12th Annual John R. Hamilton Mock Trial: The Crown v. Falstaff

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Falstaff was put on trial at the Orlando Shakes, (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803).  He is a disreputable an rather rotund character in Shakespeare‘s Henry IV. The judges in this trial were to be Alisa Smith, Chair of the Department of Legal Studies at the University of Central Florida, Judge Frederick Lauten, former Chief Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit for Orange and Osceola Counties, and Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel Columnist. When introduced, Judge Lauten did an admirable and hilarious job of disinfecting his fellow judges and the entire judging area.

Hosted
by the Bard’s Board Barristers, the Margeson Theater was transformed
into a hilarious, interactive courtroom. Actors from Orlando Shakes’
production of Henry IV, Part 1 took the unpredictability of live theater to a whole new level in an
over-the-top, rollicking trial amidst the panel of celebrity judges.

To start Falstaff recounted his heroic fight with some highwaymen who robbed him of the loot he had just hoisted himself. He brandished his sword recreating his every movement in the battle that ensued. With each telling the number of foes he had fought off grew. Then a cloaked figure read off the litany of charges against Falstaff which included larceny, robbery, thievery, lewd and lascivious behavior, public drunkenness, foul oderocity fraud, deceit, embezzlement, false accusations, abuse of power, obstruction of justice, impersonating the king, conspiracy and four counts of claim to murder. The list was hilariously long.

The trial itself began with Darth Vader as the prosecutor and Princess Leia as the defense attorney. Light sabers replaced the more timely swords. During the trial Falstaff got to discuss how honor has no place on a battlefield. The funniest moments came when Bardolph, Falsaff’s side kick was put on the stand to testify. He was incredibly drunk and a very easy witness to sway.

In the end the entire audience was the jury and after our jury instructions, we had to vote on Falstaff’s guilt or innocence. We had to raise out hands and make a guttural Wookiee call when we voted. Despite his clear guilt on many of the counts, he was an important character in the upcoming play, Henry IV Part 2. I voted to acquit, but the final decision was not clear based on the the noise in the theater. Chaos was breaking out. Then Falsaff bounded center stage and shouted, “I have been pardoned!” He ran off stage to murderous applause.

Henry IV

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Henry IV Part 1 by William Shakespeare is at the Orlando Shakes through March 21, 2020. Some back story is needed to set the stage. Henry IV (Jim Ireland) took the throne from his corrupt and indecisive eldest brother Richard II. King Henry IV’s eldest son was Prince Hal (Benjamin Bonefant). Though he should be destined to one day take his father’s throne, he instead spent his time hanging out with very fat and disorderly Falstaff (Philip Nolan). Hal spends his time drinking and womanizing and the occasional highway theft, much to his fathers annoyance.

Meanwhile Edmund Mortimer (Cameron Grey) the leader of Henry IV’s army is captured in Wales by the Welsh rebel fighter Glendower (Brandon Roberts). Hotspur (Walter Kmiec) of the Percy family helped King Henry IV overthrow Richard II. But the new king never paid his debt and for this reason, Edmund was held ransom. The king refused since he found out Edmund had turned traitor and married the rebel’s daughter. Edmund’s daughter was married to Hotspur who was a hot blooded and very angry cousin to King Henry IV.  He formed an alliance with is uncle and the rebels to overthrow king Henry IV.

On the battlefield the alliance fell apart in that the rebels and Hotspur’s own father (Rodney Lizcano) never showed up for battle, leaving them hopelessly outnumbered by King Henry IV’s forces. Hotspur’s uncle went to the king for a parley and the king offers a pardon to Hotspur. This messages was never relayed and so battle ensues. It seems like dozens of sword fight broke out on stage all at once.

The wayward son Hal joined his father and in the end saved the day. Falstaff on the other hand stayed true to his debauchery ways, hiding to avoid fighting and then taking credit for Hals handiwork. His monologues about how useless Honor is on the battlefield are for me some of the most memorable and moving accounts of what it means to be human and alive. Just keeping track of the family tree is a feat unto itself but the action and drama are universal.

The bottom line is that this was a fun evening of theater.

