Bt.:I:\KSTORE HOURS: MON-FRI 8:15Am-4:45Pm NOTICE: Smoking Is Not Allowed in the Auditorium , Nor May Ph Otographs Or Recordings Be Made During the Performance
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The University Theatre presents University Theatre The Miser Presents by Moliere Adapted by Miles Malleson Directed by Glenn Cannon Set design by Joseph D. Dodd Lighting design & Technical direction by Mark Boyd Costume design by Sandra Finney Cast of Characters (in the order of their appearance) Valere (in love with Elise) ..... ..... .. Alfie Huebler Elise (Harpagon's daughter) . ..... ...... .. Andrea Beck Cleante (Harpagon's son) .. ..... .... Adam Weiner Harpagon (the Miser) .... .. ....... .. ... Terence Knapp La Fleche (Cieante's servant) . .......... Robert S. Ito, Jr. Master Simon (a moneylender) . ... ... ..... Alani Apio Frosine (a scheming woman) ... ... .. .. Pamela M. VierCI Jacques (Harpagon's servant) .......... Gregg Richardson 1st Servant . .. ..... ....... .... .. .. ...... James Hearn 2nd Servant .. ...... .. .. ..... James A. White 3fd Servant . Diane Lee Mariane (in love with Cleante) .. ... .. .. Sarah Stanley / Justice of the Peace .... .... .. .. ... ... Troy Okumura Clerk to the Justice . .... ....... ..... Maria L.S.L. Liu Seigneur Anselm ... ......... ... .. ... Barry H. Knapp Synopsis of Scenes The action of the play passes during one day in the house of Monsieur Harpagon in Paris, in the year 1668. ACT I Scene 1. - A room in Harpagon's house. Morning. Scene 2. - The same. A little later. ACT II Scene 1. - The same. Afternoon. Scene 2. - The same. Early evening. There will be one intermission. UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII Bt.:I:\KSTORE HOURS: MON-FRI 8:15am-4:45pm NOTICE: Smoking is not allowed in the auditorium , nor may ph otographs or recordings be made during the performance. SAT 8: 15am-11 :45am 2 Director's Notes Set Designer's Notes Jean Bapti ste Poquelin (Moliere), 1622-1673, was an The scenic design process begins with a list of what 1 actor, director, producer, and playwright all at once . call "givens," a term left over from high sc hool geometry Despite his multi-faceted talents, he had his difficulties wh ich refers to information required for the solution to a during the early years of his theatrical career, a perfectly problem. In design, "g ivens" provide boundaries, enabling normal occurrence with most theatre professionals of an y one to focus on possibi lities by eli minating inappropriate age or time. He toured the provinces of France for 13 concepts. The major sou rces for "givens" in a production years after his first try at forming a theatre company in are the director and the script. For our production the Paris failed. But, thankfully for all of us, talent and good "givens" were to provide a wealthy, yet il l-kept, drawing fortune enabled Moliere to gain the patronage of King room interior with a mid-seventeenth century French Louis XIV, and his reputation (and regular income) were flavor. assured. He performed at the Palais Royale (the ancestor Next follows a period of creative research which for of the Commedia Francaise), enjoying remarkable success The Miser encompassed literature about Moliere, his in an astonishing variety of farces, comedies, masques, contemporaries and architecture, and cultural history of and ballets of his own creation. He experienced the story France. These visual sources contain numerous theatrical book death of an actor: while playing the leading role in etchings depicting productions using painted, perspective his great comedy The Imaginary Invalid he became scenery in conjunction with period furniture. The etchings severely ill on stage, but completed the performance and have a charmingly naive, illustrative quality and a subtle died shortly after the curtain came down on the final act. sense of humor suitable as a visual metaphor for this play. Until Moliere, verse had been the sole form permis This illustration technique is also similar to that which sible for both comedy and tragedy in the French theatre. appears on currency, making the design choice all the Defying this unspoken dictum, Moliere penned only 14 of more appropriate in a comedy about a man concerned his existing 33 plays in verse. The Miser (L 'Avare), in only with money. prose, was originally written in five acts when it opened on The scenic design concept evolved into reproducing a September 9, 1668. Many critics derided the non-verse lifesize version of one of these hand-colored theatre prints, form, and the production ran only a relatively short time. remaining as faithful as possible to the traditional staging Happily, the play has achieved success almost everywhere methods of the period. This approach allowed for a it has been presented, and it has become one of Moliere's fanciful setting suited to the overall mood and feeling of most popular plays. this delightful comedy. Avarice, "the good old gentlemanly vice", as Byron -Joseph D. Dodd called it, is the heart of the play. The plot