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Playreading – Companie Men: A Historie Playe For Six Women
June 13 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm EDT
$15
It is February, 1599. The Globe Theatre will not open for another six months. In a urine-soaked pub just north of London, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men lick their wounds after a disastrous opening performance of Ben Jonson’s “Every Man Out of His Humour.” Already facing the very real threat of default and debtor’s prison, a Battle of Wills erupts within the company pitting the world’s most famous comedian, Will Kempe, against the person who will become the greatest playwright to ever live, Will Shakespeare. This is the true story of how Shakespeare strong-armed Cuthbert and Richard Burbage into abandoning low comedy in favor of the sort of psychological drama that Elizabethan audiences came to prefer over public executions and bear fights.
Cast:
Richard Burbage: Hanna Gaffney
William Shakespeare: Sarah Stryker
Cuthbert Burbage: Deanna Gibson
Philip Henslowe/Barmaid: Michelle Pauls
Will Kempe: Eleni Delopoulos
Lord Chamberlain/Punter: Carolyn Nelson
Stage Directions to be read by Keenya Jackson
About the Playwright: Ken Ferrigni is a playwright based in Northwest Philadelphia. Previous plays include BANG-GALORE at the Chain Theatre in Long Island City (2014), OCCUPATION (2013) at Barrow Group Theatre in NYC – with subsequent productions at Jobsite Theatre in Florida (2014) and Sacred Fools in Los Angeles (2015), MANGELLA (2011) produced at the Drilling Company in NYC, and angel/buddy, in the 2007 New York City International Fringe Festival. TV/Film work include “Human Resources: Sick Days Aren’t A Game” at the Soho International Film Festival (2015) and “The Vampire Leland” at the New York Television Festival in 2016. The last seven years have been dedicated to co-producing his son Eddie with his phenomenally talented partner, Deanna Gibson.
About the Series: The Media Arts Council (MAC) Play Reading Series was created by playwrights Julie Zaffarano, Dave Ebersole, and Keenya Jackson, in partnership with the MAC to create a space for local playwrights to hear their work read by talented actors and receive feedback from a public audience. The only regular new play reading series in the area, it brings exciting new stories to Delaware County.
Playwrights, actors, and directors who are interested in being involved in the series should contact Julie Zaffarano, juliezaffarano.gmail.com. Due to the limited budget for this project, we are unable to offer actors or directors a stipend through the MAC.