STUDENT MATINEE GUIDE | 2011/12

marin theatre company 11/12 student matinees

In the Red & Brown Water, 2010

MTC’s St u den t Mat in ees h elp fu lfill Californ ia Edu cat ion St an dards

Grade 9-12 Visual & Performing Arts standards include responding to, analyzing, and critiquing theatrical experiences. The Glass Menagerie and Othello are on the California Recommended Literature List for grades 9-12.

visit marintheatre.org for more information about our plays

updated 9/30/2011

11/12 S

TU

DE

NT

MA

TIN

EE

S

Marin Theatre Company Performance Guides are intended to enrich your theatre experience by offering insight to the play and inspiring intellectual discovery through key background information. The guide often offers notes on historical or cultural context as well as interviews with the artists about productions and scripts. We hope the guide enhances your enjoyment of the performance. www.marintheatre.org | 415.388.5200 x3310

JASSON MINADAKIS | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR RYAN RILETTE | PRODUCING DIRECTOR JOSH COSTELLO | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF

EXPANDED PROGRAMS

MARIN THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS

2

11/12 Student Matinees

Table of Contents

3 Student Matinees at MTC

4 The Glass Menagerie

9 Othello

14 Cast Biographies

15 The 2011/12 Season

16 Suggestions for Classroom Exercises

20 Theatre Etiquette

21 MTC’s Expanded Programs: Education and Theatre for Young Audiences

22 About MTC

23 Next Year: Silent Sky celebrates women in science

24 Student Matinee Booking Form

Thank you again for the opportunity, and for the wonderful theater production. Our students really connected with the show.

-Anna McGee, Madrone High School

The MTC program stands out among an outstanding array of opportunities for students to see theatre in the Bay Area. From the early availability of the performance guides to the outstanding, intimate productions (and many from each season are available!) to the lengthy Q and A sessions to the visits to schools of cast members and/or dramaturgs... a really outstanding educational opportunity—very inspiring, thought-provoking art! I think many students were blown away today—and look forward now to theatreʼs possibilities enriching their own lives from here on out!

-Phil Van Eyck, The Marin School

I was inspired by the way the actors used their voices... It was a powerful piece of art that gave us a view into not only the souls of the actors, but also taught us about our own human nature.

The emotions that she sent out to the crowd were so real that they were almost tangible, like they were floating in front of everyoneʼs eyes, just waiting silently to be grasped.

A performance I will never forget.

-students from Analy High School

This guide was written, compiled, and edited by Margot Melcon, MTC Literary Manager, and Josh Costello, MTC Artistic Director of Expanded Programs.

STUDENT MATINEES AT MTC

3

At MTC, we believe that theatre offers our community the chance to share in the act of imaginative storytelling – live, in person, in the moment. For audiences and performers alike, theatre is a creative act, and we believe that sharing in a creative act inspires personal growth and brings people together. MTCʼs Expanded Programs open up opportunities for people of all ages and all communities to participate in the joyous, challenging, and inspiring process of theatre. The Student Matinee series is a key component of MTCʼs Expanded Programs and a fantastic opportunity for young people in Marin and the Bay Area. MTCʼs Student Matinees are special weekday morning performances of plays weʼre presenting in our regular season – the same plays that are delighting audiences, earning rave reviews, and contributing to the cultural fabric of our community. This is a unique opportunity for students to experience accomplished artists telling compelling stories in an intimate professional theatre. Student matinee performances begin at 11am at our theatre in Mill Valley. Each performance is followed by a lively question-and-answer session with the cast and often the director. MTC can send a teaching artist (often a member of the cast) into the school to prepare the students for the production with a series of participatory workshops. These workshops might include acting exercises, group games designed to immerse the students in a particular historical period, and discussions of challenging issues raised in the play. To bring a group to a student matinee performance, fill out the form at the end of this booklet (the form is also available for download on our website) and return it to MTC. Our discounted ticket pricing for student matinee performances is never more than $15 per ticket. Thanks to the Shenson Foundation and the NEAʼs Shakespeare for a New Generation program, we are able to offer a limited amount of further discounts for schools that would not otherwise be able to attend. This guide is intended to give a brief preview of The Glass Menagerie and Othello, including a summary of the play, a biography of the playwright, and a bit of dramaturgy. Weʼve also included a selection of suggestions for classroom exercises designed to deepen the studentsʼ experience of the productions. Additional materials for these two plays – as well as for the other four plays in our 2011/12 Season – will be made available on the MTC website. We are currently accepting bookings for the entire 2011/12 school year! Contact us today with questions or to reserve tickets for your students.

Thanks to the NEAʼs Shakespeare for a New Generation Program, all student matinee tickets to Othello are free for middle and high schools. Each participating school will also receive two free in-school workshops with a teaching artist from MTC. The National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest presents Shakespeare for a New Generation. Marin Theatre Company is one of 36 professional theater companies selected to participate in Shakespeare for a New Generation, bringing the finest productions of Shakespeare to middle- and high-school students in communities across the United States. This is the ninth year of Shakespeare for a New Generation, the largest tour of Shakespeare in American history.

Equivocation, 2010

THE GLASS MENAGERIE

4

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Characters

! Tom Wingfield: works in a warehouse, aspires to be a writer ! Amanda Wingfield: Tomʼs mother, a former Southern belle, raising her children on her own ! Laura Wingfield: Tomʼs sister, physically and socially awkward ! Jim OʼConnor: the gentleman caller

Synopsis Set in St. Louis in 1937, The Glass Menagerie is a memory play, recalled by the character of Tom Wingfield. Tom lives in an apartment with his sister, Laura, and his mother, Amanda. Mr. Wingfield, Tom and Lauraʼs father, does not appear in the play except for a picture hung prominently in the living room. Mr. Wingfield, as we find out in the play, has abandoned his family and is never heard from except for one postcard with no return address. The action of the play is driven by the three family members, headed by Amanda. In wishing for her children to be happy she pushes Tom to get a better job, and hopes for Laura to find a suitable husband, or at least entertain men who she refers to as “gentlemen callers.” She also has enrolled Laura in a business college. Tom works at a warehouse, a job he loathes; he frequently loses himself in movies, drinking and literature – a fact which has earned him the nickname “Shakespeare” at his job. As the play begins Tom and Amanda discuss Lauraʼs prospects for a suitor, and Tom invites his coworker Jim to dinner, a man Laura remembers fondly from her shy days in high school. Preparations are made for his arrival as Amanda interrogates Tom about the young man, who she is pleased to find out is driven with his sights set on career advancement. The day arrives, and Amanda is aflutter with preparation as Laura cowers in fear and shyness. The men arrive and dinner is served. After dinner, Amanda and Tom excuse themselves so Laura and Jim can have a moment to chat and catch up on old times. Laura tells Jim she remembers how kind he was to her in high school, and recalls an incident in which Jim asked her why she was wearing a leg brace; when she tells him it was because of “pleurosis” he mishears and thinks she said “Blue Roses” which soon becomes his nickname for her. After a moment of dancing and music, Jim lets slip that he is engaged to be married, a fact which does not go over well on Laura. Amanda and Tom enter the room in good spirits and Jim excuses himself, telling Amanda that he must go home to visit his fiancé. Amanda, full of charm but seething underneath, bids Jim farewell. Turning to face the room she confronts Tom for his incompetence, and Tom storms out of the house. In his closing monologue we see Amanda comforting Laura. The play ends.

