PUBLISHED BY THE SHAKESPEARE GUILD, WHICH SPONSORS THE ANNUAL SIR JOHN GIELGUD AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE DRAMATIC ARTS ■ WASHINGTON EDITION ■ VOLUME 2, NUMBER 6 ■ FEBRUARY 2000 namesake to the 1999 namesake tothe to receive the fifth annual T speech in the actor who’d playedhis father inthat evocative cinema. He recited the the Broadway stageversionof the point Mr. BaxterwasrehearsingAntonioforthe a London in a director for the Theatre’s pres Drama DeskAwardandan Outer Critics Circle Award. A fewweeksago, inLondon’s historic J with a conversation between Mr. Baxter and Shakespeare Guild president After ahalf-hour reception,theproce clude asupporting role to Mr. Baxter is one of Britain’smost In May,Mr. Baxter hadplayed asimilarroleatBroadway’s eral yearsago,whenheplayed theDukein aKahn-directed famous Shakespearean film.Atmoments K the Head that wears a Crown,” andthen he readaletterfromSir John to recalled whatit waslike to work with Sir duction of the PMIGarage at1325G Street NW; toreserve, phone (202) 662-7638. Fourth Estate restaurant, whichwill valid Afterwards you’ll bewelcometodineattheNational Press Club’slovely chance to ask Mr. Baxter to expand upon the many topics he’s addressed. on and amemoir, author of two plays, title roleina Birmingham OHN Wife Measure Measure HEATRE ENNETH City, State,Zip______Phone______Fax______Name______Address______Please charge $_____to my_Visa_MC______Chicago for $_____isenclosed. Pleasesend me detailsabout at__the $25 member price, __the$35 non-member price, ($125), __Donor ($250), __Benefactor ($500),or __Pa I wishto join theGuild, or renew my membership Shakespeare For members ofTheEnglish-Speaking Union and The Shakespeare Guild, the price for to placeorders bytelephone, simplycall (202) 483-8646. is $35.Ifyouwishtoenroll inTheShakespeare Gu 2141 Wyoming Avenue NW, Suite41, Wash may dosobycompleting thisformandei above, you One S Actor-Director-Playwright KeithBaxter His Associations with Gielgud, Gielgud, with Associations His To Talk AboutHisLifeinTheatre&Film PEAKING at Chimes F.A . Mr. Baxter’sinitialforayinto

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Two Blocks from Metro CenterTwo BlocksfromMetro Presented by The Shakespeare Guild Guild Shakespeare The by Presented 529 14th Street NW,13th Floor529 14thStreet DIALOGUES ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT PLAYWRIGHT DIALOGUES ABOUTTHE AND HIS PLACE IN OUR LIVES TODAY OURLIVESTODAY IN PLACE AND HIS Tuesday, February 22, 2000 Tuesday, February22,2000 in league with The British Council, Council, British The with league in Speaking of of Speaking Shakespeare Shakespeare The National Press Club and with generous support from the the from support generous with and Naomi & Nehemiah Cohen Foundation Foundation Cohen Nehemiah & Naomi The English-Speaking Union, Union, English-Speaking The est further information, or for theevent described and The National Press Club, Club, Press National The and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. 7:00 to9:00

