8-9-10----1100! Twelfth Night Posts RS Record

One week ago tonight, Richmond Shakespeare hosted its largest ever single-performance audience, with 1,100 patrons attending Twelfth Night at Dogwood Dell, helping to round out this year's Festival of Arts. The tally was reported to us by the Dell's staff, and Festival legend Lou Dean remarked that behind the 4th of July and the musical Pippin, it was the best-attended night of the summer. It was a lovely night for those patrons, and the cast found it exhilarating.

At right is a quick image of the arriving audience.

We were carrying on a tradition that dates back to the fifties, in fact. For more than two decades, from the mid to late 1950's through the 1970's (and possibly into the early 80's), a community theatre troupe called the Richmond Shakespeare Players performed each summer at the Dell.

What's in a Name?
Richmond Shakespeare is a completely different organization, officially created by University of Richmond alumni as the Encore! Theatre Company in 1984. We created the Richmond Shakespeare Festival after another company tried for two years in the mid 1990's.

Our Director's Own History
Many of you on 8-9-10 heard me tell the story of Molly Hood, the terrific young director of Twelfth Night. For those who couldn't attend: the last time Shakespeare was performed out at Dogwood Dell it was 1996, with the same play. Cynde Liffick and I were fortune enough to be in the cast. (Just prior to joining Encore!) We recall a rainstorm bringing the audience very close to the stage. In the crowd that night, sometimes standing, sometimes sitting, was a very young.......Molly Hood. It's been a privilege to help bring her splendid production of Twelfth Night back to that Dell stage. Follow the tags for other tales of Molly and her own fan club, the Hoodwinkers--whose founders were both in attendance Monday night, along with Molly and most of her family.

Many, many thanks to all involved, from the tremendous Twelfth Night company of actors, designers and crew, to the very helpful Dogwood Dell staff and volunteers. More folks participated in bringing this about than I'm able to thank here---but do know that you're a part of this adventure, and that we're grateful to be sharing it with you.

Ebenezer Scrooge Rides Again

It's that time of year again, amazingly. For the twelfth consecutive year, I'll have the pleasure of sharing Charles Dickens' incredibly rich language and moving story about the miser in us all. Our adaptation is called A Christmas Carol for Two Actors, and this year, after first performing the piece with me in 2007, Julie Phillips returns to the production. Molly Hood returns too, this time to direct.

Dickens' prodigious gifts for producing text that also sounds simply gorgeous certainly echo those of Shakespeare, and "Carol" is one of the best examples. The novella was first adapted for the stage almost immediately after publication in 1843, and we're delighted to revive its wonderful sounds. It begins with one miser, seemingly without a single redemptive quality.

We've learned that of the three (3) public performances, the first, 12/7 is already sold out.

The shows are on Monday evenings this year, Dec 7/14/21.

Showtimes are still 8pm as the show is under 70 mins. Tickets are available at RichmondShakespeare.com, and at all Ukrop's, Macy's, at the CenterStage box ofc (M-F 11-4 and 2 hrs before each show), and by calling 1-800-745-3000.

Second Tuesdays Staged Reading Series

Each Second Tuesday between Oct-May.

Produced by Liz Blake.

October 13 - Two Gentlemen of Verona, directed by Jamie Rees
November 10 - Two Noble Kinsmen, directed by Rebecca Jones
December 8 - A Lion in Winter, by James Goldman, directed by 'Rick Gray, featuring Larry Gard and Joy Williams
January 12 - Volpone by Ben Jonson, dir. by Jeff Cole
February 9 - Galathea by John Lyly, dir. by Grant Mudge
March 9 - Taming of the Shrew, dir. by Molly Hood
April 13 - Edward III [The History Cycle] dir. by Julie Phillips
May 11 - Love's Labors Lost, director TBA

“Scrooge & Molly’s”

Eleven years of A Christmas Carol for Two Actors came to a close yesterday afternoon, and I just wanted to post a little thank you, most especially to Molly Hood, and write a little bit about gift-giving. "A Christmas Carol for Two Actors" is a whirlwind show, very physical, and can be surprisingly draining emotionally. Molly is an outstanding actress, the most punctual I've ever met, detailed and organized, and a very dear friend. It's been a treat to have her back, and we had a blast on this abbreviated run.

Every single time I said "Marley's voice" or "Scrooge and Marley's" this time, I had to pronounce that "r" verrrry carefully. I'm absolutely certain the sign over the door of Scrooge's office more than once inadvertently read "Scrooge & Molly's!"

Many other thanks are due, from the terrific Richmond Shakespeare board, many of whom attended the show again, to Bryan and Jennifer, Andrew, Cynde, Julie, and James Sved, the most recent Building Manager at 2^nd Presbyterian Church. The Sextons at 2^nd Pres, too, have been marvelous help: Carey, Cliff and Nat embody service.

But there are so many of you who've come to see the show over the years, and so many new faces---it makes one want to express the same gratitude to all of you. "A Merry Christmas to everybody!" exclaims Scrooge, upon waking from his ordeal. "A Happy New Year to the World!"

