STUDY GUIDE CAMELOT. new repertory theatre. LEAP lifelong enrichment arts programs. book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner music by Frederick Loewe

Transcription

1 new repertory theatre STUDY GUIDE CAMELOT book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner music by Frederick Loewe LEAP lifelong enrichment arts programs Education Outreach Supporters Funded in part by generous individual contributors, Procter and Gamble, Target Stores, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Roy A. Hunt Foundation, Fuller Foundation, Watertown Community Foundation, Highland Street Foundation, and the Foundation for MetroWest. administrative office 200 dexter avenue watertown, ma artistic director jim petosa managing director harriet sheets the professional theatre company in residence at the arsenal center for the arts

2 Contents 2 Synopsis of CAMELOT 3 Program Notes 4 The Beginnings of a Classic 4 A Modern Camelot 5 Pre-Show and Post-Show Questions 5 Works Cited Synopsis of CAMELOT Camelot is the fictional setting where the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table takes place. The play opens with King Arthur hiding in a tree, nervous about his upcoming arranged marriage. Merlyn the Magician, Arthur s wise tutor, calls him down to warn the young man that he must learn to think for himself. Merlyn, who lives backwards in time and remembers the future instead of the past, knows he will soon be separated from Arthur. Merlyn persuades Arthur to climb down and chides him for his unkingly behavior. Arthur then left alone, ponders both his subjects and his own feelings about the intended nuptials in the song I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight?. Arthur hears someone coming and scampers up the tree again. Guenevere has come to the woods and does not like the idea of being Queen, preferring to live an ordinary life ( Simple Joys of Maidenhood ). She stumbles into Arthur not knowing he is her intended future husband and he tells her of the joys of life in Camelot in the song Camelot. It is love at first sight and they almost kiss, but are interrupted by Arthur s attendants. Arthur s identity is revealed, and he tells Guenevere the story of how he pulled the sword from the stone and became king. Guenevere is charmed and they are delighted at the thought of becoming husband and wife. The wizard Merlyn is pleased with this development, but his joy turns to sorrow as his memories of the future begin to fade. He realizes that Nimue, a beautiful water nymph, has come to draw him into her cave for an eternal sleep in the song Follow Me. His memories fade permanently, and he is led away. Five years later, Arthur sits with Guenevere in his study, debating about what to do for his kingdom. He explains that he wishes to create a new kind of knight one that does not pillage and fight, but upholds the queen s champion by howard david johnson honor and justice. With Guenevere s help, he is inspired to establish the Round Table with the motto might for right. A few months later, Arthur s idea has led to the Knights of the Round Table becoming renowned throughout the country. This news reaches young Frenchman Lancelot du Lac, who is determined Each evening, from December to December, Before you drift to sleep upon your cot, Think back on all the tales that you remember Of Camelot. Ask ev ry person if he s heard the story, And tell it strong and clear zif he has not, That once there was a fleeting wisp of glory Called Camelot. - Arthur, Camelot (Reprise) to go to Camelot and join Arthur s knights ( C est Moi ). King Pellinore, an elderly man who was a friend of Arthur s family, also visits Camelot to witness Arthur s greatness. After Lancelot arrives, Guenevere organizes a May Day festival on the castle grounds ( The Lusty Month of May ), where Arthur introduces her to Lancelot. Guenevere takes an instant dislike to this cocky fellow and instigates him to engage three knights of the Round Table in a jousting match ( Then You May Take Me to the Fair ). Unlike everyone else, Arthur likes Lancelot, and tries to dissuade Guenevere from taking sides against the young knight. After failing to convince her, Arthur is at a loss to understand a woman s way ( How to Handle a Woman ). In the jousting match, Lancelot easily defeats all three knights. He wounds Sir Lionel so badly that the crowd thinks him dead ( The Jousts ). But the dismay of the crowd turns to awe and adoration, as instead Lancelot appears to resurrect a dead man. Guenevere finds herself falling in love with Lancelot, although she does not want to violate her marriage vows and wishes Lancelot would leave Camelot ( Before I Gaze at You Again ). Lancelot is also conflicted, because although he is devoted to King Arthur, he is A knight of the Table Round should be Succeed where a less fantastic man would fail. Climb a wall no one else can climb, Cleave a dragon in record time, Swim a moat in a coat of heavy iron mail. - Lancelot, C est Moi invincible, CAMELOT Study Guide 2