Tickets are $32 to 57

The remaining show times…

Wednesday, March 4, 2020 – 2:00 PM – Senior Matinee

Wednesday, March 4, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, March 7, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Sunday, March 8, 2020 – 2:00 PM – Talk back Performance

Wednesday, March 11, 2020 – 2:00 PM – Senior Matinee

Sunday, March 15, 2020 – 2:00 PM

Friday, March 20, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, March 21, 2020 – 2:00 PM

Saturday, March 21, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Weekend Top 6 Picks for November 16 and 17, 2019

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Saturday November 16, 2019

9am to 1pm.  $10 to enter your chili $5 to eat. Coffee With Pat and Matt Chili Cook-off. The Nook on Robinson (2432 E. Robinson St., Orlando). Fundraising chili cook-off. Our friend Patrick Greene is heading off on another adventure. This time to do Vienna’s prestigious Monochrome Q21 residency! The chili cook off event is a fundraiser for his art venture and a farewell-for-now party. First prize is a $25 bar tab, 2nd and 3rd prize winners get a Pat Greene for Mayor t-shirt.

10am to Noonish. Children under 3 are
free. Admission is included with your $10 ticket. To enjoy free admission present your Annual Pass Member card at
the gate.  Owl Be Home for Christmas. 

Audubon Center for Birds of Prey


(1101 Audubon Way, Maitland Fl). Holiday kick-off event with holiday crafts, meet-and-greets with bird ambassadors, tasty treats and Santa.


(407) 644-019.

5pm to 7pmish. Free. Star Wars Masquerade. 

Gods and Monsters


(5421 International Drive, Orlando Fl). celebrating the Disney release of The Mandalorian, with a Star Wars Masquerade in VAULT 5421. The Empire Strikes Back at 5pm, followed by Return of the Jedi and other Star Wars films and shows on our big screens throughout the night, with spacey tunes playing, themed cocktails, and Cosplay Cage-Dancing by Jacqueline Obsidian from 8pm-12am! If you go in Star Wars cosplay or SW themed masquerade attire to receive 1 FREE SHOT or soda at the bar and 15% off store wide inside Gods and Monsters! (Just mention your attire, at the bar, for your FREE shot or soda and at the register for store discount.)

Sunday November 17, 2019 

Noon to 2pmish Free for kids 12 and under. Regular Ticket Pricing $12.00.  Peanut Butter Matinee: My Neighbor Totoro.

Enzian Theater


(1300 S. Orlando Ave., Maitland Fl). One of my favorite of Miyazaki’s films. Backgrounds are gorgeous. Two girls move to the countryside and befriend playful spirits and a cuddly giant in this animated film from Hayao Miyazaki.


407-629-0054.

 2pmto 4pmish $62 to $37Macbeth.  Orlando Shakes


812 E. Rollins St., Orlando. Shakespeare’s cursed play about a Scottish thane who, under the urging of his wife, murders his way up the ladder of success.


407-447-1700. 

3pm to 5pmish $42 Boesman and Lena. Mad Cow Theatre 

(54 W. Church St., Orlando Fl.) Tale of the struggle of two refugees who encounter a stranger while wandering the South African wastelands.


407-297-8788.

Up the Ladder Down the Slide

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PlayFest at the Orlando Shakes (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803) is a two-weekend festival, where patrons get to experience seven readings of new plays in development and participate in the creative process with post-reading playwright talk backs and surveys. Each reading is $10. I stopped in for a rehearsal of Up the Ladder Down the Slide by David Valdes. The play shares the story of three longtime best friends and their aging parents.

Three boxes were placed on stage to represent three ladders. The music stands which held scripts were numbered from one to six so actors knew where they would be staged during this first  staged reading of the play. The three characters who were taking care of their aging parents would commiserate over drinks sharing stories that were both humorous and sad.

In one scene a young daughter, Vee (Alanna Fagan) was trying on her wedding dress which was in her opinion way to short and relieving. Her mom, Karen (Tiza Garland) snapped a photo on her cell phone and shared it with her friend Oscar.  He responded with a photo of a far worse wedding dress fail.  Texts flew back and forth and we were left wondering just how absurd the exchange got based on the reactions on stage.

