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A Noise Within
Klint Flowers: Makeup is the most incredible accessory for storytelling
Our spring production of Henry V shows off a side of the Warrior King never seen before – more rock-n-roll than pomp & grandeur. The grittiness of our staging comes through especially in the makeup. Klint Flowers, Wig & Makeup Design for Henry V, reveals some insights into his approach to the show, and the details that…
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A Noise Within
Samantha Kofford: ‘Audiences Will Become Cognizant of What Happens After [Raisin]’
Female directors are a rare species in Hollywood and in the theatre, but this year has repeatedly proven that women are more than capable of taking the reigns and producing a compelling story. In the spirit of highlighting women in theatre, we sat down with Samantha Kofford, the assistant director for A Raisin in the Sun,…
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A Noise Within
The 1947 “Failure” of Jean Genet’s The Maids
Genet is on record describing The Maids as a “failure.” Why? Christopher Lane, in his article “The Voided Role: On Genet”, supposes that the “failure” of the play is encoded in its message, or we might say, in its poetics…. Lane writes that “Genet’s interest in his characters’ fantasies and identifications interrupts what might seem an obvious oscillation between master and…
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A Noise Within
Jean Genet based The Maids on a real murder case from 1933
Christine and Léa Papin were real-life sisters who came from an abusive, dysfunctional, poor family. As adults, the two were extremely close and may have had an incestuous relationship. They worked as maids for the Lancelin family for many years, but one night in February 1933, they brutally murdered their employer, Madame Lancelin, and her daughter, Genvieve, in their home….
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A Noise Within
Quackery and Medicine in 17th Century France
The Imaginary Invalid references many questionable antiquated medical practices. Learn more about the real-life history of “medicine” in 17th Century France: “We are doctors come to warn you Of the phonies out to harm you Could your guru be a schmuck? If it quacks, then it’s a duck! Your guru scoffs at your queries, And…
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A Noise Within
The Imaginary Invalid: Notes on Names
Enrich your experience of The Imaginary Invalid and discover the fascinating explanations behind the show’s meaningful character names: Argan’s name sounds a little like “argent,” which [in French] means “money.” It also sounds a bit like “Orgon,” a character from another of Molière’s plays whose faith in the titular character, Tartuffe, is comparable to Argan’s faith in doctors. Béline’s name is loosely…
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A Noise Within
Take a Closer Look: Arcadia‘s Thomasina Coverly
DID YOU KNOW? It is widely believed that the character of Thomasina Coverly in Arcadia is loosely based on Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician in the 1800’s. Many people actually regard her as the first computer programmer! Though Stoppard has actually denied the connection, Lovelace was the daughter of the famous poet, Lord Byron, an historical figure who is heavily featured…
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A Noise Within
Arcadia‘s Playwright: Tom Stoppard
“It is a mistake to assume that plays are the end products of ideas (which would be limiting): the ideas are the end products of the plays.” TOM STOPPARD was born Tomáš Straüssler in Zlin, Czechoslovakia, in 1937. In 1939 his family immigrated to Singapore, which Tom evacuated with his mother and brother in 1942 before the World War II Japanese…
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A Noise Within
Arcadia: Meet the Characters
Meet the incredible cast of Arcadia in the video below and read on to find out what our actors love about the characters they play. Ezra Chater played by Jeremy Rabb What I find endearing about Chater is his ability to overlook the relentless assaults on his dignity for a taste of genuine affirmation and fame….
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A Noise Within
The American Dream, a summary
The highly anticipated The American Dream: A Resident Artist Reading Festival was a huge success – an auspicious start to the many wonderful events planned around this, our milestone 25th anniversary season! From July 22-24, more than 500 patrons enjoyed six classic American plays, along with delicious food and beverages from an array of local…
behind the scenes