Speaking of

Sir RICHARD EYRE, former artistic director of As she cradled the award, to the accompani- Dame Judi Dench Wins Britain’s Royal National Theatre and the ment of a rousing ovation that persisted for man who’d staged Amy’s View and several several minutes, a tearful honoree described The 1999 Gielgud Trophy of David Hare’s other plays, herself as “overwhelmed” by spoke of what a privilege it such an outpouring of affection. uring a delightful ceremony that took had been to direct so gifted and place at 8:00 p.m. on Monday night, disciplined a performer as Judi ress coverage was even May 17, in Broadway’s legendary Dench. His words were soon more extensive than ex- D echoed by Sir DAVID HARE, who pected. Announcements or ETHEL BARRYMORE THEATRE, DAME JUDI DENCH P claimed her special niche in a pantheon that described Dame Judi as his artistic news items about the program appeared in The Georgetowner, also includes such theatrical legends as Sir IAN “lodestar,” his symbol of truth and The New York Post (both Neal MCKELLEN (1996), Sir DEREK JACOBI (1997), “value,” and recalled an instance Travis and Liz Smith featured it and Miss ZOE CALDWELL (1998). in which she’d managed, while doing a scene from one of the in their society columns), The In years past The Shakespeare Guild had dramatist’s screenplays, to say the New York Times (an item in always bestowed its annual GIELGUD AWARD as word yes in a way that clearly and Lawrence van Gelder’s the centerpiece of a lavish spring benefit for emphatically meant no. “Footlights”), Parade (“Walter the FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY in Washington. Scott’s Personality Parade”), The Speaking on behalf of his fellow This year, thanks to the generosity of THE Shakespeare Newsletter (a four- actors in Amy’s View, RONALD SHUBERT ORGANIZATION and the producers of page cover article by co-editor PICKUP saluted Dame Judi as the Amy’s View, the Guild enjoyed a sparkling John Mahon), The Washington Post (Jane Hor- epitome of “Friendship.” His comments left no Broadway debut as its festivities moved to the witz’s “Backstage”), The Washington Times (a doubt about why she elicits such warm devotion venerable BARRYMORE THEATRE. In that stately full-page illustrated story by Ann Geracimos), from her colleagues. TOBY STEPHENS, the son of interior an evocative David Hare drama was and Women’s Wear Daily (two gushing reports Dame and Sir Robert Stephens, providing its female lead an eloquent vehicle from the irrepressible “Suzy”). for the 1999 Tony Award, a laurel Dame Judi said that, though he’d long admired Dame Judi, collected, a few weeks later, in June. he’d never had an opportunity to meet this won- number of prestigious partners joined derful lady until a recent trip to see his mother the Guild for what proved to be a stellar ollowing a witty Elizabethan prelude by on location for Franco Zeffirelli’s movie Tea with gathering, among them THE AMERICAN EW ORK S NSEMBLE FOR ARLY USIC A N Y ’ E E M , Mussolini. FRIENDS OF SADLER’S WELLS, THE BRITISH COUNCIL, television journalist ROBERT MACNEIL, who F RIAN CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER, THE ENGLISH- had also hosted the 1996 and 1998 presenta- Two of the evening’s notables, actors B SPEAKING UNION, THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, THE tions of The Golden Quill, greeted an enthusi- BEDFORD and HAL HOLBROOK, offered delightful ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, THE SHAKESPEARE astic audience with reminders of the luminar- vignettes from fresh productions of A Midsum- SOCIETY, THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE ASSOCIATION OF ies who had been honored with the first three mer Night’s Dream and The Merchant of Venice, AMERICA, THE THEATRE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, Gielgud Awards. He noted how appropriate it respectively. In an aside, Mr. Bedford said he hopes that when, three decades hence, he calls to and THEATRE FOR A NEW AUDIENCE. In addition was to be occupying a venue that memorial- the Guild received honorary patronage from ized our nation’s foremost acting family, and wish Dame Judi a happy 94th birthday, as he had BRITISH AMBASSADOR AND LADY MEYER, as well as then he yielded done with Sir John a few months earlier, she too from MRS. VINCENT ASTOR, MR. LOUIS AUCHIN- the podium to will say that as a consequence of hiring a new CLOSS, MRS. KITTY CARLISLE HART, and MRS. LEWIS “the Barrymore agent she’s “getting more work.” T. PRESTON. of our own day.” n what turned out to be the most stirring Key financial assistance came from two major After a series of moment of the evening, actor KEITH BAXTER, sponsors, MIRAMAX FILMS, which had given the charming reflec- who’d performed with Gielgud in the Orson I world Shakespeare in Love, and THE NAOMI AND tions about his Welles cinema Chimes at Midnight, read Dame NEHEMIAH COHEN FOUNDATION, whose trustees, hypothesis that Judi a congratulatory message from the Award’s guided by LILLIAN C. SOLOMON, have provided Gielgud must namesake. In what Mr. Baxter labeled a charac- crucial underwriting for several Guild initia- have been a contemporary of the poet himself teristic Gielgudian touch, a backhand compli- tives. The Guild was also indebted to two mem- – “Hell, they had the same acting teacher!” – ment, Sir John singled out for special praise a bers of its GOLDEN QUILL CIRCLE, Board member CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER offered facetious condo- part – Lady Macbeth – in which he’d been sure BARBARA G. HAMMERMAN and her husband lences to “dear Judi” for the “terrible year” she that such a modest and diminutive lass could RAYMOND LAVINE, who have supported its was having in a career that was unlikely to never prevail. endeavors from the outset, and who attended garner more than three major accolades in a with their lovely daughter Amanda. four- month period. He concluded, as did two As the 1998 laureate, ZOE CALDWELL was called upon to bestow this year’s trophy on its recipient. later speakers, with a Shakespearean love- Once again the Guild had reason to be grateful Miss Caldwell prefaced her commendations of sonnet. to THE MOBIL CORPORATION and to WGBH, which Dame Judi with a hilarious letter she imagined continue to augment their marvelous showcase Next came REBECCA EATON, WGBH/Boston’s the present occupant of the British throne might of dramatic talent for the edification of Ameri- executive producer for Mobil Masterpiece have written, informing a proven theatrical can viewers. Their help was indispensable to the Theatre. Ms. Eaton talked about the pleasure “Majesty” that she was so adept at this kind of success of this year’s activities. she’d derived from working with Dame Judi role that she might wish to consider an occa- during the filming of and Her Majesty sional foray to Buckingham Palace to relieve a Finally, the Guild is thankful to the inimitable Mrs. Brown, both of which had been made weary Queen Elizabeth II on her “bad days.” Miss GEORGE TRESCHER and his talented colleagues, possible, in part, by Ms. Eaton’s efforts. She Caldwell then read a missive that had come in and to all the patrons, benefactors, donors, then introduced two video clips of “Her Maj- from her 1998 Golden Quill predecessor, Sir contributors, performers, directors, consultants, esty” as Queen Victoria, asserting that it was DEREK JACOBI. He depicted Dame Judi as an suppliers, friends, and loved ones who did so this moving performance that had really extraordinary talent who had been lauded with much, in so many diverse ways, to ensure that earned Dame Judi her March 1999 Oscar as so many richly deserved prizes that “she could this pivotal undertaking would result in an Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love. open her own department at Bloomingdale’s.” occasion for everyone to cherish. Key Incentives to Join the Guild