1950 production of The Glass Menagerie

THE GLASS MENAGERIE continued

5

About the Playwright Thomas Lanier Williams III, better known as Tennessee Williams, was one of the most prominent American playwrights of the twentieth century. He won the Pulitzer Prize for A Streetcar Named Desire in 1948 and for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1955. The Glass Menagerie (1945) and The Night of the Iguana (1961) received the New York Drama Criticsʼ Circle Awards. His 1952 play The Rose Tattoo received the Tony Award for best play. Tennessee was born on March 26, 1911 in Columbus, Mississippi. His father, Cornelius Williams, was a traveling salesman who was a heavy drinker and became increasingly abusive as his three children—Tennessee, Dakin, and Rose—grew older. Tennesseeʼs mother, Edwina, was a descendant of a genteel southern family, and was an overbearing presence throughout his life. He began writing at the age of thirteen when his mother gave him a typewriter after an illness left his legs paralyzed for two years. In 1918, the family moved to St. Louis, Missouri. In the early 1930s, Williams attended the University of Missouri–Columbia. It was there that college friends gave him the name “Tennessee” because of his Southern accent. In the late 1930s Williams transferred to Washington University for a year, eventually taking a degree from the University of Iowa in 1938. Tennessee was very close to his sister Rose, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent most of her adult life in mental hospitals. After various unsuccessful attempts at therapy she became paranoid, and based on a doctorʼs recommendation Edwina allowed Rose to be treated with a pre-frontal lobotomy. The operation—performed in 1937 in Washington, D.C.—left Rose mentally incapacitated for the rest of her life. Tennessee held himself responsible for not preventing the operation, and this anguish provided inspiration for many of the female characters in his work. Tennessee Williams died at the age of 71 on February 25, 1983 after he choked on a pill-bottle cap in his room at the Hotel Elysee in New York. Williamsʼ body was interred in St. Louis, Missouri, despite his stated desire to be buried at sea. Major Plays

The Glass Menagerie (1944) A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) Summer and Smoke (1948) The Rose Tattoo (1951) Camino Real (1953) Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955) Orpheus Descending (1957)

Suddenly, Last Summer (1958) Sweet Bird of Youth (1959) The Night of the Iguana (1961) The Eccentricities of a Nightingale (1962, rewriting of Summer and Smoke) The Milk Train Doesnʼt Stop Here (1963)

Tennessee Williams

THE GLASS MENAGERIE continued

6

In His Own Words: Comments from the Playwright ”… to tell you the truth, Iʼm not sure Iʼve ever met a complete person. Iʼve met many people that seemed well adjusted, but Iʼm not sure that to be well-adjusted to things as they are is a desideratum – is that the word? that which is to be desired. Iʼm not sure I would want to be well adjusted to things as they are. I would prefer to be racked by desire for things better than what they are, even for things which are unattainable, than to be satisfied with things as they are. I donʼt think the human race should settle for what it has now achieved at all…” —Tennessee Williams in conversation with Studs Terkel, 1961 “I have always been more interested in creating a character that contains something crippled. I think nearly all of us have some kind of defect, anyway, and I suppose I have found it easier to identify with the characters who verge upon hysteria, who were frightened of life, who were desperate to reach out to another person. But these seemingly fragile people are the strong people really. They have a certain appearance of fragility, these neurotic people that I write about, but they are really strong… These fragile people – theyʼre always spiritually stronger, sometimes physically stronger, too. They hold up better, though it costs them an awful lot.” —Tennessee Williams in conversation with Joanne Stang (The New York Times) 1965 On Amanda Wingfield: “A little woman of great but confused vitality, clinging frantically to another time and place.” On Laura Wingfield: “A piece of her own glass collection, too exquisitely fragile to move from the shelf.” On Tom Wingfield: “A poet with a job in a warehouse.” On Jim OʼConnor: “An emissary from the world of reality. A nice, ordinary young man.”

A fire escape like the one in the play.

THE GLASS MENAGERIE continued

7

Letters on The Glass Menagerie These excerpts were selected from the published letters of Tennessee Williams to his friend Donald Windham. In them, Williams writes about the original production of The Glass Menagerie, which he refers to at first as “The Gentleman Caller.” April 22, 1943 I am out of cigarettes and very nervous so I cannot write much of a letter. I have been writing with tigerish intensity on “The Gentleman Caller” every day, and today I felt like I was going to just blow up, so I quit. What I am doing to that quiet little play I donʼt know. July 28, 1943 “The Gentleman Caller” remains my chief work, but it goes slowly. I feel no overwhelming interest in it. It lacks the violence that excited me, so I piddle around with it. My picture work is to make a scenario out of “Billy the Kid” material — as good an assignment I could hope for, but I am lazy about it and barely am started. July ?, 1944 I have just finished the “Caller” and am slowly retyping it. I think I will submit the short version first and if people like it, will add the rest. It is not a very exciting business but it keeps me occupied while I wait for the energy to do something more important. August 18 or 25, 1944 Have finished “The Caller.” No doubt it goes in my reservoir of noble efforts. It is the last play I will try to write for the now existing theater. December 18, 1944 (At this time, The Glass Menagerie was rehearsing in Chicago.) Weʼre having a bloody time of it here — as expected. Yesterday, Sunday evening, I thought the situation was hopeless — as Taylor was ad libbing practically every speech and the show sounded like the Aunt Jemima Pancake hour. We all got drunk, and this A.M. Taylor was even worse. I finally lost my temper and when she made one of her little insertions I screamed over the footlights, “My God, what corn!” She screamed back I was a fool and playwrights made her sick — then she came back after lunch and suddenly began giving a real acting performance — so good that Julia and I, the sentimental element in the company, wept. So I donʼt know what to think or expect… January 11, 1945 It is four A.M. but I feel like talking to you a little. The show is doing swell now. Weekends almost capacity and other nights about fifteen hundred and still building. So it looks like weʼll remain here — theyʼre selling tickets up till Feb. 10th. Everybody except Dowling is eager to get into New York — especially Laurette. She gets better all the time. However I guess itʼs wise to milk Chicago a little before we face another set of critics. March 8, 1945 “The menagerie” is no lie about this company — and neither is glass! I sometimes wonder if weʼll all really get to New York in one piece. The play backstage is far more exciting than the one on! From Tennessee Williamsʼ Letters to Donald Windham, 1940-1965. Edited with comments by Donald Windham. New York: Penguin Books, 1976, 1977.