is borrowed from Plautus, and its resolution may bring memories of the conclusion of last season's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which I also directed. This is not surprising, as the plot of that musical comedy was bor rowed from Plautus as well. The Miser also relies heavily on material from Commedia deii'Arte, as well as other. sources, yet the fine comedic hand of Moliere remains clearly visible in this delightful work. Part of this magic lies in the fact that despite the comedy, there is a sense of the reality beneath it all. Miles Malleson, who adapted the play into the current two-act structure, was a marvelous British character actor (for Americans, most notably seen as Rev. Chasuble in the classic film version of The Importance of Being Earnest) who had an abiding affection for the playwright's work throughout his lifetime. He played Harpagon in 1950 on the London stage in this adaptation. -Glenn Cannon About the Cast Gregg Richardson (Jacques) holds M.A. degrees in Reli gious Studies and Comparative Literature from Indiana Terence Knapp (Harpagon, The Miser). What is a stage University. He's currently pursuing a PhD degree in Asian struck, Anglo-Irish Catholic boy brought up in London, Theatre at U.H. Gregg was seen on the Kennedy stage last Wales, Dublin and elsewhere during World War II to do season in A Midsummer Night's Dream and he performed with his life? Terence (named after an Irish actor) Richard the title role in The House of Bernarda Alba in the Lab Patrick Valentine Knapp discovered that Shakespeare and Theatre last May. Olivier (whose protege he would become) suggested the James Hearn (1st Servant) is a freshman drama and answer and, for forty years, he has explored performing theatre major. He has made numerous appearances in and , later, directing and teaching, bemused by the variety Army Community Theatre productions including The Diary of delights and challenges of make-believe within the of Anne Frank, Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific and imagination realm. A quintessential practitioner of opera, 1776. This is his initial role on the Kennedy Theatre stage. ballet, mime and music theatre, TV and films, radio, song, James A. White (2nd Servant) is a Drama Theatre major improvisation, Greek tragedy, Restoration comedy, No, with performance experience at both HTY ("Counselor" in Kabuki, and above all the Bard of Avon, Terence has Before I Wake) and SATCO ("Matt" in The Marriage of embraced them all. He is, first and foremost, identified with Bette & Boo). He is a recipient of both the Leon J. Rhodes the role of "Damien", especially written for him by Aldyth Scholarship and a Regents Scholarship. Morris in 1976. Since then the portrayal, honored by the prestigious Peabody Award, has been repeatedly telecast Diane Lee (3rd Servant) is pursuing a Professional nationwide. Terence Knapp, Professor of Theatre, is a Diploma to enhance her Secondary Education/English Churchill Fellow, the Recipient of the RADA's Bancroft degree. This is her first production. Medal, the U.H. BOR's Medal for Excellence in Teaching, Sarah Stanley (Mariane) is a Liberal Studies major with an many Po'okela citations and is formally acclaimed by the extensive background in theatre. She has received theatre state legislature as Hawaii's own world class actor. training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Alfie Huebler (Valere) is a sophomore Drama and Theatre was last seen in the UH Lab Theatre production of Aunt major. He was active in drama at Waialua High School, Dan and Lemon. She has also sparkled in HPAC's Little and appeared as a Protean in last season's A Funny Thing Shop of Horrors and The Cherry Orchard here at UH. Happened on the Way to the Forum. The Miser marks his Troy Okumura (Justice of the Peace) is a senior drama second appearance on the Kennedy Theatre stage. and theatre major ve.ry familiar to Kennedy Theatre audi Andrea Beck (Elise) is a Senior Art major, pursuing a ences. He appeared in Narukami, Talking Story, A Funny B.F.A. degree in painting. She performed the role of "Jill" Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and most in SATCO's recent production of Equus and played major recently in Mother Hicks. roles in The House of Bernarda Alba and Aunt Dan and Maria L.S.L. Liu (Clerk to the Justice) is a Junior Drama Lemon in UH's Lab Theatre during the 1987-88 season . and Theatre major. She's familiar backstage, last serving as Adam Weiner (Cieante) holds an M.S. degree in Geo sound operator and on the costume crew for this season's physics from U.H. While pursuing an M.F.A. degree in Mother Hicks. This is her first appearance on the Kennedy Drama and Theatre, he is a lecturer at Honolulu Com Theatre stage. munity College. Adam will be remembered by Kennedy Barry H. Knapp (Seigneur Anselm) Cabinet maker by Theatre audiences for his performances as "Erronius" in trade, an actor by vocation, Barry is a long-attending UH last season's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Drama major.