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Reviewed by:
  • Richard III, and: The Tempest, and: Much Ado About Nothing, and: As You Like It, and: Othello
  • Marissa Greenberg
Richard III Presented by the Lantern Theater Company at St. Stephen's Theater, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. March 24–April 30, 2006. Directed by Charles McMahon. Set by Nick Embree. Costumes by Millie Hiibel. Lighting by Janet Embree. Sound by Nick Nye. With Peter Pryor (Richard of Gloucester), Lindsay Smiling (Clarence, King Edward, Cardinal, Herbert). Sally Mercer [End Page 91] (Queen Elizabeth, Tyrrel), Kate Hurster (Lady Anne, Prince Edward, Christopher, Oxford), Patrick Doran (Rivers, Richmond, Brakenbury, Catesby), Dave Jadico (Murderer, Duke of York, Ratcliff ), John Lopes (Hastings, Mayor, Murderer, Duchess of York), Jane Moore (Queen Margaret, Stanley, Priest), and Paul Nolan (Buckingham, Norfolk).
The Tempest Presented by the Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. April 14–May 20, 2006. Directed by Carmen Kahn. Set by Donald Eastman. Costumes by Vickie Esposito. Lighting by Jerold R. Forsyth. Sound and music by Fabian Obispo. Choreographed by Peter Pucci. Properties by Louise Grafton. With Gregg Almquist (Prospero), Birgit Huppuch (Ariel), John Zak (Caliban), Davud Raphaely (Ferdinand), Elizabeth Mugavero (Miranda), Dan Higbee (Trinculo), Brian McCann (Stephano), Andrew Borthwisk-Leslie (Alonso), Dean Harrison (Sebastian), Damon Bonetti (Antonio), Mort Paterson (Gonzalo), and Kenrick Xavier Burkholder (Adrian).
Much Ado About Nothing Presented by the Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival at the Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. March 24–May 21, 2006. Directed by Carmen Kahn. Set by Donald Eastman. Lighting by Jerold R. Forsyth. Costumes by Vickie Esposito. Sound and music by Fabian Obispo. Choreography by Peter Pucci. Properties by Louise Grafton. With Patricia Kelley (Beatrice), Dean Harrison (Benedick), Elizabeth Mugavero (Hero), Kenrick Xavier Burkholder (Claudio), Damon Bonetti (Don Pedro), John Zak (Dogberry), Aaron Hochhalter (Borachio), Dan Higbee (Verges), Brian McCann (Don John), Gregg Almquist (Leonato), Birgit Huppuch (Margaret), Davud Raphaely (Balthasar), and Mort Paterson (Friar).
As You Like It Presented by the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at the Festival Stage, Center Valley, Pennsylvania. June 21–July 9, 2006. Directed by Russell Treyz. Set by Will Neuert. Costumes by Deborah J. Caney. Lighting by Eric T. Haugen. Sound by Matthew Given. Music by Larry Lipkis. Fights by J. Alex Cordaro. With James Martinez (Orlando), Lauren Lovett (Rosalind), Greg Wood (Jacques), Christopher Patrick Mullen (Touchstone), Marnie Schulenburg (Celia), Michael Waldron (Duke Senior, Duke Ferdinand), Steven Dennis (Oliver), John Thomas White (Adam), Rachael Joffred (Audrey), Michael Gill (Le Beau, Silvius), Julie Ferrell (Phebe), Ian Bedford (Charles), Thomas Hodgskin (Dennis, Jacque De Boys), Micahel Swartz (Amiens), Gorden Gray (Corin), and others. [End Page 92]
Othello Presented by the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at the Arena Stage, Center Valley, Pennsylvania. July 12–August 6, 2006. Directed by Fontaine Syer. Set by Bob Phillips. Costumes by Marla Jurglanis. Lighting by Steve TenEyck. Sound by Matthew Given. Fights by J. Alex Cordaro. With David Alan Anderson (Othello), Ian Merrill Peakes (Iago), Vanessa Ballam (Desdemona), Susan Riley Stevens (Bianca), Zack Robidas (Cassio), John Maness (Roderigo), H. Michael Walls (Brabantio), Ian Bedford (Duke of Venice, Lodovico), Caitlin Kinsella (Emilia), Bradford Cover (Montano, Senator 1), Ashton Crosby (Gratiano, Senator 2), and others.

In the Lantern Theater Company's program for Richard III, audiences found a "Wish List," which solicited donations of goods and services ranging from lighting equipment to storage space. The Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival had prepared a colorful, photo-filled souvenir program for its three summer productions, which included The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing. Due to constraints in time and funding, however, audiences received a much more modest black-and-white booklet. The cover of the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's glossy, oversized program informed audiences that they were attending "The Official Shakespeare Festival of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" and listed all five of its summer productions, two of which were plays by Shakespeare—As You Like It and Othello. Flipping through PSF's program, one noticed that in addition to an extensive list of contributors (LTC and PhSF have their fair share, of course), each production had at least one sponsor and co-sponsor, usually corporate. The financial disparities among Philadelphia-area theatre companies were felt not only in their programs. The relatively sparse resources of LTC and...

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