What does it mean, to do this show, year after year? Well, perhaps most importantly, there are the magical children's faces. The show is ideal for about age 6 and upwards---or a sophisticated 5. Their wide eyes upon seeing Ebenezer Scrooge materialize for the first time are priceless. And I've written elsewhere about preparing the show each year. But somehow I forget that there are always new faces.

The other new faces, the adults, I forget to expect each year. I forget that "newbies" to the show, as they watch the performance, are just as much fun for the vets to observe as the show itself! Martha Cratchit, the fiddler, Dick Wilkins and the three "Miss Fezziwigs" are old hat to Scrooge, sure, but to the new audience member, they're every bit as silly, as wonderful and as heartfelt as they were when I first played them for my parents, in front of the fire, more than a dozen years ago now.

You may already know---it's our custom after each performance of "Carol" to take up a collection for CARITAS, a local collaboration of various faith organizations who provide shelter to the region's homeless—especially in the winter months. Several nights during the run, the box office took in more in donations to CARITAS than we did walkup ticket sales. They're a terrific organization, and truly do make a difference in the lives of the poor. If you would like to join those who gave at the performances, you can do so by following this link. Just click on "get involved," and "donate."

What started as a gift for just my parents and a few family and friends has evolved into something much larger than I ever imagined. And of course in all that giving, one realizes that the greatest reward comes to the giver.

Merry Christmas, Richmond. Thank you for my wonderful present.

-Grant Mudge

Merry Christmas, Ebenezer!

We closed A Christmas Carol for Two Actors yesterday afternoon, with a delightful audience; Julie Phillip's parents made it, and Dad was tapped to be Martha Cratchit. Delightful. Also seen were several longtime Hoodwinker fans (the official fanclub of alumni"Carol" actor Molly Hood, and first year "Mudgekins," a phrase I'm not sure they even yet knew.

I'd like to take a moment to thank our wonderful audiences for attending; it's for you that we work all year to create our art. Thank you, too, to all of Richmond Shakespeare's artists, staff and trustees for a year of tremendously hard work. From Doctor Faustus to a great summer festival and from Will Power to Youth Richmond to welcoming fantastic new additions like Kerry Hugins, (our new Bookkeeper, whom everyone absolutely loves) it's been a very busy year, indeed. In fact, even though the offices are closed this week, we're looking at posting a bit more of a roundup here as we close out 2007, so check back toward New Year's.

Until then, here are two shots from the closing weekend of "Carol," the first from Andrew and Karen Hamm's Christmas party: that's Julia Rigby, Patrick Bromley (The Temepst) and Frank Creasy (The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night), who will all be performing for RS this coming March in As You Like It, with Andrew directing. I'm absolutely thrilled, and very much looking forward to that show--many of you know it's very dear to me, and I can't imagine a more wonderful cast and director to take us into the forest of Arden.

First up, though, is Measure for Measure, part of the Acts of Faith series of professional theatre all across Richmond, and I'm quite pleased to announce here that Julie Phillips will also be performing in Measure, making three in a row for this tremendous actor. That's Julie, below, with yours truly, enjoying a little well-earned holiday cheer at Penny Lane Pub, across 5th street from our Chapel theatre at 2nd Presbyterian. Julie is simply amazing. It's been my absolute joy to work with her, and I'm very grateful for the chance. She's smart, incredibly organized, and one of the warmest people I've ever met. Do come see her in Measure, (It opens Feb 7), after which I promise, she can have a little more than one week's downtime between projects.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and God bless us, every one.

-Grant

Now Playing: "A Christmas Carol for Two Actors"

In case you didn't know, the Richmond Shakespeare Theatre is now presenting A Christmas Carol for Two Actors.

Check out the beautiful poster design by Jamin Hoyle, who has done all of the poster art for the Richmond Shakespeare Theatre since Fall 2006.

The script is from Dickens' novel, adapted by Grant Mudge and Cynde Liffick and performed by Grant and the amazing Julie Phillips. Grant, of course, is our Artistic Director, and Julie has held several positions with the company, as Master of Verse for Doctor Faustus and The Tempest, box office manager last year, and multiple roles in Richard II.

It's a really special show, as full of warmth and spirit as all your memories of A Christmas Carol are, and wonderfully acted by Grant (Scrooge) and Julie (pretty much everyone else). If you think you've seen this show before, think again. This is Julie's first year playing the parts, and she's a very different presence than the previous (wonderful) performances from Cynde, Molly Hood, and Jennie Meharg. I'm especially fond of her facial expressions as the Ghost of Christmas Past listens to Scrooge's vacillations in the bedroom, and her character voice work is spectacular. I've known Julie for a few years now, and she's one of my favorite theatre artists in the world, absolutely one of Richmond's best. Grant is pretty darn fantastic, as usual, as well.

The show plays Thursday through Friday nights at 8:00 and Sunday afternoons (except December 9) at 2:30. We perform in the chapel at Second Presbyterian Church, 5 N. 5th Street, just down the block from Penny Lane Pub. (Mmmm, Penny Lane Pub!)

Come early on Friday and Saturday nights and join the Christmas carol sing-along beginning at 7:40, led by yours truly (Andrew).

Tickets are available at http://www.richmondshakespeare.com/ or by calling 1-866-BARD-TIX (1-866-227-3849). $24 for adults and $13 for students and seniors.