Laurel (Avis-Marie Barnes) cared for her father with autism (Michael Morman), Oscar (Bert Rodriguez) cared for his aging mother Mamita (Blanca Goodfriend) as they searched the stage for a stray cat, And the mother caring for her argumentative mother Joann (Karin Amano) won my heart as they drove each other crazy. Only laughs with friends and some stiff drinks kept these friends sane.

Towards the end of the play each aging parent sat on one of the boxes with their care givers behind them. With baby boomers aging, these stories become more common with this generation caring for the one before. The play has plenty of heart but I didn’t get a chance to stay to the end. I am left wondering what the next step is towards the beyond and how it will affect those who invested so much of themselves. These friends seem capable of navigating even the worst times with some drinks and laughs.

Creative Team

Director: Nick Bublitz

Stage Manager: Jazlynne Williams

Stage Direction Reader and Dramaturg: Laura Swindoll

Cast

Laurel: Avis-Marie Barnes

Karen: Tiza Garland

Joann: Karin Amano

Mamita: Blanca Goodfriend

Vee: Alanna Fagan

Oscar: Bert Rodriguez

The Commodore: Michael Morman

Lonnie/Nurse Mike/ Bar Back: Sean Andric

Striking the Set

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After Man of La Mancha closed at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, I went in to sketch as the set was struck to make way for the next show. La Mancha was a theater in the round so bleachers had been set up where the back of the stage usually would have been. Subtlety isn’t needed when striking a set, things get hammered banged and kicked in any way to break things down. As I sketched, the set disappeared. The set had a circular central platform that turned and a trap door.

A drill would remove screws and a hammer might bang out nails, but safety was always the first concern. Stage hands looked out for each other assisting each other as needed. I enjoyed sketching the progress. According to Ivan Klima, “To destroy is easier than to create.” Yet these folks seemed to be working mighty hard while I was sitting and just scratching the page with a pen.

Now through April 28, Richard the II by William Shakespeare is at the Shakes. Tickets are $25 to $32. Convinced of his divine right to rule, King Richard II never expected
to be undone by his own maladroit mortal wrongs. By brashly putting his
own vanity before the needs of his kingdom, he creates the perfect
opening for Henry Bolingbroke to seize the throne. Shakespeare’s deeply
moving and insightful retelling reveals how one man’s bumbling mistakes
can shape a nation’s political landscape and change the course of
history.

A Doll’s House Part 2 at Shakes

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Doll House Part 2 by Lucas Hnath is being performed at the Orlando Shakes (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803) through February 23, 2019. In
the final scene of Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 groundbreaking masterwork, Nora Helmer
makes the shocking decision to leave her husband and children, and begin
a life on her own. This climactic event—when Nora slams the door on
everything in her life—instantly propelled world drama into the modern
age. In A Doll’s House, Part 2, many years have passed since
Nora’s exit. Now, there’s a knock on that same door. Nora has returned.
But why? And what will it mean for those she left behind?

The simple set designed by Stephen Jones consisted of a curved wall with one huge Victorian door.  The paint was chipped with time. The play did indeed begin with a knock at the door. When Anne Marie (Anne Hering) answered the door all the lights on stage illuminated to their top setting creating a blinding sunburst effect as Nora (Suzanne O’Donnell) entered. For some perspective, Pam and I watched the original Ibsen play as a live 1959 telebroadcast. Nora in that production was a flippant housewife demurring to her husband’s wishes. She forged a signature on a loan in order to whisk her husband to Italy for the sake of his health. That act indentured her to try and pay the loan off by begging her husband for small sums of money. Instead of a Christmas present she begged him for a small sum of cash.

When Nora returned, she was a self-made woman of means. She had become an author and was very successful at it. She was a feminist firmly believing that women do not need men for their happiness. The Part 2 production is set 15 years after Nora left her family which would be around 1894. Women would not gain the right to vote for another 26 years, but Nora was well ahead of her time believing she could make a difference through her writing which had to be authored with a pseudonym. She wrote about her marriage to Torvald (Steven Lane) and the book encouraged women to take charge of their own lives. A judge was upset by her message, so he found out who she really was and discovered that she was still married. Torvald had never filed for divorce. It was more convenient for him to think she had died than to face the shame of filing for divorce. She needed that divorce to truly be free. This play focused on that quest. Despite her success, she was still beholden to unfair laws that made her the property of a man she had not seen for 15 years. She needed to sit down with her husband to again demand her freedom. I identified with her desire for artistic freedom.

