Category Archives: Main Stage

Ask Philippa: Measure for Measure Edition

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Alicia Coombes

Measure for Measure was written in 1604 at a pivotal moment in Shakespeare’s career. The playwright was 40 and had just finished writing a long line of comedies that explored complex issues of sex, marriage, and personal identity, and great tragedies—Othello, … Continue reading →

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black odyssey Student Night

Posted on September 5, 2017 by Alicia Coombes

Cal Shakes received an overwhelming and positive response from local educators who had seen black odyssey—teachers who then inquired about Student Matinees, who wanted copies of the script to teach in their own class, and those who just wanted to … Continue reading →

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Roots: music and ancestors in “black odyssey”

Posted on August 3, 2017 by Alicia Coombes

In the months and weeks leading up to rehearsal, I’ve had the privilege of sitting in on a few rehearsals for black odyssey. It’s going to be filled with fantastic music: powerful percussion by J. Alphonse Nicholson, who plays Ulysses, and … Continue reading →

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Buried Histories: Marcus Gardley on history and black odyssey

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Alicia Coombes

On a Thursday evening, black odyssey playwright Marcus Gardley and dramaturg and Artistic Engagement Associate Lisa Evans connected across time and space (or in layman’s terms: had a phone call) and talked about recontextualizing texts, the tradition of oral history … Continue reading →

Posted in 2017 Season, black odyssey, Main Stage | 1 Comment

Disability, Expectations, and Disruption in The Glass Menagerie

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Alicia Coombes

by Melissa Hillman Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie is a “memory play,” narrated through the main character’s memories of his mother, Amanda, and disabled sister, Laura. Tom, the main character, is the filter through which we see Laura and her … Continue reading →

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Ask Philippa: The Glass Menagerie

Posted on June 16, 2017 by Alicia Coombes

“I wasn’t prepared for what the future brought me,” says Tennesee Williams’ Amanda Wingfield. Looking back to genteel Southern roots that haven’t yielded the kind of life she imagined for herself, Amanda tries to shape success for her children, Tom and … Continue reading →

Posted in 2017 Season, Ask Philippa, The Glass Menagerie | 25 Comments

Lisa Portes on displacement, belonging, and the American Dream

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Alicia Coombes

Acclaimed Chicago director Lisa Portes visited Cal Shakes this spring for auditions and meetings in anticipation for her upcoming production of The Glass Menagerie. She sat down with Alicia Coombes, Publications Manager, to discuss her preliminary ideas and thoughts—what follows is … Continue reading →

Posted in 2017 Season, Main Stage, The Glass Menagerie | 2 Comments

Arden: coming home through where we’ve never been before

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Alicia Coombes

by Philippa Kelly, Resident Dramaturg Decades ago my husband bought some land with a bunch of fellow-hippies in Mendocino, and we often go up there. When you wake in the night, the sky is coal-black, studded with stars. You might … Continue reading →

Posted in 2017 Season, As You Like It, By Philippa Kelly (dramaturg), Main Stage | 2 Comments

Ask Philippa: As You Like It

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Alicia Coombes

As You Like It is in some ways Shakespeare’s most ambitious play. It follows a group of exiles—some banished, some running away—all of whom leave home to journey to the forest of Arden, finding en route a new home of sorts. … Continue reading →

Posted in 2017 Season, As You Like It, Ask Philippa | 11 Comments