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Press Contact: Marilyn Langbehn
510.809.3290
510.910.3129 cell
[email protected]
CALIFORNIA SHAKESPEARE THEATER OPENS ITS 41ST SEASON WITH
SHAKESPEARE’S BRILLIANTLY FUNNY, ROMANTIC MASTERPIECE
TWELFTH NIGHT
Performances run May 27-June 21 at the solar-powered Bruns Amphitheater
Tickets on sale now; call 510.548.9666 or visit www.calshakes.org
Berkeley, CA – California Shakespeare Theater opens its 2015 season with Shakespeare’s comic
masterpiece, Twelfth Night, directed by Christopher Liam Moore. Twelfth Night plays at the Bruns
Amphitheater from May 27 through June 21.
Christopher Liam Moore returns to Cal Shakes after his wildly popular production of Oscar Wilde’s Lady
Windermere’s Fan (2013). For his second production at Cal Shakes, Moore has assembled a cast of seven
women and one man to play all the roles in Shakespeare’s masterful comedy of the beauty and madness
of love.
“I’m thrilled that this cast is filled with some of the Bay Area’s most extraordinary female actors—Julie,
Stacy, Catherine, Lisa, Margo, Domenique, and Rami,” says Moore. “I’m also delighted to have Ted
Deasy in his Cal Shakes debut as Feste; as the only male actor in the cast, he’ll serve as a kind of stage
manager to the proceedings and help to reinforce the idea that life is fleeting and love is to be embraced
when it comes your way.”
“I’ve always loved Chris’ work on the classics – he brings such humanity and elegance to the work and
reveals new meanings that make these plays from the past seem so fresh and relevant,” says Artistic
Director Jonathan Moscone. “I was inspired to bring to Chris the idea of populating most of the
company with female actors after producing Michelle Hensley’s community tour production of Twelfth
Night last year. Although this production bears no thematic connection to Michelle’s interpretation, it
gave me the inspiration to turn the historical traditional of all-male Shakespeare casts almost entirely on
its head by providing women the opportunity to play both men and women on the magical island of
Illyria, searching for, running from, be driven mad by, and finding true happiness through, love.”
The company of Twelfth Night includes seven of the Bay Area’s finest actresses: Julie Eccles, whose Cal
Shakes credits include Much Ado About Nothing, Candida, and Pygmalion, as the perpetually mourning
Olivia; Stacy Ross, most recently seen at Cal Shakes in Lady Windermere’s Fan and Titus Andronicus, as
the puritanical, power-hungry Malvolio; Margo Hall, last seen as Lena in A Raisin in the Sun and Bottom
in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as the foppish Sir Andrew Aguecheek; Catherine Castellanos, as the
reprobate Sir Toby Belch; Domenique Lozano, as plot instigator extraordinaire, Maria; Rami Margron as
the love-sick Duke Orsino; Lisa Anne Porter, whose work has been seen at A.C.T., Shakespeare Santa
Cruz, Marin Theatre Company, and Magic Theatre, as the twins Viola/Sebastian; and Ted Deasy, making
his Cal Shakes debut as Olivia’s fool, Feste ( among other roles); Mr. Deasy appeared in the national tour
of The 39 Steps, and his work has been seen at many regional theaters around the US, including six
seasons at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Rep Theatre of St. Louis, Utah
Shakespeare Festival, and in the world-premiere production of Jonathan Moscone and Tony Taccone’s
Ghost Light.
The creative team for Twelfth Night includes set designer Nina Ball, whose designs have been seen
throughout the Bay Area, including last season’s The Comedy of Errors and A Midsummer Night’s Dream;
costume designer Meg Neville, who designed Cal Shakes’ Lady Windermere’s Fan, Mrs. Warren’s
Profession, John Steinbeck’s The Pastures of Heaven, Happy Days, and An Ideal Husband; lighting
designer Burke Brown; whose work for theaters, dance and opera companies has been seen around the
country and internationally, including The Joseph Papp Public Theater, Cleveland Playhouse, Asolo Rep,
the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Abbey Theatre (Dublin), Alvin Ailey, and Yale Baroque Opera Company; and
sound designer Andre J. Pluess, who designed Cal Shakes’ The Comedy of Errors, Titus Andronicus, and A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, and has provided numerous soundscapes at Oregon Shakespeare Festival,
Steppenwolf, and Berkeley Rep, among others.