3 Synopsis of CAMELOT continued in love with Guenevere. Arthur sees that the two are in love but chooses to ignore it, as he does not wish to upset the tranquility of Camelot. Several years later, Guenevere and Lancelot are still tormented by their unfulfilled love ( If Ever I Would Leave You ). Then Mordred, Arthur s illegitimate son, comes to Camelot to dishonor the King and try to gain the throne for himself. Arthur puts him in charge of the Knight s training program, not knowing the nature of Mordred s true intentions of revenge. Mordred accepts, though Oh, no! not in spring-time! Summer, winter or fall! No, never could I leave you at all! - Lancelot, If Ever I Would Leave You he detests the idea of being a Knight ( The Seven Deadly Virtues ). As Guenevere remains faithful to her husband, Arthur begins to feel the strain of ruling England ( What Do Simple Folks Do ). Meanwhile, Mordred has devised a plan to trap Arthur in the forest one night with the help of his aunt, Morgan le Fey ( The Persuasion ). While Arthur is gone, Lancelot visits Guenevere in her chambers, where she tells Lancelot how much she loves him ( I Loved You Once in Silence ). Mordred bursts into the room with some of the Knights of the Round Table to accuse Lancelot of treachery and to imprison him. Lancelot succeeds in escaping from prison, but Guenevere is arrested, found guilty of treason by reason of her infidelity, and sentenced to be burned at the stake ( Guenevere ). She is saved by Lancelot, who takes her off with him to France. For the sake of his own honor and that of Camelot, Arthur must now wage war on France. The war takes a terrible toll on Camelot, as more than half of the Knights of the Round Table are killed. Lancelot and Guenevere s relationship has floundered and Guenevere has become a nun. Just before the final battle, Arthur meets Lancelot and Guenevere and forgives them both. In camp, Arthur meets a young stowaway who wants to join the Round Table. Arthur knights him on the field of battle and sends him back to England to grow up there, hoping that he might pass on to future generations the ideals of chivalry and Camelot ( Camelot {reprise}). Program Notes There ll be great presidents again...but there ll never be another Camelot, Jacqueline Kennedy said in an interview with Theodore H. White one week after her husband, President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated. White quoted Jacqueline Kennedy in an essay he published in Life magazine on December 6, 1963 titled For President Kennedy: An Epilogue. Since that time, the Kennedy administration has been linked with King Arthur s mythical Camelot, which represents a utopian ideal, a world filled with hope and dreams. Theodore H. White would later refer to the Kennedy administration as a magic moment in American history when gallant men danced with beautiful women, when great deeds were done, when artists, writers and poets met at the White House, and the barbarians beyond the walls held back. During President Kennedy s lifetime, no one referred to Washington as Camelot, but Kennedy was familiar with the cast recording of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe s CAMELOT. His favorite moment, Jacqueline Kennedy said, came during the final number, when King Arthur urges a young knight to inspire future generations to idealism: Don t let it be forgot/that once there was a spot,/for one brief, shining moment/that was known as Camelot. PHOTO BY STAN TRETICK/UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL CAMELOT Study Guide 3

4 The Beginnings of a Classic Alan Jay Lerner was first inspired to write CAMELOT in 1958, when his friend Stone Bud Widney showed him a New York Times book review of Terence H. White s novel, The Once and Future King, and suggested it should be his next musical, following the success of MY FAIR LADY. White had based his saga on Thomas Malory s Le Morte d Arthur (1485), a compilation of the legends of King Arthur, and interpreted its theme from a modern perspective, as the search for an antidote to war. In his adaptation of The Once and Future King, Lerner was unable to draw much material from White s first volume, The Sword and the Stone (which detailed Merlyn s education of King Arthur), because Disney had purchased the movie rights for an animated film. He also took some creative liberties with the rest of White s text. Whereas White blames the fall of Camelot on greed and selfishness and violence in the heart of man, Lerner blames the fall on adultery, and he simplifies the story to two mythic elements: the love triangle and the round table. Lerner and Loewe further condensed and altered White s story to meet new challenges brought on by changes in musical theatre. CAMELOT conformed to the musical theatre style established by Rogers and Hammerstein: a long first act and a short second act leading to a dramatic finale. However, with character development now vitally important, and with music now integral to the telling of the story, songs had to be central to the drama rather than merely entertaining diversions. Even with significant cuts from White s novel, the early versions of CAMELOT were lengthy, in keeping with the massive size of the production itself: there were fifty-six actors in the cast, thirty-three musicians in the orchestra. At its October 1960 premiere in Toronto, the musical ran four and a half hours. By the time the show arrived on Broadway after its stop in Boston, one and a half hours of music and dialogue, including a ballet sequence and a jousting scene, had been cut. Directed by Moss Hart, CAMELOT officially opened at the Majestic Theatre in New York City on December 3, Though the show stayed true to the framework Lerner and Loewe intended, cuts continued even after the opening. CAMELOT had a successful run of 873 performances and won four Tony Awards. The original cast album was the top selling LP in the United States for fifteen months. A Modern Camelot On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Two weeks later, Theodore H. White s article appeared in Life, and CAMELOT was performed in Chicago on the national tour. Lerner described the audience s emotional reaction that night: Louis Hayward was playing King Arthur. When he came to those lines [ Don t let it be forgot/that once there was a spot,/ For one brief, shining moment/that was known as Camelot ], there was a sudden wail from the audience. It was not a muffled sob; it was a loud, almost primitive cry of pain. The play stopped, and for almost five minutes everyone in the theatre on stage, in the wings, in the pit, and in the audience wept without restraint. Then the play continued. November 22, 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy s assassination. The Camelot myth has endured, despite subsequent revelations that Kennedy was not the ideal president the King Arthur analogy suggested. Even Theodore H. White, in his 1981 book, In Search of History, calls the Kennedy myth a misreading of history. As Mike Celizic reminds us, the Camelot of legend itself never existed except in the minds of people who needed there to be such a place. In the immediate aftermath of John F. Kennedy s death, Jacqueline Kennedy and Theodore H. White understood the country s need for a heroic myth as it grieved for its thirty-fifth president and feared for its future. In explaining why so many people believed in what he calls this elaborate fiction, Robert Fulford says that we wanted to believe. We embraced, perhaps for the first and last time in our lives, an ancient ideal of virtue, wisdom and beauty embodied in one great leader. Don t let it be forgot That once there was a spot For one brief, shining moment That was known as Camelot - Arthur Camelot (Reprise) CAMELOT Study Guide 4