THE GLASS MENAGERIE continued

8

Notes on the Play by Annette Saddik The Glass Menagerie was Williamsʼ first major success on Broadway. It opened in 1945 after it was received enthusiastically in Chicago in 1944, and ran in New York for over sixteen months. Set in St. Louis during the 1930s depression, in the years before American involvement in the Second World War, Williams was writing about a world he knew well. The protagonists, dislocated and frustrated, struggle to find their place in the new society which was increasingly dependent on industry and technology. Williamsʼ family relocated to St. Louis from Mississippi when he was a child, an experience he has often recalled as traumatic, and there are certainly similarities, particularly in situation and temperament, between members of the Williams family and the Wingfield family in the play. Yet while the autobiographical aspects are often cited, The Glass Menagerie is a play which deals with the social realities of a changing world, a world in which the characters are supposed to function as subjects in control of their lives, but are in fact subjected to the overwhelming powers of a rapidly changing and alienating system of industrial capitalism. Like Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, they are expected to not only survive, but to find happiness and satisfaction as well, and their adjustments to modern urban life play a central part in their personal conflicts. The social and the personal merge in The Glass Menagerie, but it is the playʼs mode of representation that led Williams to say that, “the opening night audience had never seen this kind of theater before.” In The Glass Menagerie, Williams rejects the “photographic” aspects of domestic realism, arguing instead for “expressionism and all other unconventional techniques in drama” to create what he called a more “plastic” theater that brings us closer to the truth.

A glass unicorn.

OTHELLO

9

Othello: the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare Characters

Othello A Moor, and an officer in the Venetian military. He falls in love with, and marries, the delicate Desdemona, though he is middle-aged, and she is still young. Othello is bold, a good warrior, and a decent person overall; however, he is undone by jealousy and pride, his two main failings. Although Othello is very eloquent, he says that he believes his manners and words are both rough. Desdemona Othelloʼs wife, a young Venetian woman of high birth and good breeding. Desdemona is almost overly virtuous, which causes her to feel that she must defend Cassio. She is stronger than Othello believes her to be, and is not the private, withdrawn, meek woman he would ideally like her to be. Cassio Othelloʼs lieutenant, though he has little field experience. Cassio is a smooth-talking, well-mannered Venetian courtier, the opposite of Othello in many respects, which is why Othello admires him. Othello is led to believe that Cassio has had an affair with Desdemona, though Cassio has only honorable intentions toward Desdemona. Iago Othelloʼs ensign, passed over for the lieutenant position in favor of Cassio. Iago is young and treacherous; he is a villain from the start, and though he cites his hurt pride over the lost promotion and Othelloʼs alleged infidelity with Iagoʼs wife Emilia as being reasons for his actions, he is without reasons. He is immoral, but very perceptive, keen, and able to manipulate people into falling for the traps he sets without them being aware. Emilia Iagoʼs wife, and Desdemonaʼs handmaiden. She is entrusted with bringing people into Desdemonaʼs presence, staying with her at all times. Emilia has no idea what her husband Iago is up to, nor of his darker qualities. She remains loyal to Desdemona above all others, although she unwittingly plays a key part in Iagoʼs treachery. Brabantio Desdemonaʼs father, a senator and renowned citizen of Venice. He is not at all pleased by Desdemonaʼs marriage, and warns Othello that as Desdemona betrayed her father, she may betray her husband too.

Title page of the First Quarto edition of Othello.

OTHELLO continued

10

Roderigo A Venetian gentleman. Lusts after Desdemona. Iago uses him in his underhanded schemes. Iago promises Roderigo that he shall have Desdemonaʼs love in return for his help; Roderigo actually receives nothing but a disgraced death. Duke of Venice Ruler of the city, and Othelloʼs superior. He allows Othello and Desdemona to stay together despite her fatherʼs protests, and also sends Othello off to Cyprus to battle the Moors. Bianca A courtesan who Cassio visits frequently. Cassio asks her to make a copy of Desdemonaʼs handkerchief, and the fact that the handkerchief is found in her place further incriminates Cassio. Montano Pronounces judgment on Iago at the end of the play, comments on the situation, and helps to wrap the play up. He is the main law and order figure of Cyprus, and serves as damage control. Lodovico and Gratiano Venetian nobles, both of some relation to Desdemona; both play their biggest part after Desdemona has died, and must take the news of the tragedy back to Venice as officials of that city. Synopsis Roderigo is jealous of Othello for secretly marrying Desdemona, the woman Roderigo loves. Iago tells Roderigo that Othello has chosen Cassio for a promotion, even though Iago is more experienced. Roderigo and Iago wake up Brabantio, father of Desdemona, and tell him that Othello has stolen away his daughter. Pretending to be loyal, Iago warns Othello that Brabantio has discovered the secret marriage. Cassio summons Othello to the Duke, who needs Othelloʼs help responding to a military threat. Before they can go, Brabantio arrives with Roderigo and demands the return of Desdemona, accusing Othello of using witchcraft to ensnare her. The Duke receives reports of the Turkish fleet sailing towards Cyprus. Brabantio accuses Othello of stealing Desdemona and asks for justice from the Duke. Othello admits that he has married Desdemona, and speaks eloquently of their love -- which Desdemona confirms. Brabantio grudgingly forgives Othello, and the Duke sends Othello to Cyprus to defend against the Turkish fleet. Desdemona insists that she will go with her husband to Cyprus. Iago assures Roderigo that they will have their revenge against Othello. Iago decides that he will make Othello believe that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. The Turkish fleet has been wrecked at sea. Cassio arrives at Cyprus, followed by Iago and Desdemona, along with Roderigo and Emilia, Iagoʼs wife. Iago teases Desdemona and Emilia as they wait to hear whether Othelloʼs ship has made it safely to Cyprus. Cassio clasps Desdemona’s hand in greeting and Iago declares that he will use this to trap Cassio. Othello arrives and greets Desdemona. Iago tells Roderigo that Desdemona is in love with Cassio. Iago suspects that Othello has had an affair with Emilia. Othello declares a celebration in honor of the destruction of the Turkish fleet and of his marriage to Desdemona. Othello orders Cassio to help Iago inspect the guard rather than attend the festivities. Iago gets Cassio drunk. At Iagoʼs urging, Roderigo tricks Cassio into starting a fight. Othello arrives and demands an explanation. Iago explains, and Othello strips Cassio of his rank. Cassio grieves to Iago, who convinces Cassio to ask Desdemona for help getting back into Othelloʼs good graces. Iago then tells the audience in a soliloquy that he will tell Othello that Desdemona and Cassio are lovers. Iago tells Roderigo to be patient; their plan is going well. Iago and Emilia help Cassio arrange to speak with Desdemona, who assures him she will speak with Othello on his behalf. Othello enters with Iago and sees Desdemona and Cassio together. Iago carefully

