly, Bella hints early on that she sees the chemistry between Susanna and the Sheriff when they’re together, encouraging Susanna to “think about the Sheriff” to bring a smile and some ease to her face (42). Directly after, we see the early playing and flirtation between the novice and Sheriff as Susanna smears whipped cream on the Sheriff’s face (42). The next stage direction is that Bella “bumps Susanna with her hip sending her into the Sheriff’s arms. Susanna and the Sheriff look at each other a moment in surprise, then separate hastily” (43). This is more evidence of their chemistry; they’re bashful around each other but not unhappy to be in each other’s arms. I mean, it’s practically a rom- com. Soon after, the Sheriff confesses his blossoming feelings for Susanna to the audience in song. It’s important that we see the Sheriff fall for Susanna as well as her for him, but it’s more important that we see his gentleness, softness, and feeling. It makes him a desirable and worthy partner for Susanna instead of a domineering one, like the Duke in Measure for Measure. As the two wait for the bed trick to be over, the Sheriff confesses that in the dark, Susanna “seem[s] almost . . . well, human,” his desire for her to meet him on his level fulfilled (53). Then, a near kiss. In the next number and in a private share with the audience, Susanna sings about “Romance” and “Passion.” She is letting the audience in on her mutual feelings for the Sheriff for the first time. Even more important, she and the Sheriff share the sung word “Passion,” and a shared line of song is an important clue in musical theatre of an affinity between characters. When Susanna sings next, she considers the Sheriff’s “kindness” and “thoughtful[ness]” and plays out her inner turmoil about her future (75). She’s tempted by him. She thinks the right thing to do is stick inflexibly to her plan to surrender herself to the convent, but her heart has warmed to him. She’s impressed by his kindness—maybe she thought there were no kind men. She alluded earlier to the fact that men like the Governor were “why [she] turned [her] back upon the world” (21). At the end of the song, however, she lands on the side of her heart rather than her head—that “It’s love” between her and the Sheriff (77). It’s a moment of revelation happening in real time right in front of us. At the climax of the play, and at Bella’s suggestion, Susanna broaches the topic of marriage with the Sheriff, saying “Bella has this silly thought/ That you and I would want to . . . tie the knot” (103). The Sheriff asks, “Can you give me one reason we should wed?” Then, Susanna gathers the Sheriff in a passionate kiss. Susanna is the one who makes the act of proposal. She has agency. She knows that words fail in this

10 Utah Shakespeare Festival 351 West Center Street • Cedar City, Utah 84720 • 435-586-7880 situation, but she is not silent because she has been given no choice in the matter. She turns from their combative words to an act of love that cannot be mistaken. But they’re not done talking altogether; they have moved from the realm of spoken word to song for the closing number. The emotion has elevated the conversation to music—their hearts can’t express themselves fully in ordinary language. Their wedding is a matter of celebration for all onstage and for us, in the audience. This is such a departure from the bleak end of Measure for Measure. Returning to the guiding questions I outlined, here’s how I see Desperate Measures. What was attempted in the adaptation was a more appropriate, liberated, happy story arc for the Isabella/Susanna character. I find the attempt to give Isabella/Susanna more agency and a joyful marriage to her beloved successful, as I find myself convinced and charmed by the way the play illustrates their romance. Lastly, I find that this attempted change is worth doing, as it dignifies Isabella/Susanna and gives her the respect she deserves. It propels the story forward, perhaps not all the way into our own time, but at least into a time when women are given the consideration and choices suited for a protagonist. I think the adaptation has value for this reason. I hope that you will similarly enjoy the play and laugh without your laughter being compromised by a dubious future for a silent Isabella/Susanna. Problem solved.

Utah Shakespeare Festival 11 351 West Center Street • Cedar City, Utah 84720 • 435-586-7880