Freeport Shakespeare Festival's Blog

Shakespeare at the Factory

FSF is excited about its 2012 season that includes two productions at the Freeport Factory Stage.

Coming up in March: The Compleat Works of Shakespeare [abridged] by Daniel Singer, Jess Winfield and Adam Long.This production is directed by Peter Brown and features a cast of three local actors who will bring all of Shakespeare's Plays (and a couple of sonnets) to life in under two hours.

Our fall production will be Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. Details about this production will be published in a few months.

Meanwhile, please feel free to drop us an email if you would like to get involved this season. We look forward to hearing from you!

Compleat Works of Shakespeare Abridged

Rehearsals are underway for this outrageous comedy! Director Peter Brown has assembled a cast that includes Bari Robinson (who last appeared in the FSF production of Twelfth Night) Benjamin Rowe and Bill McDonough. The trio will thrill audiences with their encyclopedic knowledge of Shakespeare's canon, bringing it to life in a way that can only be described as wildly imaginative. The production will be stage managed by Emily Dixon with lighting design by our resident TD, Eric Sawyer.

Production dates are March 8-24, 2012. Tickets will be available online through Brown Paper Tickets beginning February 1st.

Macbeth Opening this week at the Freeport Factory Stage

The anticipation mounts as we move closer to opening night for Macbeth. Director Lon Church has accomplished an incredible feat with this 16 member cast. The upcoming production of Macbeth, presented by Freeport Shakespeare Festival in collaboration with winterblue theatre opens Thursday, October 20th.

You will be deeply moved by this frightening yet beautifully realized tragedy. Lon has created a haunting atmosphere with brilliant choreography and lighting plus live music by Ed Pearlman to support the language of Shakespeare's terrifying story of the Scottish king's bloody rise to power.

Click here to view show information or to purchase tickets.

Prep for Macbeth

We had a wonderful production meeting this morning before Director Lon Church heads off to the wilderness prior to starting rehearsals. Costume Designer Kristina Skillin, Producer Bud Carlson and Stage Manager Emily Hill joined Lon and me in a conversation that included daggers, garrottes, torn screens, severed heads, golden rounds and silencers. Lots o' murder afoot! But behind all the frightful apparitions lies a masterful text and a story that is as compelling and meaningful today as it was four hundred years ago.

The first rehearsal for Macbeth is coming up on September 27th. We are all looking forward to this fascinating process!

Meanwhile, thanks once again for the many expressions of support and appreciation for our summer season. We look forward to welcoming many of you back to the theater in October.

Enjoy this lovely fall weather!

Julie

But that's all one, our play is done...

...and we'll strive to please you everyday.

Thank you to the cast and crew of Twelfth Night for creating an impossibly beautiful production. Dennis McLernon outdid himself in allowing the cast the freedom to play and explore the richness of the characters. Michael Reidy designed a setting and a lighted environment that was brilliant and beautiful. Julia Doughty's costumes were rich with detail and perfectly suited to everyone. Julia's assistant Carol Leach, was a dream to work with!

Once again, Myles Hatch, with the help of Elise Johnson, established a smooth and unflappable atmosphere of peace and trust.

Our lovely interns: Emily LaVerriere, Alice Gauvin and Erica Green displayled a professionalism and grace that is often seen in more seasoned theater veterans. Thanks to them!

Eric Sawyer and his hardy crew of Tyler Bean and Matt Hurd worked for hours and hours and hours to perfect the technical elements of the show every night.

Joanne Labbe volunteered her time to run the front of house operations and information booth. Hats off to her for that!

Thank you to everyone who I may not have mentioned above. It was a labor of love!

The Wind and Rain

We opened Twelfth Night on Wednesday August 3rd after a rainstorm postponed our original opening night. It's been a terrific run. Audiences have been very enthusiastic and we've received some great reviews in print and by email from friends and fans.

Many thanks to this year's major sponsors and individual donors. Come out and see Twelfth Night before it closes! It's a wonderful play.

First Tech Day

The load in team worked throughout the night so that we can be on stage by 1:00 p.m. The set looks fantastic, the sound and lighting equipment is getting wired and we will be ready to go this afternoon!

The entire rehearsal period has been phenomenal. We are working with some of the best people - ever - design team, stage management, director and actors - the 2011 Season will be one to remember for years to come.

Join us for our first tech rehearsal today! Plenty of open spaces to set up a chair (and a sun umbrella) to watch the process unfold!

Julie

...and the fool shall look to the madman

How brilliant is the character of Feste? Find out when you see Paul Farwell bring this amazing fool to life. The scene between Feste and Olivia wherein they discuss Toby's status of drunkenness is beautiful. Tears. Yes. Tears.

We finished blocking ACT I yesterday and actually RAN it today! The incredible work by this ensemble amazes all of us...Dennis has framed things out thoroughly and Myles and Elise are running a tight ship (no surprise there) - We hope to see Myles donning a bonnet at least once during the proces in the next three weeks!

Today we leaped into the letter scene...can three clowns and a man with a deluded sense of self be any more human?

Thanks again to a wonderful ensemble for their commitment and hard work. Tomorrow...an extra fan for the rehearsal hall perhaps? These victorian hoop skirts are pretty schwetty....

Rehearsal Hall!

Thanks to Mr. Hatch and Ms. Johnson, the rehearsal hall is the most wonderful room in all of Freeport! The cafetorium has been transformed from bland environment for pre-adolescents to prop and costume filled wonderland with tables that have never looked better!

The floor has been taped to reflect Mr. Reidy's remarkable ground plan - with flourescent pink and orange as the colors of choice for the steps and platforms. The refrigerator is filled with fresh snacks and the Keurig coffee maker is humming away. Pencils are sharpened, highliters are at hand and the printer has not broken down yet this season :-)

The fun began yesterday in earnest when the entire company met and heard from the three directors, Bess Welden, Andrew Harris and Dennis McLernon, and then enjoyed a design presentation by Mr. Reidy and Mrs. Doughty, our costume designer.The read through of Twelfth Night happened after lunch, in the heat of a Maine summer afternoon. A photocall ended the day and featured the ultimate in victorian garb and a bit of cross-dressing on the part of our Viola, Ms. DeZeeuw.

Today, we begin blocking Act I - grab your rehearsal skirt and join us!

Julie

Gala Pictures

Greetings on a pretty summer day. We have some wonderful pictures to share from our spring Gala, Shakespeare & Sinatra. Thanks to Claire Houston for the photography. She did an excellent job! And many, many thanks to Jan Gerry and Jen Segal for creating a memorable and beautiful event. Enjoy!