OTHELLO continued

11

suggests to Othello that Cassio and Desdemona might be having an affair. On Iagoʼs urging, Emilia steals a handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona. Othello is now wracked by the idea that Desdemona and Cassio are having an affair, and demands that Iago show him proof. Iago tells Othello that he heard Cassio speak of Desdemona in his sleep, and that he saw Cassio with her handkerchief. Othello vows revenge, orders Iago to kill Cassio, and promotes Iago as his lieutenant. Desdemona asks Emilia for help finding her handkerchief. Othello enters and asks Desdemona for the handkerchief, which she cannot produce. He is enraged, especially when Desdemona again pleads for Cassioʼs reinstatement. Othello leaves, and Emilia tries to cheer Desdemona. Iago brings in Cassio, who again asks Desdemona for help with Othello. When Cassio is alone, Bianca arrives -- having followed him from Venice. He dismisses her, but gives her the handkerchief, saying he found it in his bedroom. Iago encourages Othelloʼs jealousy so much that Othello has some kind of seizure. Then Iago tricks Cassio into talking about Bianca while Othello listens; Othello believes Cassio is speaking of Desdemona. Bianca returns the handkerchief to Cassio, thus completely convincing Othello. Desdemona then enters with Lodovico with a letter from Venice calling Othello home and enstating Cassio in his stead. At the news Othello loses control, strikes Desdemona, and leaves. Othello accuses Desdemona of being unfaithful. Though both she and Emilia protest he refuses to believe her. Desdemona asks Iago for help. Iago tells Roderigo that Othello will leave with Desdemona unless something happens to Cassio. They plan to murder Cassio. Emilia helps Desdemona prepare for bed, counseling her that there should be mutual respect in marriage. Roderigo and Iago attack Cassio on the street; Cassio and Roderigo are wounded. Othello sees Cassio wounded and believes Iago has followed his orders; he leaves to go to Desdemona. Iago kills Roderigo, publicly accusing him of wounding Cassio. Bianca arrives, and Iago accuses her as well. Later that night Othello smothers Desdemona in their bed. When Othello tells Emilia what he has done, saying it is because Iago brought Desdemona’s infidelity to his attention, she is horrified. Iago enters with two others and attempts to silence Emilia. Emilia tells Othello the truth and he tries to kill Iago but is disarmed. Iago kills Emilia and flees. Iago is captured and returned. Othello is told he must return to Venice to be tried. He then kills himself with a concealed sword. Lodovico orders Iago to be executed. About the Playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a playwright, poet and actor. Often referred to as the Bard of Avon, he was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. In Stratford he received a grammar school education; when he was 18 he married a woman named Anne Hathaway who was several years older than he and together they had three children. The exact date he moved to London is unknown but by 1592 he was established as a playwright and actor with the theater company, The Chamberlainʼs Men. This group would later become The Kingʼs Men when they came under the patronage of King James I upon his accession to the English throne in 1603. The company performed at various theatres until the Globe Theatre was built in 1599. Shakespeare wrote plays for the company from 1590-1613. These plays, which included comedies, tragedies, histories, and romances (tragicomedy), were mostly written in iambic pentameter and display Shakespeareʼs inventiveness with language. Othello is included in the group of Shakespeareʼs great tragedies (with Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth) all written in the same period between 1601-06. Shakespeare also

William Shakespeare

OTHELLO continued

12

wrote 154 sonnets, published together in 1609. At the end of his career Shakespeare retired to Stratford where he died in 1616 at the age of 52. The First Folio—the first published collection of Shakespeareʼs plays—was not published until 1623, seven years after his death. Shakespeareʼs Writing: Prose vs Verse vs Poetry Shakespeare wrote his plays partly in verse and partly in prose, freely alternating between the two in the same acts and scenes. It is not unusual, in fact, for one character to address another character in verse while the second character responds in prose. Sometimes, the same character — Hamlet or King Lear, for example — speaks in verse in one moment and in prose in another. Verse is a collection of lines that follow a regular, rhythmic pattern — in Shakespeare, usually iambic pentameter, a metric scheme in which each line has ten syllables consisting of five unaccented and accented syllable pairs. In its highest form — when the language is lyrical and the content sublime — verse can become poetry, either rhymed or unrhymed. Prose, on the other hand, is the everyday language of conversation, letters, lectures, sermons, newspaper articles, book chapters, and encyclopedia articles. Prose has no rhyme or metric scheme. Why did Shakespeare mix verse (including poetry) and prose in his plays? That is a question that inevitably occupies anyone studying Shakespeareʼs writing techniques. Before considering that question, the Shakespeare analyst first needs to learn how to identify the verse and prose passages in a play. That task is easy. Hereʼs why: In most modern editions of the plays, each line in multi-line verse passages begins with a capital letter, and each line in multi-line prose passages begins with a small letter except the first line or a line beginning with the opening word of a sentence. In addition, verse passages have a shortened right margin, but prose passages have a full right margin. Following are examples of these visual cues in verse and prose passages from Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: Verse Passage Spoken by Hamlet (Act III, scene i):

To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether ʻtis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks

Prose Passage Spoken by Hamlet (Act II, Scene II): Slanders, sir. For the satirical rogue says here that old men have gray beards, that their faces are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick amber and plum-tree gum, and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams. All which, sir, though I most powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have it thus set down; for yourself, sir, should be old as I am if like a crab you could go backward.

Now, then, what about single lines — those spoken in conversation as questions, replies, or ripostes? They are in prose if one line has no paired rhyming line or is too abrupt to contain a metric scheme. The following exchange between Hamlet and Guildenstern in Act III, Scene III, of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark contains such short lines absent of meter and rhyme. The exchange begins when Hamlet asks Guildenstern to play a wind instrument called a recorder, which resembles a flute:

HAMLET: Will you play upon this pipe? GUILDENSTERN: My lord, I cannot. HAMLET: I pray you. GUILDENSTERN: Believe me, I cannot. HAMLET: I do beseech you.

OTHELLO continued

13

Obviously, these lines are too short to contain a pattern of meter or rhyme. Moreover, the content is mundane and prosaic. “I pray you” does not a poem make. For these reasons, the passage qualifies only as prose. But what of the multi-line passages? Why are some in verse and others in prose? The answer some Shakespeare commentators provide — an answer that is simplistic and not wholly accurate — is that Shakespeare reserved verse for noble, highborn characters and prose for common, lowborn characters. It is true that royalty and nobility often speak in verse and that peasants often speak in prose. But it is also true that noble characters, like Hamlet, sometimes speak in prose and that lowborn characters, like the witches in Macbeth, often speak in verse. Why, then, does Shakespeare alternate between verse and prose? Shakespeare used verse to do the following:

One: Express deep emotion requiring elevated language. Because nobles and commoners were both capable of experiencing profound emotion, both expressed their emotions in verse from time to time. Two: Make wise, penetrating, and reflective observations that require lofty language, like the famous passage from Jaques in As You Like It. The passage, which begins with the often-quoted line “All the worldʼs a stage”, philosophizes about the “seven ages” of man, from infancy to senility. Three: Present a lyrical poem as a separate thought. Four: Inject irony. When the highborn speak humble prose and the hoi polloi speak elegant verse, Shakespeare may be saying up can be down, and down can be up. Five: Suggest order and exactitude. A character who speaks in precise rhythms and patterns is a character with a tidy brain that plans ahead and executes actions on schedule.