Christopher Liam Moore (Director) is thrilled to be returning to Cal Shakes after making his debut
with Lady Windermere’s Fan (2013). As director, his most recent work includes Long Day's Journey into
Night in the current season at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Blithe Spirit at Artist’s Rep in Portland
and Boeing, Boeing at Utah Shakespeare Festival. In the past six seasons at OSF, he has directed A
Streetcar Named Desire, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Very Merry Wives of Windsor, Iowa; August:
Osage County; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; and Dead Man’s Cell Phone. As an actor, he recently played Walter
Jenkins in last year's Tony award-winning play All The Way on Broadway. He has worked at theaters
across the country, including Berkeley Rep, American Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Yale Repertory,
Long Wharf, Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Repertory, Old Globe, and the Guthrie. His film and
television work includes as a series regular on Ten Items or Less on TBS and Murder in Small Town X on
Fox. He has also appeared on Friends, Judging Amy, Third Rock from the Sun, and Star Trek: Voyager. He
is a proud founding member of Cornerstone Theater Company and worked with the company for 20
years.
Single tickets for Twelfth Night range from $20 to $72, with discounts available for seniors, students,
military families, persons age 30 and under, and groups. Prices, dates, titles, and artists are subject to
change. For information or to charge tickets by phone with VISA, MasterCard, or American Express, call
the Cal Shakes Box Office at 510.548.9666. Additional information and online ticketing are available
at www.calshakes.org.
California Shakespeare Theater’s 2015 season is supported in part by the generosity of The William and
Flora Hewlett Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, the Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation, The
Bernard Osher Foundation, and The Shubert Foundation; corporate partners include BART, City
National Bank, John Muir Health, KBLX, Lafayette Park Hotel & Spa, Meyer Sound, Peet’s Coffee &
Tea, and United Airlines.
About Cal Shakes
Cal Shakes celebrates its 41th anniversary inspired by an expansive vision of the role theater can and
should play in society, as expressed in our mission statement: With Shakespeare’s depth of humanity as
our touchstone, we build character and community through authentic, inclusive, and joyful theater
experiences.
Founded in 1974 and under the leadership of Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone since 2000, our Main
Stage productions have earned a reputation for their bold artistic vision and vivid story-telling. We give
artists full range to bring their own life experience to the stories we tell on our stage—to take risks while
remaining authentic to the story being told. Our season runs from May to October, attracting 43,000 Bay
Area theater-goers to our outdoor, solar-powered, Bruns Memorial Amphitheater—described by
the Wall Street Journal as, “One of the most beautiful outdoor performance spaces in America.”
Through the Triangle Lab, we aim to integrate art more deeply into community life—to make theater
matter more to more people. Our Artistic Learning programs reach 5,000 students annually, engaging
students in classrooms and at our Theater in on-your-feet activities that bring a text to life, while also
practicing skills that are crucial in today’s economy. For more information on the entirety of Cal Shakes
work on stage, in schools, and with communities, go to www.calshakes.org.
FAST FACTS ABOUT TWELFTH NIGHT
WHAT
California Shakespeare Theater’s production of Twelfth Night
WHO
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Christopher Liam Moore
Designed by Nina Ball (set designer), Meg Neville (costume designer), Burke
Brown (lighting designer), and Andre J. Pluess (sound designer).
Featuring: Catherine Castellanos (Sir Toby Belch, Ensemble); Ted Deasy (Feste,
Ensemble); Julie Eccles (Olivia, Ensemble); Margo Hall (Sir Andrew Aguecheek,
Ensemble), Domenique Lozano (Maria, Ensemble); Rami Margron (Duke Orsino,
Ensemble); Lisa Anne Porter (Viola, Sebastian, Ensemble); and Stacy Ross (Malvolio,
Ensemble)
WHEN
May 27 – June 21, 2015
Previews May 27, 28, and 29 at 8pm
Press Opening May 30 at 8pm
Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30pm
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm
Saturday Matinee June 20 at 2pm
Sunday Matinees at 4pm
Grounds open two hours prior to show time for picnicking.
