Runs: 03/07/13 — 03/24/13
Opening Night: 03/08/13
Event Time: 7:30pm Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays; 2:00pm Sunday Matinees
Tickets: $26 for adults, $18 for students (age 18 and under or with valid college ID) and seniors (age 65 and over)
John Dennis (a relatively unknown playwright from the Restoration period) wrote his adaptation of Merry Wives in 1702…only one copy of the script could be found, and Bag&Baggage found it! Artistic Director Scott Palmer has combined Shakespeare’s classic romantic romp with Dennis’ trimmed-down, fast paced adaptation, added a few of his own surprises, and created our very own world premiere: The Merry Wives of Windsor or the Amorous Adventures of the Comical Knight Sir John Falstaff!
Join a host of Bag&Baggage’s favorite actors for a riotous romp of hysterical proportions!
Performances are at The Venetian Theatre, located at 253 E. Main Street, Hillsboro, OR 97123.
Bag&Baggage participates in Arts for All: Discounted tickets for Oregon Trail card holders. We are offering the Arts for All discount to Oregon Trail card holders for the following performances: Thurs 3/14 7:30pm, Sun 3/17 2:00pm, Thurs 3/21 7:30pm, Sun 3/24 2:00pm. Arts for All tickets may be obtained in person at the box office at/after 1.5 hours prior to each of those performances and must present Oregon Trail Card at time of purchase. Patrons may buy a maximum of two $5 tickets per Oregon Trail Card. $5 Arts for All tickets are valid for use only by the individual holding the Oregon Trail Card, plus his/her guest(s). Any resale of tickets, or purchase of tickets for non-qualifying individuals may result in ineligibility to purchase tickets using the Arts for All program in the future.
Special Event: Bag&Baggage Throws a Costume Party; Designer Becky Ross To Judge “Best Dressed”
In celebration of the mid-century aesthetic of Bag&Baggage’s theatrical production of “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” the theatre company is throwing a 1950s Costume Party just prior to the Saturday, March 9th performance of the play.
The party will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Venetian Theatre. Period cocktails will be available and a photographer will be shooting pictures of participants. Portland fashion designer Becky Ross will judge Best Dressed Man and Best Dressed Woman, and then announce the winners in the theatre, just before the play begins at 7:30 p.m.
“I think the fashion of the fifties and sixties are good inspirations for many of today’s silhouettes, and they flatter a wide range of body types” said Becky. “I’ll be looking not only for historically accurate costumes, but I expect to see modern adaptations inspired by this era of clothing. Let’s have some fun with this!”
About Becky Ross:
Becky’s best known for being a big part of Project Runway season 9. Recent accomplishments include showing her Cargo collection at FashioNxt during Portland Fashion Week 2012, as well as being the Lead Media Personality for FashioNxt. She’s shown collections at Portland Fashion Week 2011, and a YSL-inspired collection for the Forever Darling 5 runway show at the Denver Art Museum with other Project Runway Alums. She studied theater arts at Portland State University, and has a BFA in Apparel Design from the Art Institute of Portland.
Gary Strong – Sir John Falstaff
This marks Gary Strong’s fourth production with Bag&Baggage, his last role being Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night. He graduated from Western Oregon University in 2007 with a Bachelor’s in Theatre Arts. He has since worked with Fuse Theatre Ensemble playing Oberon in their production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and is currently a core member and Social Media Director for the Original Practice Shakespeare theatre group. He is excited to be involved in another of Scott’s imaginative Shakespeare production. He would like to thank director Scott Palmer, girlfriend Lindsey Chamberlain, and his Mom.
Megan Carver – Mistress Ford
Megan is thrilled to perform on the Bag&Baggage stage again. Thank you Scott! Megan has been acting professionally across the Northwest for over a decade, and feels blessed to be doing what she loves. Some favorite past shows include Legally Blonde (Pilar – Pixie Dust Productions), A Christmas Carol (Actor – Bag and Baggage), I Love You Because (Dianna – Broadway Rose Theatre), Hairspray (Penny – Broadway Rose Theatre), Curtains (Bambi – Lakewood Theatre) , Rocky Horror Show Live (Columbia – Harlequin Theatre), and The Producers(Ensemble – Lakewood Theatre) to name a few. She has also appeared on the hit TNT series Leverage, and in several local feature/indie films. Megan won the 2012 Portland Pin Up Bombshell contest, and is an active model for Portland Pin Ups. Many thanks to Dennis, Momma/Papa/J-bird, The Stumptown Crew of Misfits, and her devastatingly handsome partner in crime, Ben. For Lauren and Sam. Please visit www.megancarver.com for info on upcoming projects. Thank you for supporting B&B in this exciting season!