Shakespeare used prose to do the following: One: Express ordinary, undistinguished observations coming from the surface of the mind rather than its active, ruminating interior. Two: Make quick, one-line replies such as “Ay, my lord” that are the stuff of day-to-day conversations. Three: Present auditory relief for audiences (or visual relief for readers) from the intellectual and connotative density of the verse passages. Four: Suggest madness or senility. In King Lear, Lear speaks almost exclusively in verse in the first half of the play. Then suddenly, he lurches back and forth between verse and prose, perhaps to suggest the frenzied state of his aging mind. Five: Depict the rambling, desultory path of conversation from a tongue loosened by alcohol. Six: Poke fun at characters who lack the wit to versify their lines. Seven: Demonstrate that prose has merits as a literary medium. In Shakespeareʼs day, verse and poetry were the pinnacles of successful writing. As an innovator, Shakespeare may have wanted to tout the merits of prose.

Excerpted and adapted from http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/xIllustrations.html#Shakespeareʼs Manuscripts

See more suggestions for classroom exercises on page 16.

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

14

Aldo Billingslea (Othello in Othello) appeared at MTC in In the Red & Brown Water, The Hairy Ape, and Splittinʼ the Raft. Bay Area credits include A Midsummer Nightʼs Dream and Coriolanus at Shakespeare Santa Cruz; The Elephant Man and Radio Golf at TheatreWorks. He has also

appeared at A.C.T., Magic Theatre, Cutting Ball Theater, Playwrights Foundation, CenterREP, Playground, Renegade Theatre Experiment, and Marin Shakespeare Festival. Regional credits include Officer Simmons in The Rant at InterAct Theatre in Philadelphia, and productions at Portland Center Stage, the Old Globe Theatre, and Shakespeare Festivals of Dallas, Illinois, Utah, and Oregon. Mr. Billingslea is a Playground company member, serves on the board of Renegade Theatre Experiment, and teaches acting at Santa Clara University.

Anna Bullard (Laura in The Glass Menagerie) appeared at MTC in Equivocation, Magic Forest Farm and Killer Joe. Bay Area credits include Rosalind in As You Like It at San Jose Rep, Goldfish at Magic Theatre, and Collected Stories with Carol Mayo Jenkins at Cinnabar Theatre. She has worked with A.C.T., Cal Shakes, TheatreWorks, Porchlight Theatre, and

Playground. Regional credits include The Humana Festival at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde at Arizona Theatre Company, Around the World in 80 Days at Laguna Playhouse, NYC Fringe Festival, and Dorset Theatre Festival. Anna received her BA from Whitman College and trained at Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Craig Marker (Jim in The Glass Menagerie and Iago in Othello) recently appeared at MTC as Trigorin in Seagull. He also appeared at MTC in 9 Circles, Equivocation and Bus Stop. Bay Area theater credits include The Circle and Curse of the Starving Class at A.C.T.; Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet at Cal Shakes; As You Like It, The Foreigner,

Iphigenia At Aulis and The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow at San Jose Repertory Theatre; Macbeth at Shotgun Players; Third, Theophilus North, Brooklyn Boy, Dolly Westʼs Kitchen, and Shakespeare in Hollywood at TheatreWorks; First Person Shooter and The Story at SF Playhouse; The Mousetrap and The Marriage of Figaro at CenterREP; Loveʼs Labourʼs Lost at San Francisco Shakespeare Festival; and The Shape of Things and The Persians at Aurora Theatre. Mr. Marker appeared in David Edgarʼs Continental Divide at Berkeley Rep, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Barbican Theatre (UK) and La Jolla Playhouse.

Jared McNeill (Cassio in Othello) made his MTC debut last year with In the Red and Brown Water. He was also seen in Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet at A.C.T. Regional credits include Cory in August Wilsonʼs Fences at the Geva Theatre Center and Oshoosi in Tarell McCraneyʼs The

Brothers Size at the City Theatre of Pittsburgh. He recently returned from a year-long tour performing alongside an international company of actors in director Peter Brookʼs latest collaboration, 11 and 12. Jared obtained a BA in theatre and visual arts from Fordham University at Lincoln Center.

Nicholas Pelczar (Tom in The Glass Menagerie and Roderigo in Othello) appeared at MTC in boom. He has appeared at A.C.T. in War Music, Rock ʻnʼ Roll, and A Christmas Carol. Other Bay Area credits include Hamlet and As You Like It at Pacific Repertory Theatre; A Midsummer Nightʼs Dream at

San Francisco Shakespeare Festival; Marius and Dublin Carol at Aurora Theatre; Daniel Handlerʼs 4 Adverbs at Word for Word; and the The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Othello, Allʼs Well That Ends Well, and The Importance of Being Earnest at Cal Shakes. He is a recent graduate of the A.C.T. MFA acting program. In addition to A.C.T., Nick has trained at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, Prima del Teatro in Italy, and Michael Howard Studios in New York. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.

Liz Sklar (Emilia in Othello) made her MTC debut last year as Masha in Seagull, and this season appears in Bellwether and Othello. Bay Area credits include A Christmas Carol at A.C.T., The Tempest at Cal Shakes, The Winterʼs Tale at Marin Shakespeare Company and The Foreigner at Ross Valley Players. She recently played Lady Macbeth in Macbeth at Mortal Folly Theatre in

New York. Other regional credits include Philistines, The Lady from the Sea, The Servant of Two Masters, Village Wooing, Little Shop of Horrors, Good Breeding and Midsummer Nightʼs Dream. She costarred with Stacy Keach in Imbued, now touring film festivals worldwide. Ms. Sklar holds a BA in theater arts from Brown University, an MFA in acting from A.C.T. and has been training with the SITI Company in New York.

