Patience

   

Season: Autumn 2003

Dramatis Personae:

Lady Angela:

Amanda Lobaugh

Lady Ella:

Alison Champion

Lady Saphir:

Patricia A. Montrois

Lady Jane:

Sarajane Fondiller

Patience:

Holly T. Corcoran

The Major:

Stuart Beck

The Colonel:

Ted Benedict

Lieut. The Duke:

Joel Hume

Bunthorne:

Bill Hammond

Grosvenor:

Edward Medina-Torres

Bunthorne's Solicitor:

Scot Zaffora-Reeder

Twenty Love-Sick Maidens:

Christina Arden, Mary Bailey, Penny Fram, Rebekah Fram, Stacy Homola, Amanda Kish, Kim McDonald, Kathy Moore, Jennifer Odgers, Maureen Odgers, Suzanne Rath, Ginette Richard, Tania Ring, Laurel Schneiderman

Heavy Dragoons:

Terry Badger, Terry Benedict, Ethan DePuy, Stephen M. Gullo, David Odgers, Fred Scipione, Brad Slivinski, Jared Steinmiller, Sean D. Taylor

Production Staff:

Director:

Jad Jordan

Musical Director:

Robert Johnson

Producers:

Amanda Lobaugh, Patricia A. Montrois

Assistant Director:

Sean D. Taylor

Stained Glass Artist:

Lynette Blake

Set Designer:

Patricia A. Montrois

Scenic Artist:

Kathy Moore

Set Coordinator:

Tracy Burdick

Costume Coordinator:

Paula Gullo

Lighting Designer:

Michael Molongoski

Prop Coordinator:

Kim McDonald

House Management:

Suzanne Bell

Um... What did he just say?

Patience was Gilbert's attempt at mocking what was happening around him — the Aesthetic Movement. The movement was drawing a lot of attention at the time, and was a ripe and easy 'meaningless' target for his satire. In some ways this strictly contemporary theme makes Patience the most dated of all Gilbert & Sullivan's works.

At first glance, Patience can appear to be somewhat unapproachable - the flowery, slightly archaic language, the posturing, the poetry... The Aesthetic Movement is not as well understood as other periods in British history to Americans. It could very easily be isolating to a modern audience if they aren't students of history.

But look past the facade — what this show is really doing is mocking fads.

Substitute our poets with contestants on Survivor, American Idol, Joe Millionaire or any other current reality TV show designed to pick a 'winner'. Then doesn't what is happening on stage seem very familiar? Oh sure, the details might be different, but the attitudes aren't.

And can't you just see our Love-Sick Maidens following every release from the Backstreet Boys — until the latest *NSYNC CD comes out? Use any fad from any time period — Frank Sinatra and the bobbysoxers, Elvis, the Beetles, Duran Duran; the Rubik's Cube, Yu-Gi-Oh cards, Dungeons and Dragons, the Hula Hoop; speaking the latest language, be it Valley Girl or Flower Child; dressing like Madonna, Marilyn Monroe or Marilyn Manson, Davy Crocket's coon-skin hats — and suddenly this play becomes very understandable. Everyone has at one point in their lives wanted to be part of the latest fad - no matter how 'silly' the outsiders might think it is.

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The Aesthetic Movement was an actual time period in London, which Gilbert satirized with glee. But the aesthetics also influenced new ideas in art, music and architecture, to an extent that the ideas were transcended beyond London and any one physical place. Our Patience uses all those universal themes to transcend any physical place as well. The details of the show are as much about art and music as they are anything else.

Photos by Jim Blake, Edward Medina-Torres

       

       

     

     

   

   

     

   

Click on the thumbnail for the full-sized picture

Artwork by Alexandra Carlo

Last updated: 12/09/07