ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
October 2017, Directed by William Wolfgang
“You did know how much you were my conqueror;
And that my sword, made weak by my affection,
Would obey it on all cause.”
One of Shakespeare’s greatest masterpieces, Antony and Cleopatra, stormed The Barn stage in the fall of 2017. Featuring Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, one of the world’s most iconic characters from both history and literature, wrangling with her lover, Mark Antony. As these two Titans quip back and forth in their lover’s quarrels, the world’s mightiest empire takes aim at indulgent and luxurious Egypt. What follows is some of The Bard’s finest storytelling; his daring verse fused with epic battles, all accentuated by Cleopatra’s ultimate plan to best her enemies.
Check out the CENTRAL PA ART WORKS REVIEW of the production here.
ANTONY & CLEOPATRA - DIRECTOR'S NOTES
This production marks an exciting milestone for OrangeMite: on Friday, October 6th, 2017 Antony and Cleopatra marks our one-hundredth performance at The Barn. I’m extremely proud of how far we’ve come since the very first performance nine years ago.
With support from the Cultural Alliance of York County we have brought three years of Shakespeare summer camps for youth to our area. Our students have blown audiences away with their artistry; we’ve measured the benefits in students’ literacy as well as their self-confidence. In addition, we are currently working with Dover Area School District to create programs that will bring OrangeMite’s Shakespearean theatre expertise into the English classroom for ALL local high school students.
As members of the Shakespeare Theatre Association, OrangeMite has become a part of a larger world that works together to bring this art form alive. Through this incredible organization, we have worked closely with our colleagues at Gamut Theatre (the Harrisburg Shakespeare Company) and with our mentor theatre company, Shakespeare’s Globe in London. These collaborations have opened up rewarding new opportunities as we actualize our mission here in the York County community.
As one would expect, getting to one hundred performances here at The Barn is no small feat. Over the past decade, there have been few constants. However, the singular most important constant for me and for the organization is the unwavering and profound support from Dr. Mary Snow and Dr. Douglas Gonzales. They have graciously opened their barn and grounds to hundreds of different actors, musicians and artists, and thousands of patrons during the course of the 100 performances. Mary has also created the dazzling plethora of costumes you see in these productions. Words alone cannot express my gratitude, nor can they express the admiration this community has for Mary and Doug’s contributions to our mission.
Much like the soldiers that you will see battle their way across the stage this evening, it takes a small army to put together a production of this size. I would like to recognize the OrangeMite Studios Board of Directors, our contributors (see our supporters and learn how you can help the cause on page 10), our loyal patrons, our season sponsor Dover Area Animal Hospital, and our production sponsors P-B Truss and Sarah’s Creamery, as well as our advertisers that you can see throughout this program. I would also like to recognize Dover Township for their support of our new traveling productions. Of course, many thanks to our cast, crew, and staff - without them, the art you will see tonight would never be possible.
In my nine years of directing plays at OrangeMite, few are comparable to the scope of Shakespeare’s epic Antony and Cleopatra. Yet, while I am referring to the number of actors and the breathtaking range of the costumes, it is the script itself that dominates. Thus, it is a fitting production for our one-hundredth performance.
This play occupies many places, all seemingly at once. The action hops across the world from Egypt to Greece to Rome and back again. While the title characters Shakespeare created would likely want you to think this play is solely about their tumultuous love story, ostensibly, it is a geopolitical tale. Pompey tries to rebel against the triumvirate (Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus), which leads to a series of events that would change the history of the world and end an empire that existed for over three thousand years.
However, the political situation revolves around the world’s first celebrity couple. Antony and Cleopatra never do anything in private; their relationship, in complete contrast with Shakespeare’s other famous star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, is played out entirely in the public eye. As you observe their interactions throughout this story, it appears that they would have it no other way. Antony and Cleopatra’s grandiose interactions with each other combined with the binary worlds of Rome and Egypt create a distinctly impressive showcase of what this organization and these artists can do.
Here’s to the next one hundred performances! But for now, we present one of William Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, in all of its grandeur, Antony and Cleopatra.
- William Wolfgang, Executive Director
CHECK OUT CLIPS OF THE PRODUCTION ON ORANGEMITE'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL!