MARIN THEATRE COMPANY’S 2011/12 SEASON

15

Experience all of the drama, laughter and thrills of MTCʼs 45th Season. Join us for an expanded season of six provocative plays in our intimate Boyer Theatre. In 2011-12, help us celebrate passionate playwrights old and new. Honor the centennial of seminal American playwright Tennessee Williams. Laugh until it hurts with Yasmina Rezaʼs hit comedy. Be the first to see a world premiere by an amazing young voice – our 2010 Playwright in Residence Steve Yockey. And donʼt miss our first productions of two of the worldʼs greatest dramatists: August Wilson and William Shakespeare. Seven Guitars By August Wilson • August 11- September 4, 2011 Prepare to be bewitched by August Wilsonʼs lyrical 1940s entry into his Pittsburgh Cycle. This moving epic finds abundant spirit in the everyday, overflowing with music, mystery and humor. Out of the workhouse and back in the Hill District, Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton was heading to Chicago to record another hit song. Except now the bluesman is dead and his story is but the bass line to the many melodies – lively, menacing, brooding – that rise from this vibrant African-American community. Bellwether World Premiere | By Steve Yockey • October 6-30, 2011 Bellwether was a nice, safe place to live until six-year-old Amy Draft went missing. As the police investigation progresses, speculation in the media and the neighborhood becomes critical and suspicious of Amyʼs parents. But her disappearance is not what it seems and is only a glimpse of what lurks below the gated suburban communityʼs perfection. Written by MTCʼs 2010 Playwright in Residence Steve Yockey, this suspenseful fairy tale for adults will haunt you long after the house lights have come up. The Glass Menagerie By Tennessee Williams • November 25-December 18, 2011 An emotionally devastating portrait of hope, this is not only the seminal American playwrightʼs most famous play, but also one of his most personal. In a memory of Saint Louis during the 1930s, aspiring poet Tom Wingfield reluctantly works in a warehouse to support his overbearing mother and debilitatingly shy sister. Pushed by his mother, he finds his sister a gentleman caller to try to coax her from her fragile private world. A Steady Rain West Coast premiere | By Keith Huff • February 2-26, 2012 Denny and Joey are two of Chicagoʼs less-than-finest—oneʼs a racist bully, the other, a spineless drunk. In this uncompromising neo-noir crime drama, the two beat cops confess to the misdeeds and mistakes that have tipped their lives into violent chaos. Their lifelong friendship, their badges and Dennyʼs family all come under fire after a bitter street hustler gets shaken down one too many times. This lurid Broadway hit will have you holding your breath with its in-your-face storytelling, but it will also touch your heart as it sympathetically explores the complex relationship of these two deeply flawed men. Othello, the Moor of Venice By William Shakespeare • March 29-April 22, 2012 Experience Shakespeare at his most taut and tense as we pit two of the best actors in the Bay Area against each other in psychological single combat. Donʼt miss Aldo Billingslea as Othello and Craig Marker as Iago in our first production by the Bard on our intimate stage. With 20 Shakespeare productions under his belt, Artistic Director Jasson Minadakis helms this tragic, timeless tale of love, deceit, jealousy and murder. God of Carnage By Yasmina Reza • Translated by Christopher Hampton • May 24-June 17, 2012 The hysterical hit Broadway comedy is finally coming to the North Bay! Youʼve never laughed so hard until youʼve seen this action-packed, knockout farce, which won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Play and 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. Following a playground fight between their 11-year-old sons, the Raleighs agree to meet the Novaks to discuss the situation civilly. However, the veneer of middle-class manners soon falls away as the couples regress to childish accusations, bullying and bickering.

SUGGESTIONS FOR CLASSROOM EXERCISES

16

Overview Reading a play can be a difficult task, for students and even for actors, directors, and designers. Plays arenʼt meant to be read – this may seem obvious, but itʼs worth noting that the script itself is just one aspect of what makes a play worthy of study. A novel is complete when an individual reader picks it up and enters the imaginary world created by the words on the page. A play is only complete in performance, with the designers and the actors and the audience all creating the imaginary world together. The sounds of the vowels and consonants can carry as much meaning as the words themselves. Images created from light and fabric and actorsʼ bodies can have an impact far beyond what might be apparent on the page. A silence between two actors – indicated in the script only by the word “pause” – can be devastating, or terrifying, or transcendent. All this makes the teaching of a play very different from the teaching of a novel. Teachers may find – as we have – that encouraging students to read the whole script, on their own or even aloud in the classroom, can make for a less fulfilling experience than focusing on individual scenes and moments, and on the choices made in preparing for a theatrical performance. The exercises we suggest here are designed to give students the opportunity to engage with the play as a play, the same way that directors and designers and actors do in preparing for a production. We encourage teachers to use these exercises even in English and History classes, even with students who may not be interested in being theatrical artists themselves. We invite teachers to gauge their studentsʼ success by the degree to which they engage with this type of exercise rather than their ability to recall specifics of the plot. Many of these exercises require a bit of space to move around in; we encourage you to move the desks to the sides of the room and spread out on the floor! The Story This exercise is designed to quickly familiarize students with the fundamental narrative of the play, while also engaging their sense of visual storytelling and providing a welcoming initial experience of working together and performing in front of the group. Divide the class into groups of between three and eight students each. Assign one scene from the play, or one paragraph from a synopsis (such as the ones presented earlier in this Guide) to each group. Smaller classes may need to assign more than one scene to each group, larger classes might have multiple groups working with the same scene. Each group uses their bodies to create a series of tableaus – frozen images – that tell the story of their scene. Four or five tableaus per scene or paragraph is a good rough guide. Individual students in each group might play individual characters, with other students creating the environment. Encourage students to remove bulky jackets and hats so that they can really use their bodies to tell the story. Groups can work simultaneously in different areas of the classroom while the teacher roams from group to group, offering encouragement and advice. Groups should practice holding their tableaus as one student narrates, perhaps by reading the appropriate section of the Synopsis aloud.

MTC Teen Advisory Board members

SUGGESTIONS FOR CLASSROOM EXERCISES continued

17

After perhaps five or ten minutes, each group should have worked out their tableaus. Give the class a warning that they have one more minute to “rehearse” their tableaus, moving seamlessly from one to the next without talking and holding frozen in each tableau for a long moment. Have the students create an audience area and a stage area in the classroom, with the audience either sitting on the floor or returning to their desks. Moving through the play in order, each group “performs” their tableaus, first with narration and then in silence. Discuss: What techniques did each group use to create a tableau that communicated the essential information of the scene? Which techniques were particularly effective? What was easy or difficult about this assignment? What questions did this exercise bring up about the play itself? How did seeing other groupsʼ tableaus change or deepen your understanding of the play? More: If this exercise goes well, a great next step would be to have each group create five tableaus that tell the story of the whole play. Afterwards, discuss which five moments each group chose to bring to life and why. Interviews This exercise works best after the students have at least some familiarity with the play and the characters. If youʼd like to do this exercise before the students see the production or read the play in full, you might consider spreading it out over a couple of days or assigning parts of it as homework. Break the students out into pairs, so that each student has a partner. Assign a character from the play to each student (large classes will end up with multiple students having the same character, but partners should have different characters). Partners take turns interviewing each other as their characters. The student conducting the interview can pretend to be a television or newspaper reporter, or could conduct the interview as their own character. Encourage interviewers to gather background information about the character, to ask probing questions about the circumstances of the play, and to ask about the characterʼs long-term goals and dreams. Encourage the interviewees to come up with answers that are consistent with the text of the play – they should use their imaginations when the questions go to an area the play never explains, but they shouldnʼt contradict anything in the play. Afterwards, students present the results of the interview to the rest of the class —introducing each othersʼ characters. Another option is to create an audience and a playing area, and have the students conduct live improvised interviews in front of the class. Lines Assign each character in the play to one student in the class. If there are more students than characters, you can include other people mentioned in the play who donʼt actually appear as characters. Any additional students can form an audience.