Cassie Greer – Mistress Page
Cassie is excited to be returning to the B&B stage with this fantastic cast forMerry Wives! She has previously been seen here in Of Mice and Men, andCrimes of the Heart, among others. Most recently, Cassie appeared in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe with Oregon Children’s Theatre, and directed the one-woman show Cinnamon & Cigarettes as part of Fertile Ground ’13. Cassie trained in the BA Theatre program at Goshen College, the MFA Acting program at Florida Atlantic University, and is a certified Assistant Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework®. Other favorite credits include Jean inDavid’s Redhaired Death, Bertha in After Mrs. Rochester, and the world premieres of Fear/Falling and KOLO. Cassie is thrilled to have had opportunities not only to act, but also to teach acting, movement, and voice to students across the country and is incredibly grateful to her family and friends for their continual love, support and energy.
Arianne Jacques – Miss Anne Page
Arianne is brimming with excitement to make her return to the B&B stage! Though your most recent memories will include her role as Box Office Manager, other B&B roles include Gwendolyn inThe Importance of Being Earnest, Viola inTwelfth Night, Dorinda in The Tempest or the Enchanted Isle, Babe in Crimes of the Heart, and various roles in the 2011 production of A Christmas Carol. Arianne holds a BS from Oregon State University in Theatre Arts, and currently resides in Portland with two of her biggest fans, Jason and Aurora (aka Kitty). When not on stage, in the box office, waiting tables, or generally loitering about in The Venetian, she enjoys helping out in Jason’s food cart, Sideshow Eatery. Arianne would like to specially thank her mom and pop as well as Jason for their endless love and support!
Ian Armstrong – Host of the Garter
Ian Armstrong is a company member for Bag&Baggage and is a graduate of the University of Oregon theatre program. Favorite B&B roles include: Tom in The Glass Menagerie, Malvolio in Twelfth Night, and Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol in Scott Palmer’s 2011 adaptation. He would like to thank his Mom because she deserves all the thanks he can give her.
Adam Syron – Dr. Caius
Adam is thrilled to be appearing in his second show with Bag&Baggage (he was previously seen as Curley in Of Mice and Men). After living in the Portland area all his life, Adam spent four years at Western Washington University where he received his BA in theatre in 2011. College credits include Pirates of Penzance (Frederic), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Proteus), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander). Professional credits include Our Town (Joe Crowell) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Riff-Raff). Adam would like to thank his ridiculously goofy family, his constantly supportive friends, and his somewhat overweight cat. Adam would also like to thank Scott, Audra, his fellow cast and crew mates, and you (the audience) for coming to the show.
Michael Kutner – Mister Fenton
Michael is thrilled to be making his Portland Area debut with Bag&Baggage! Michael is a recent transfer from Orlando, FL. His favorite past shows as an actor include: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,Eurydice, Leading Ladies, Barefoot in the Park, and An Inspector Calls. Big thanks to Scott and the cast & crew for a fun ride. Also thank you to Sarah Jane, the best actor he knows, for all her love and support.
Branden McFarland – Mister Slender
The Merry Wives of Windsor marks Branden’s third show with Bag&Baggage, and he is excited to be back! He was seen most recently on stage as The Boy in B&B’s co-op production with Tear’s of Joy Puppet Theater: The Velveteen Rabbit. Last summer, he made his Hillsboro premier as Chiron in Scott Palmer’s outdoor adaptation of Titus Andronicus, Kabuki Titus. In the past Branden has been seen with Clackamas Repertory Theatre in their productions ofOklahoma! and The Importance of Being Earnest. In school while at Clackamas Community College, Branden appeared in a number of roles, including: Parris in The Crucible, by Arthur Miller; Prologue in The Flu Season, by Will Eno; Aimwell in The Beaux’ Stratagem, by Ludwig, Wilder, and Farquhar; and Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Off the stage Branden has worked for Slocum House Community Theater, Clackamas Repertory Theater, and student interned at Broadway Rose Theatre Company. He would like to thank his family and his friends for their unending support that has made this possible.