If you enroll or renew your membership in the Guild at the CONTRIBUTOR level or above, you’ll be rewarded with a copy of Mark Olshaker’s PBS VIDEO of DISCOVERING HAMLET.

This one-hour documentary, which has been praised by The New York Times and has enjoyed a recent revival on the popular market, will give you a delightful glimpse of KENNETH BRANAGH’s earliest attempt at a role to which he returned in 1996 in a cinema that has been called the most ambitious Shakespearean film in the annals of the silver screen. You’ll smile as one of the great Danes of the 20th century, Sir DEREK JACOBI, undertaking his initial voyage as director, steers his charge through what may well be the most treacherous of the playwright’s title parts.

A membership at any level will entitle you to discounts for SPEAKING engagements. Enrollment at the CONTRIBUTOR level or above will position you for even better rates on tickets to events such as the Guild’s annual GIELGUD AWARD festivities. CONTRIBUTORS will enjoy 20% reductions, DONORS 25%, BENEFACTORS 30%, PATRONS 35%, and GOLDEN QUILL CIRCLE members 50% or more.

Speaking of Shakespeare OPENS AT THE CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER

Author Garry Wills and Actor Sir Derek Jacobi to Launch a New Series

The Shakespeare Guild is pleased to announce that its popular SPEAKING OF SHAKESPEARE series is now being extended to the Midwest. On MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH, our guest will be author GARRY WILLS, and on MONDAY, MAY 1ST, we’ll chat with actor Sir DEREK JACOBI. Both programs will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the brand new Navy Pier facilities of the CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE THEATER. The setup will be the same as in Washington’s NATIONAL PRESS CLUB, with Guild president JOHN F. ANDREWS conducting what promise to be exceed- ingly lively discussions. The price for admission to each event will be $15, plus an additional $75 for those in May who opt for a post -program reception. Tickets may be ordered either through the Guild at 202 483 8646 or through the box office in Chicago at 312 595 5600.

Sir DEREK JACOBI will need no introduction to those who’ve been following the Guild’s initiatives of late. Suffice it to say that at the time of this get-together he’ll be playing the title role in a ROUNDABOUT THEATRE production of Chekhov’sUncle Vanya on Broadway. GARRY WILLS is one of the most impressive and prolific writers of our day. A winner of two National Critics Circle Awards and of a coveted Pulitzer Prize, he is the author of books on such diverse topics as Saint Augustine, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and Shake- speare’s Macbeth. His most recent critically acclaimed study is A Necessary Evil: A History of American Distrust of Government.

Nonproft Organization

U. S. P O S T A G E P A I D WASHINGTON, DC

PERMIT NO. 1632

Presenter of THE GOLDEN QUILL The Sir John Gielgud Award for Excellence in the Dramatic Arts

2141 WYOMING AVENUE NW, SUITE 41 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20008-3916 John F. Andrews, President

Founded in 1987, The Shakespeare Guild is a global not-for-profit corporation that celebrates, and endeavors to cultivate larger and more appreciative audiences for, the dramatist who has been applauded in every society as history’s most reliable guide to the mileposts of life.