MTC Teen Drama production of Freak.

SUGGESTIONS FOR CLASSROOM EXERCISES continued

18

Have the students stand in line, each as one character. Then tell them to rearrange their places in line so that the most brave character is on one end, and the least brave is on the other end — the whole class can help decide who goes where. Then repeat with other mosts and leasts: good wealthy strong powerful intelligent ...or make up your own, choosing concepts that are relevant to the play. Discuss any ideas or surprises that this exercise brought up. Performing A Scene Assign a scene from the play to a group of three to six students. Each group could have a different scene, though it would also be interesting to have multiple groups performing the same scene. Each student should make the following choices before performing the scene (each of these could be its own exercise as well, with students taking time to try out different choices):

• What makes your characterʼs physicality different from your own? How does this character stand and walk?

• What makes your characterʼs voice different from your own? How does this character sound?

• What is your character trying to get from the other characters in the scene? What is your character trying to make the other characters do, feel, or understand? (This is what actors mean when they talk about their “objective” or their “motivation”).

• What is the turning point of the scene for your character? Why? Itʼs not necessary to memorize the lines (though some students may choose to do so) – students can rehearse and perform script-in-hand. Designing the Set Individually or in groups (perhaps the same groups from the Performing a Scene exercise) create a collage of images that relate to the play. You can create one collage thatʼs just about the physical world of the play, with images of the kind of scenery you imagine the characters inhabiting. Another collage might be just about colors, evoking the feelings of the play. Another might be about a specific character or moment. Design a set for the play, drawing inspiration from the collage. What scenic elements are necessary? What furniture? Decide if you want your play to happen in a traditional proscenium theatre, or in a theatre with a thrust (the audience sits on three sides of the stage), or in the round. Draw a groundplan (a birdʼs-eye-view map of the stage) as if you had an unlimited budget. Draw another groundplan that works in your classroom with the materials you have on hand, or in your school theatre. Send your designs to MTC – weʼll post our favorites on our Facebook page. Play Review Worksheet Make a copy of the attached Play Review Worksheet to each student in the class. Go over the questions in class before attending the performance, then have each student fill out the sheet immediately after seeing the show. Feel free to add your own questions. Discuss the studentsʼ responses in class. Encourage them to think and talk about the choices made by the playwright, director, designers, and actors – as opposed to simply whether or not they liked it.

PLAY REVIEW WORKSHEET

19

Name: School: Grade:

Title of Play: Playwright:

The Story

What is this play about?

How does the story begin?

How does the story end?

Who do you think is the main character?

What does this character want most?

What gets in the way of the character getting what he or she wants?

How does this character change over the course of the play? What lesson does this character learn?

The Production

Describe one aspect of the design of the production – the set, the lighting, the costumes, or the sound. In what ways was it realistic? In what ways was it not realistic? In what ways was it surprising? How did this design element help tell the story? How did it make you feel?

Pick one actor and critique his or her performance. What choice did this actor make that you agreed with? What choice did you disagree with? Donʼt just say “It was good” or “I liked it” – talk about the choices.

use the back or another page if you need more room!

THEATRE ETIQUETTE

20

The Audience

A quick guide to theatre etiquette When you are in the audience for a play, youʼre not just watching and listening – you are an important part of the show. This may seem obvious, but the actors on stage are right there in the same room as you. They can hear every noise the audience makes: laughter, whispers, gasps, coughs, and candy wrappers. Actors can sense whether the audience is caught up in the play, whether theyʼre bored, and even what kind of sense of humor this particular audience has. And hereʼs the exciting part – actors change their performances from day to day to fit what kind of audience is in the theatre. Here are a few tips on how to be a good audience, and how to get a great performance from the actors: Respond honestly to what happens onstage. Itʼs always okay to laugh if something is funny – it lets the actors know that the audience gets the joke! Be absolutely sure that your cellphone is turned off. A ringing cellphone distracts the audience as well as the actors. Also, the light from your cellphone screen is almost as distracting as the sound of the ringer – no texting, no checking the time on your phone. If a play is longer than about an hour and a half, there will usually be an intermission – a ten-minute break for you to use the restroom and get a snack or a drink of water. Be sure to use the restroom and get a drink of water before the play begins. If you use your cellphone during intermission, remember to turn it off when you return to the theatre.

Wait until intermission or the end of the show to talk with your friends. Talking during a performance, even in whispers, is very distracting. Itʼs not okay to take photos or video inside the theatre. Be respectful of the space; keep your feet off the seats and the edge of the stage.

The program (sometimes called the playbill) contains lots of information about the production. It will always list the names of the actors and the characters they are playing, as well as the playwright, director, the stage manager, the designers, and everyone else who worked on the play – sometimes this can be a whole lot of people! Most programs will also include biographies of all these people, as well as information about the play and the world in which it takes place. Look at the program before the play and during intermission; it can be distracting for the people around you if you read the program while the play is being performed. At the end of the play, the actors will return to the stage to take a bow (this is called the curtain call). This is your chance to thank them for their performance with your applause. If you particularly liked a certain actor, it is appropriate to cheer. If you loved the show, you can let everyone know by giving the actors a standing ovation! Itʼs worth repeating: please be sure your cellphone is turned off and stays off. The actors and everyone in the audience appreciate it.

MTC Teen Camp production of 13.

EXPANDED PROGRAMS AT MARIN THEATRE COMPANY

21

For students and families, for teachers and schools, and for our community, MTCʼs Expanded Programs open up a world of excitement and enjoyment with professional theatre for people of all ages. In our 2010/11 season, we reached 84 students in the 2010 Summer Camp, 881 students with our student matinee performances at MTC, and 4300 students with our School Tour production. Want to join the fun? Visit www.marintheatre.org or email Josh Costello, the Artistic Director of Expanded Programs, at josh@marintheatre.org. MTC in the Schools Bring a professional teaching artist from Marin Theatre Company into your school! We will create a customized drama program that fits your community — a one-time workshop, weekly drama classes, or as an addition to the classroom curriculum. Contact us for pricing options and more information. Marin Young Playwrights Festival The Marin Young Playwrights Festival (MYPF) celebrates the work of teen playwrights and encourages a focus on playwriting in Bay Area high schools. Eight finalist plays will be performed by teens in an event at MTC each February. The play selected as the MYPF winner will receive a staged reading with professional actors, open to the public at MTC. The submission deadline is in November. School Tour for Elementary Schools: February/March 2012 MTCʼs 2012 School Tour production will be Anansi the Spider, written and performed by renowned Bay Area hip-hop theatre artists Tommy Shepherd and Dan Wolf. The African folktale is updated, reimagined, and filled with music, beats and rhymes in this new play for elementary schoolers, specially commissioned by Marin Theatre Company. We are now accepting bookings for 2012.