The language is decidedly modern with some cursing that seemed out of place compared to the original Ibsen play. These outbursts do offer some comedic relief. People in the audience who had suffered through divorce were nodding their heads in solidarity as Nora pontificated about the need for freedom. Love and affection were cherished, but after marriage she felt people changed. They no longer wooed their partners and took them for granted. This is what caused affection to turn to resentment. This was a decidedly modern message.

Tickets are $32 to $44.

Phantasmagoria’s Christmas Carol

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 Phantasmagoria is proud to present One of the greatest and most enduring Ghost Stories ever told! Victorian Troupe Phantasmagoria returns to
the stage with its own unique adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic
holiday tale “A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story of Christmas”.

This
critically acclaimed Victorian Performance Troupe will bring its
signature tapestry of movement, dance, puppetry, projections, music and
storytelling to the stage as one of the most famous Ghost Stories of all
times comes alive! A true tale of the Past, Present and Future – with
the glory of redemption!

Dickens’ wonderful tableau will come to
life with Phantasmagoria’s own unique aesthetic and performance style in
a brand new adaptation of the classic work. Last year’s performances
SOLD OUT fast so get your tickets now! A show good for ALL ages!

The dress rehearsal I sketched had all the bravado I have come to expect from a Phantasmagoria performance. Jacob Marley was presented as a skeleton puppet wrapped in chains. A unique head harness linked the skeleton’s head movements to the movements of the handler’s head. The ghost of Christmas past was a floating blue head with a streamer. The ghost of Christmas yet to come was the largest and most menacing enshrouded in a dark hood. with bony fingers. John DiDonna as Ebeneezer Scrooge brought plenty of energy to the part which he has performed for years. He steps into the crotchety old mans skin with ease.

Only one show date remains, Dec 15, 2018 at 8pm
John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center, (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803). Ticket prices are…

Student/Senior/Military: $15.00 regular / $40.00 VIP

Adult: $25.00 regular / $30.00 VIP

(VIP
includes early entry to pick seating, Christmas beverage (no alcohol),
Take home souvenir, and POST show performance including Poetry, Dance,
song, Magic and more!

A Christmas Carol at Orlando Shakes

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1 of 5 Prints SOLD

I have seen A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens many times so I am a bit jaded, however this production far exceeded my expectations. The set felt like an attic and there was a staircase at the front of the stage that heightened that effect. The play began with the sounds of an excited party below the stage, and then the actors walked up from that excitement onto the stage.

Steven Paterson did an amazing job as the crotchety Scrooge. Paul Bernando got to perform some very angst filled scenes as the chain covered Bob Marley’s Ghost. Amazingly he also performed as the kindly ghost of Christmas Present. Many actors got to play up to seven different characters and I didn’t even notice. Tiny Tim, played by Sebastian Cranford had the thinnest legs, making him a perfect fit for the part.

The Shakes really seems to be stepping up their game when it comes to effects in their staged productions. A ghostly door knocker was represented by a framed photo in a spotlight held by an actor from behind. When the ghostly knocker came to life the actor pressed his face into the mesh of the canvas creating a ghostly three dimensional apparition. The ghost of Christmas future was a huge hooded puppet that moved around the stage freely. A four poster bed rose from a trap door and the curtains floated down from above.

More important than the flash however was the emotional heart of the production. This is a great show to warm even the coldest heart this holiday season. It is nice to see innocence and kindness win over a hard heart.

Performances of A Christmas Carol continue through December 30, 2018 at the Orlando Shakes (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803) in the Margeson Theater.

Tickets are $30 to $53.

Weekend Top 6 Picks for December 1 and 2, 2018

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Saturday December 1, 2018

10am to Noon Free. Orlando Shakes Volunteer Orientation. Orlando Shakes 812 E Rollins St, Orlando, Florida 32803. Please join us for Orlando Shakes’ Volunteer Orientation – a perfect way
to learn more about volunteering. Returning volunteers will brush-up on
the basics and changing policies; new volunteers will learn what they
need to know to join the team.