Gregory Heaton – Master Ford
Gregory has acted with Oregon Children’s Theatre, Tears of Joy Theater, Northwest Classical Theater Company, Portland Actor’s Ensemble and Action/Adventure Theatre, where he is a company member. He is also trying to be a playwright and has had readings at Reader’s Theatre Repertory, Milepost 5 and Action/Adventure. He last worked with Bag&Baggage as part of their children’s shows performed at the Washington County Fair.
Devan McCoy – Master Page
Devan is excited to be performing again with Bag&Baggage. B&B audiences have previously seen Devan as Howard inDeath of a Salesman. He has also previously acted for Artists Repertory Theatre, Light Box Theatre, Milagro, Stark Raving Theatre, Pilot Light, Triangle Productions, Hillsboro Artists Repertory and several productions as a proud company member of Sowelu. Favorite performances include Adam in Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me, Acaste in The Misanthrope, Jerry in The Zoo Story and Gilgamesh in Saturn Dreaming of Venus. He has also produced and directed several shows including David Harrower’s Knives in Hens, John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt, Phyllis Nagy’s Disappeared, Rona Munro’s Ironand the Drammy Award winning production of Jane Martin’s Mr. Bundy.
Scott Palmer – Adapter and Director
Scott is the founding Artistic Director of Bag&Baggage and has directed and produced critically acclaimed theatrical productions in the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States (including Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit and Private Lives, Ben Jonson’s The Silent Woman, the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), the North American premiere of Adrian Osmand’s Just One More Dance for OSU’s Holocaust Memorial Week and the world premieres of original adaptations of Romeo and Juliet,Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, The Tempest, or the Enchanted Isle, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kabuki Titus, The Taming of the Shrew and The Woman’s Prize and A Christmas Carol. Scott is a Hillsboro native, a graduate of Hillsboro High School, has a B.S. from the University of Oregon, an M.A.I.S. from Oregon State University and studied for his PhD in Contemporary Theatre Practice at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. Scott is the founding Artistic Director of Glasgow Repertory Company, and is a member of the Westside Cultural Alliance.
Megan Wilkerson – Scenic Designer
A new arrival in Portland, Megan comes from the Milwaukee/Chicago area after having spent two seasons as a Scenic Design Assistant at The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. She’s a member of Chicago’s Rivendell Theatre Ensemble and received an After Dark award in scenic design forPsalms of a Questionable Nature. In Milwaukee Megan helped found the artistic collective Bad Soviet Habits and designed for both Opera & Theatre. She holds an MFA in Design for the Theatre from the University of Texas at Austin and a BA in Theatre from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Recently at Bag&Baggage, Megan has designed The Farndale Avenue…Christmas Carol, The Velveteen Rabbit, and the 2011 production of A Christmas Carol.
Melissa Heller – Costume Designer
With a lifelong interest in apparel, Melissa always knew that her life would be devoted to fashion. It wasn’t until college that her interest in costuming was born. She worked as assistant costume designer at Oregon State University Theatres before graduating in 2008 with a B.S. in Apparel Design. She then re-located Portland to pursue her career in apparel design. After mucking about a bit, she began work with Oregon Ballet Theater, where she helped to create costumes for several productions for the stage during their 2010/2011 season. Recently, she designed and created costumes for Bag&Baggage’s production of A Christmas Carol, Dangerous Liaisons, Kabuki Titus. Melissa is continuing her partnership with Bag&Baggage in their 5th season as resident costume designer, having already completed Of Mice and Men, The Farndale Avenue…Christmas Carol, and The Velveteen Rabbit so far.
Jonathan “Bearclaw” Hart – Lighting Designer
This is Jonathan “Bearclaw” Hart’s third season designing with Bag&Baggage. Bearclaw received his MFA in lighting design and technical direction from the University of South Dakota and brings lighting design experience from all across the country. His recent designs here include The Farndale Avenue…Christmas Carol,The Velveteen Rabbit, Shakesepare’s R&J, A Christmas Carol,The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, and The Mystery of Irma Vep. You can also see his work for the Broadway Rose Theatre Company where he acts as their resident Technical Director and occasional lighting designer. He would like to thank his family and friends for their ongoing support.
