The British invasion of the Theater at Monmouth was a gradual one.
The theater’s season will include two plays by Shakespeare, as always, and especially appropriate as the Anglophone world celebrates Shakespeare’s 450th birthday this year.
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Monmouth's 45th season
The 45th season of the Theater at Monmouth opened with the family show on June 28 and will conclude with a musical in the fall. For more information about show dates and times, visit www.theater atmonmouth.org or call 207-933-9999.
June 28-Aug. 21: “Tales from the Blue Fairy Book” adapted by Dawn McAndrews from the collection by Andrew Lang
July 10-Aug. 22: “As You Like It” by William Shakespeare
July 17-Aug. 23: “A Woman of No Importance” by Oscar Wilde
July 24-Aug. 24: “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare
July 31-Aug. 23: “What the Butler Saw” by Joe Orton
Sept. 18-28: “The Sorcerer” by Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert
Producing Artistic Director Dawn McAndrews chose to balance the romantic comedy “As You Like It” with the teenage angst and tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet.”
The Theater at Monmouth is in the second year of a three-year commitment to Gilbert & Sullivan, so the fall musical will be the pair’s story of an entire village being dosed with love potion, “The Sorcerer.”
Inspired by her new obsession with “Downton Abbey,” McAndrews then chose to present Oscar Wilde’s “A Woman of No Importance” for both its portrayal of intrigue among the upper class and its large number of roles for women – a rarity in classic theater.
McAndrews and director Brian Allen were looking for an American comedy from the mid-20th century to round out the season when McAndrews decided to go with the theme she saw emerging.
They chose “What the Butler Saw,” a farce by English playwright Joe Orton full of innuendo and cross-dressing.
The Theater at Monmouth’s 45th season kicked off June 28 with the family show “Tales from the Blue Fairy Book.” “As You Like It” opens Thursday.
The male romantic lead in “As You Like It,” Orlando, will be played by Portland actor Michael Dix Thomas, who also has the role of Mercutio in “Romeo and Juliet.”
Thomas said he’s attracted to Shakespeare’s work because the characters’ emotional worlds are universal, and “Romeo and Juliet” is one of his favorite plays.
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