PL AYBILL
ROSENCRANTZ AND GuILDENSTERN ARE DeaD Tom Stoppard ( UK 1966 )
}{ a pproxim at e ru n ni ng t im e: 2 hou rs a nd 30 m i nu t es t h er e w ill be t wo 15 m i nu t e i n t er m issions
ARTIST NOTE: Ted Dykstra
A MESSAGE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
How lucky am I to be able to be in one of the most famous plays of my generation, by a writer who is as famous, in one of my favourite theatres in the world? Yeah. A lot of the laughs here in week two: Jordan and I going off the rails with dialogue at speed. How many times we have to hear Ken say he will never act on stage again. Watching Diego play a small part and not know his lines because he hasn’t decided on his timing. Trying not to look at Nancy because she makes me giggle. Ollie playing an actor, again. Daniel and Paolo having sex in Act Two. Bill Webster. (You’d have to know him) Then there’s getting to know Leah, who I taught at NTS, Gregory, whom I have so admired in the last few years, Peyson, whom I’ve never met before this, Tim, who is my sports fix… And Nancy and Janet, who actually seem to like us all. Oh and let’s let Mike Ross write some music. Did I mention Joe Ziegler was at the helm? Note to self: Gratitude is the only prayer there is. I am grateful.•
Dear Friends, A decade ago we sent a survey to our supporters in which one of the questions was: which play would you most like to see performed? The easy winner was Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. In the meantime we have staged three other Stoppard plays as well as the two plays that most influenced Stoppard in the writing of “R and G”: Hamlet (of course), and Samuel Beckett’s existentialist vaudeville act, Waiting for Godot. Those of you who were there when the great William Hutt created his last original performance as Beckett’s Vladimir, will remember that his playing partner was Jordan Pettle who is our Guildenstern tonight. You will also remember that tonight’s director Joe Ziegler played “Pozzo”, and “Lucky” was the ubiquitous Oliver Dennis who was also Horatio in Hamlet. Some of you will remember that Joe also directed Hamlet and that tonight’s Gertrude – Nancy Palk – played Gertrude then. As a company’s body of work grows these echoes grow with it. I am so glad that we are finally getting around to this play and, as Ted said, grateful for it all.•
Ted Dykstra, Rosencrantz in
Albert Schultz, Artistic Director
R osencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
ge n e rou s ly s u p p ort e d by