Audra Petrie – Props Master
Audra has been B&B’s Production Manager since the start of the 2008-2009 season and the Company Manager since January 2011. She has also stage managed numerous Bag&Baggage shows in the past – most recently Kabuki Titus, Shakespeare’s R&J and The Tempest, or the Enchanted Isle. Audra has done other stage management work for CoHo Productions, Salem Repertory Theatre, and Willamette University. Audra also enjoys dabbling in props work. Besides this show, her most recent prop credits at Bag&Baggage include: The Farndale Avenue…Christmas Carol, The Velveteen Rabbit, Of Mice and Men, Kabuki Titus, Dangerous Liaisons, Shakespeare’s R&J, A Christmas Carol (both the 2009 and 2011 productions), Crimes of the Heart, and many others. Audra recently joined the Board of the Cultural Coalition of Washington County. She would like to thank her friends and family for their love and support and Scott for creating art with value.
Becci Swearingen – Stage Manager
Two years ago, when Becci Stage Managed her first production with Bag& Baggage (The Glass Menagerie), she didn’t know that it was the beginning of a relationship with a theatre company that would eventually feel like family to her. She is blessed and lucky to be a member of such a creative, thoughtful and talented company. Becci holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Theatre Arts and eventually plans to go on to pursue a PhD. In the meantime, however, she is appreciating all that she is learning during this season in her life. Among all Bag&Baggage shows Becci has been a part of – both in the audience, and behind the scenes – her favorites include: (watching) Death of a Salesman, Educating Rita, Macbeth, Shakespeare’s R&J and A Christmas Carol and (working) Of Mice and Men, Crimes of the Heart, The Tempest: Or Enchanted Isle, The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge and Love Letters. Endless thanks and love to the most supportive and amazing group of friends a girl could ever ask for!
Kirk Webster – Assistant Stage Manager
Starting when he was eleven with a summer program, Kirk has been working in, with and for theatres for the last 15 years. His experience and curiosity has taken him from onstage to backstage, from stage hand to House Manager, and to lighting design and sound. Kirk served as a Technical Director for the Corvallis School District while, as Assistant Technical Director of the Majestic Theatre in Corvallis, he oversaw the operational details of a myriad of live performances, adding his lighting and sound expertise to many productions. For Bag&Baggage Productions, Kirk served as Stage Manager for The Velveteen Rabbit and the 2011 production of A Christmas Carol. He was Assistant Stage Manager for Of Mice and Men, Kabuki Titus,Shakespeare’s R&J, The Tempest, or the Enchanted Isle, The Mystery of Irma Vep, The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, and The Glass Menagerie.
Demetri Pavlatos – Technical Director and Master Carpenter
This is Demetri’s third season as technical director for Bag&Baggage. He is also the technical director for Third Rail Repertory Theatre and builds the sets for Profile Theatre Company, works with the theatre students at St. Mary’s Academy, and is the owner of Lunar Theatrical, a set construction and technical services company. He has recently worked with Broadway Rose, Pixie Dust Productions, Live Onstage, and Stumptown Stages.
Playwright – John Dennis
John Dennis was considered, during the Restoration, a terrible playwright, a fairly good political essayist and one of the greatest and most influential literary critics of the century. He counted among his friends, colleagues and enemies King Charles II, Alexander Pope, John Dryden, and Jonathan Swift.
Dennis wrote a number of important essays on Shakespeare, including the hugely influential “Essay on the Genius and Writings of Shakespeare with Some Letters of Criticism to the Spectator” in 1712. This essay has shaped discussion and debate about the form of verse, the structure of dramatic poetry, for centuries. When we talk about Shakespearean verse, count beats and think about rhythm and meter, we are engaged, for the most part, in what Dennis started.
Dennis invented a way to make thunder for his play Appius and Virginia; crowds were sparse, and the Drury Lane Theatre canceled the play. When Dennis visited the same theater to see Macbeth, he realized they were using the same method to create thunder. Dennis stood up and screamed, “That’s my thunder, by God! The villains will not play my play but they steal my thunder.”
John Dennis has been almost completely forgotten; Bag&Baggage is going to do something to change that. John Dennis will be celebrated, once again, for the first time in more than 300 years.