WHERE
Bruns Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda, CA 94563
(just off Highway 24 at the California Shakespeare Theater Way/Wilder Rd. exit, one
mile east of the Caldecott Tunnel.)
Complimentary shuttle from Orinda BART beginning 2 hours before curtain.
Complimentary parking onsite.
TICKETS
Single tickets range from $20 to $72, with discounts available for seniors, students,
persons age 30 and under, and groups. Cal Shakes makes twenty tickets available for
$20 on a first-come, first-served basis for every performance throughout the season.
Call Cal Shakes’ Box Office at 510.548.9666 between noon and 2pm to purchase. Prices
subject to change.
All tickets are available through the California Shakespeare Theater Box Office, 701
Heinz Avenue, Berkeley CA, 510.548.9666, online at www.calshakes.org, or at the Bruns
box office on the day of the performance (pending availability).
GROUPS
INFO
Groups of 10 or more save $10 off the adult single ticket price; complimentary ticket
available for groups of 15+. For more information, call 510.809.3290.
www.calshakes.org
TWELFTH NIGHT Special Events
Inside Scoop, Monday, May 11, 6:30-8pm, Orinda Library
Audiences are invited to a sneak peek at the upcoming production halfway through the rehearsal
process with the director and members of the cast, moderated by Cal Shakes Resident Dramaturg
Philippa Kelly. Complimentary sweet treats and Peet’s coffee is served.
Opening Night Post-Show Party, May 30, following the performance
Experience the excitement of the opening night performance and then mingle with the cast and creative
team at a complimentary post-show party.
Tuesday Tastings, Tuesdays, June 2, 9, and 16, beginning at 6pm
Taste the best of the Bay Area’s wine, beer, coffee, sweets, and savories for free on Tuesdays before the
performance.
Teen Night, Tuesday, June 2; 6pm event, 7:30pm performance
A special event just for teens ages 13–18. Come hang out in the Upper Grove; we’ll provide the pizza
and soda, a special backstage tour, and a pre-show engagement with one of our teaching artists before
the show. Call 510.809.3290 for tickets and more info.
Open-captioned performance, Wednesday, June 3, 7:30pm
Special seating and opening-captioning for hearing-impaired patrons, who can read the text and
dialogue on a digital screen. Purchase tickets for section A online at calshakes.org, or call the Box Office
at 510.548.9666. For groups of 10 or more, email [email protected] or call 510.809.3290.
Meet the Artists, Sundays, May 31 and June 14, following the 4pm performance
Audience members enjoy an opportunity to engage in a lively discussion about the production with cast
members following select 4pm matinee performances. Free and open to all.
InSight Matinee, Sunday, June 7, following the 4pm matinee
Explore the world of the play through an informal dialogue with the production’s dramaturg following
select 4pm performances. Free and open to all.
Triangle Lab’s "Celebrate the Artist in Everyone" event; June 11, following the performance
Cal Shakes' Triangle Lab teams up with The Body is Not an Apology to invite audience members to
participate in a radical self-love fashion show and dance party, on stage following the
performance. Free and open to all.
Bring Your Child to their First Shakespeare Performance, June 20, 12:30pm event; 2pm performance
Families are invited to bring children who have never before attended a Shakespeare performance to
our 2pm matinee on June 20th. Special discounted kids' tickets ($20) available with the purchase of a
full-priced adult ticket. Pre-show activities include a visit with a teaching artist and a commemorative
token. Recommended for children 8 and up.
Grove Talks, 45 minutes before each performance
Led by resident Grove Talks speakers, these free, informal 20-minute talks are held on site 45 minutes
before each and every performance in the ADA-accessible Grove Talk grove, offering invaluable insight
into the play and the production.