Summer Camp MTCʼs Summer Theatre Camp is a full-day training program for students in grades 2-8, culminating in fully produced performances. Quality theatre training during the morning and rehearsals during the afternoon. Students engage their imaginations, study their craft, and work together to put on a production. Classes include improvisation, musical theatre, dance, playwriting, and acting techniques. Final performances are fully produced with costumes, lights, and sets. Scholarships are available. Teen Advisory Board Marin Theatre Companyʼs Teen Advisory Board is a group of passionate and dedicated high school students who serve as ambassadors between MTC and the teen community in Marin County. Teen Board members help plan MTCʼs Summer Camps; produce the Marin Young Playwrights Festival; observe rehearsals for MTC mainstage productions; participate in discussions with MTC designers, actors, and directors; attend monthly meetings; and receive free tickets to MTC productions. Internships MTCʼs internship program is designed to provide experience and preparation for beginning a career in the professional theatre. Interns work closely with members of MTCʼs artistic and administrative staff, attending departmental meetings, interacting with patrons, and taking on real responsibilities in connection with MTCʼs programs and productions. In addition, interns participate in special workshops and seminars and attend theatrical performances around the Bay Area. Visit www.marintheatre.org for more information about these and all our programs.

TALL Tales, 2011 School Tour production

ABOUT MARIN THEATRE COMPANY

22

Mission Statement Marin Theatre Company is a professional regional theatre committed to producing high quality live theatre designed to engage, entertain, challenge and educate our audiences, thereby enriching the cultural life of our community. We provide a forum for contemporary, classic and emerging playwrights and, through our Expanded Programs forum, an environment that introduces people of all ages to the transformative power of theatre. History Marin Theatre Company was founded by Sali Lieberman and then Mill Valley Mayor Al White in 1966 as the Mill Valley Center for the Performing Arts (MVCPA), providing a diverse range of cultural programming — from theatre to poetry to film — for the local community. Over the years, theatre became the MVCPAʼs main activity, with twenty consecutive seasons produced at the Mill Valley Golf Club. In 1984, the MVCPA was renamed the Marin Theatre Company, in recognition of the companyʼs growing role as the preeminent regional theatre in Marin County and the construction of the companyʼs new two theatre home on Miller Avenue. Today, MTCʼs central activity is a five-play main stage season of classic and contemporary plays, running a combined 185+ performances and serving close to

40,000 patrons from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. The main stage season is complemented by Nu Werkz, a staged reading series presented on four weekends in the Studio Theatre each season; and MTCʼs Expanded Programs. In the past fifteen years, Marin Theatre Company has grown from an annual budget of $800,000 to over $2 million, emerging as one of the Bay Areaʼs leading professional theatres, home to numerous local directors, designers, and actors of the highest caliber.

Equivocation, 2010

MTC entrance and patio

COMING NEXT YEAR

23

Start planning now for 2012/13!

SILENT SKY By Lauren Gunderson

An extraordinary opportunity to use theatre to celebrate Women in Science and to explore the science and history curriculum.

MTC is thrilled to present the Bay Area premiere of SILENT SKY by award-winning San Francisco playwright Lauren Gunderson, whose ROCK HILL: SOUTHERN GOTHIC was featured in our New Works series in September 2009. As Henrietta Leavitt stared at the stars and struggled to chart our place in the universe, she charted a new path for women at the turn of the 20th century. Leaving behind her family in rural Massachusetts, she moves to Boston in 1893 to join “Pickeringʼs Harem” – the all-female data collection staff of the Harvard Observatory. There, she maps stars from photographic plates, expected to process and record, but never analyze, the data. Henrietta refuses to be content just tidying up the cosmos for her male colleagues and sets off on a crusade that will change our perception of our world forever. Gunderson fills the life of this eclipsed astronomer with brilliant light in this funny, inspirational and heartwarming play.

“Thereʼs no denying sheʼs one of the most formidably talented voices to emerge here in years.” –ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

“If she keeps up at the rate sheʼs going, sheʼll leave behind a cerebral yet passionate body of work that makes hard science and big ideas look easy.” –CREATIVE LOAFING ATLANTA

Marin Theatre Company will help high school teachers build a curriculum around SILENT SKY. Related topics include Women in Science, Astronomy, the Scientific Method, Henrietta Leavitt, and more.

Schedule and pricing for student matinee performances of SILENT SKY at Marin Theatre Company will be announced in early 2012.

BOOKING FORM (please detach and return this page to MTC)

24

2011/12 Student Matinee Ticket Hold Request Form

School or Organization:

Contact Name: Title or Subject:

Contact Email: Contact Phone:

Mailing Address:

Studentsʼ Grade Level(s):

PLEASE NOTE: This form is a request to hold a certain number of tickets to a certain performance for your school. Pricing, including free and discounted ticket availability, will be announced soon. Returning this form immediately is the best way to ensure that your school will be able to participate in this program. Returning this form does not guarantee tickets or discounts – you will be contacted for confirmation.

The Glass Menagerie Celebrate the centennial of Tennessee Williamʼs birth. In a memory of Saint Louis during the 1930s, aspiring poet Tom Wingfield reluctantly works in a warehouse to support his overbearing mother and debilitatingly shy sister. Pushed by his mother, he finds his sister a gentleman caller to coax her from her fragile private world.

o Thursday, Dec 1, 2011 11am # of tickets (including students and adults): o Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 11am # of tickets (including students and adults):

Othello Experience Shakespeare at his most taut and tense as we pit two of the best actors in the Bay Area against each other in psychological single combat. Donʼt miss Aldo Billingslea as Othello and Craig Marker as Iago in our first production by the Bard on our stage. With 20 Shakespeare productions under his belt, Artistic Director Jasson Minadakis helms this tragic, timeless tale of love, deceit, jealousy and murder.

o Thursday, Apr 5, 2012 11am # of tickets (including students and adults): o Tuesday, Apr 10, 2012 11am # of tickets (including students and adults): o Tuesday, Apr 17, 2012 11am # of tickets (including students and adults): o Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012 11am # of tickets (including students and adults):

Please note that April 10 is during Spring Break for many schools. If your school could attend on April 10, please select that date rather than the other options.

Please return to Marin Theatre Company | 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley CA 94941 | Fax: 415.388.0768