During this free orientation, all
our volunteers will learn how to get involved, take a brief tour of the
Theater, receive an overview of benefits and policies, and enjoy some
light breakfast food and drinks!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Breakfast & Check-In: 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Orientation: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM

Questions: 11:00 AM – 11:15 AM

8pm to 10pm Free. Shuffleboard at Orlando’s Beardall Courts.  Orlando’s Beardall Courts 800 Delaney Ave Orlando FL. 1st Saturday of every month.

10:30pm to 12:30am Free but get food and or drink. Son Flamenco. Ceviche Tapas Orlando, 125 W Church St, Orlando, FL.



Sunday December 2 2018

10am to Noon. Free. Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation Class. University, 5200 Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL 32811. The Method of Heartfulness A simple and practical way to experience the heart’s unlimited resources.

Noon to 3pm Donation based. Music at the Casa. George Weremchuk and the Hippocrene Saxophone Quartet. Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum, 656 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. Members of the public are invited to visit the historic home museum, listen to live music and take a tour
of our historic home museum and the James Gamble Rogers II Studio by
trained docents.

2pm to 4pm. Museum admission applies. Adults $10,  Seniors (60+) $8, College Students with ID $8, Students (K-12) $3, Members and children 4 and under are free. Meet and Greet Jan Kaláb. Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens, 633 Osceola Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789. Contemporary Prague artist Jan Kaláb is known internationally for his
innovative 3-D graffiti. Born in Czechoslovakia in 1978 at a time when
graffiti was a form of protest in Eastern Europe, he made a name for
himself in the 1990s as the country was opening itself up to Western
influences. Kaláb later became known across Europe as “Cakes” and took
his art to New York in 2000, making an impression while painting train
cars alongside other well-known graffiti artists. Since 2007 Kaláb has
experimented with abstractions on canvas, earning him solo exhibitions
in Argentina, Germany, Paris, London, New York, and Miami. The Polasek
Museum exhibit will include sculptures, 3-D canvases, select new works,
and an original installation.

PlayFest: The Great Beyond

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I sketched a rehearsal for The Great Beyond by Stephen Dietz, leading up to their performance on Saturday, November 10, 2018 at the Orlando Shakes (812 East Rollins Street Orlando FL). This is a four character play that focuses on a family in a time of grief. Despite their differences, sisters, Monica (Courtney Bahr) and Emily, (Melanie Whipple) reunited
to tie up loose ends after their father’s death.

The two sisters are always at each other’s throats. Emily is the younger and perhaps favored daughter but she lived a life of addiction and with her recovery, she set a task of apologizing to everyone she had slighted.  This became her new addiction. Rene, another character, referred to the people Emily found as her “marks”. Some of these apologies resulted in rifts that pulled other people’s lives apart. The road to ruin is paved with good intentions.


The true seed of discontent between the sisters, however, is the death of a brother, Joseph, when they were young. Blame, whether founded or not, always surfaced in every conversation. Another point of contention was the estate left behind by the father. Emotions run raw when you want some physical object to remember someone by. Who gets what can become a battle that can divide any family. A coat or table might suddenly become the most important artifact to remind you of love.

Monica’s Ex, Rex, (Cameron Francis) is there with his girlfriend, Rene, (Chelsey Panisch) who happens to be a medium. With her help, the
siblings attempt to summon their father’s spirit to gain forgiveness and
discover the truth. The second act revolved around this seance. Monica dismissed the seance as a hoax from the start but even she was swept up in the raw emotions in the darkened room.


I fell in love with this family as they stumbled to find their way after their father’s death. For years an unspoken agreement had held the family together but after the father’s death a greater truth was needed. What was so exciting about watching the rehearsal was that the script was in a constant state of flux. Having the author in the rehearsal resulted in his trimming and fine tuning the script as they rehearsed. Actors highlighted their linesas they were changed. Monologues could be made into more concise and polished gems. It was a fascinating process to watch. When you experience PlayFest you are actively participating in the development of new plays.

 

Director: Cynthia White

Stage Manager: Alli Gersbach

Stage Directions Reader: Krystal Rajkowski

Other Cast: Mark
Ferrara as Coach Mayes. 

Tickets for The Great Beyond  by Stephen Deitz are $10. The performance is at 8pm tonight, November 10, 2018 in the Shakespeare Center Margeson Theater.