5 Questions Pre-Show Questions 1) Lerner and Loewe were collaborators on numerous projects. They wrote many great musicals together, but it was said that this collaboration put a stress on their friendship. What do you think would be the benefits and also the challenges of writing a script, music, and lyrics with someone else? 2) In the opening of the musical, King Arthur is hiding from his bride-to-be. How is this different from the way we imagine the story of King Arthur and Camelot? 3) Describe and analyze the role of Merlyn. How does Merlyn s presence help or cause trouble for King Arthur? 4) CAMELOT takes place over an extended period of time. Imagine you are an actor playing either the role of Arthur, Guenevere or Lancelot. What would you do to portray growth and development in your character? How would you portray the process of aging? 5) Who is Pellinore and what is his significance in CAMELOT? Would the story be any different if Pellinore were not present? Post-Show Questions 6) Music can provide an emotional connection between a character and the audience. Think about a song or character from CAMELOT that you connected with. Describe your own characteristics and discuss how they relate to the song or character. 7) How did Guenevere and Lancelot s relationship go against the values of the Knights of the Round Table? 8) There are a lot of mystical characters in CAMELOT, such as Merlyn, Morgan le Fey, and Nimue. What are some ways in theatre to show the audience that these characters are different from everyone else? Think about the lighting, costumes, and music that is used for those characters. 9) CAMELOT ends at a camp just before the final battle of King Arthur s war. What kind of impact did this have on you as an audience member? How did this affect the overall message of CAMELOT? 10) The story of King Athur and CAMELOT is known on a global level and there have been many different portrayals of it. Collect images of King Arthur and describe how the artist interprets him. What is the tone of these images? How do they connect to the musical? Works Cited Burns, William E. A Brief History of Great Britain. New York: Facts On File, Castleden, Rodney. King Arthur: The Truth behind the Legend. London: Routledge, Celizic, Mike. Kennedy s Death Marks the End of Camelot. 26 Aug the_end_of_camelot html Eisenberg, Susan Dormady. Stone Widney Recalls the Magic of Camelot as Musical Turns Fifty. Huffington Post. 2 Dec Fulford, Robert. The Kennedy Myth And Why We Believed It. The National Post 5 June Ga nzl, Kurt. The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre. New York: Schirmer, Lerner, Alan Jay. The Street Where I Live. New York: Norton, Mordden, Ethan. Open a New Window: The Broadway Musical in the 1960s. New York: Palgrave, Pfefferkorn, Karl. Effects of Kennedy and White s Camelot Myth Discussed. 08 December textonlyarchive/ /4.txt Schlesinger, Arthur M., Jr. A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Swain, Joseph Peter. The Broadway Musical: A Critical and Musical Survey. New York: Oxford UP, White, Theodore H. For President Kennedy: An Epilogue. Life 6 Dec. 1963: White, Theodore H. In Search of History: A Personal Adventure. New York: Harper & Row, CAMELOT Study Guide 5

6 new repertory theatre s CAMELOT book and lyrics by ALAN JAY LERNER music by FREDERICK LOEWE directed and choreographed by RUSSELL GARRETT** musical direction by DAVID MCGRORY scenic designer costume designer lighting designer JOHN TRAUB RAFAEL JAEN*** CHRIS BRUSBERG sound designer stage manager assistant stage manager STEVE DEE KEVIN SCHLAGLE* LESLIE SEARS* cast ( in alphabetical order) RACHEL ABBATE Lady in Waiting TROY BARBOZA Guilliam RISHI BASU Castor MICHAEL J. BORGES* Sir Dinadan KEVIN CIRONE Sir Sagramore SHONNA CIRONE Lady Anne KATIE CLARK Morgan Le Fey BENJAMIN EVETT* Arthur DASHIELL EVETT Tom of Warwick NATALIE HALL Young Girl in Waiting MARC KOECK* Lancelot MARK LINEHAN* Colgrevance BRITTNEY MORELLO* Nimue ROBERT D. MURPHY* Merlyn, Pellinore MAURICE EMMANUEL PARENT* Sir Lionel JULIAN SCHEPIS Page JACOB SHERBURNE Bliant ERICA SPYRES* Guenevere NICK SULFARO Mordred JACKIE THEOHARIS Lady in Waiting JEREMY A. TOWLE Squire Dap orchestra DAVID MCGRORY Music Director, Piano PRISCILLA CHEW Cello JEFF CLAASEN Trumpet BETH MUNN GRIFFIN Percussion DONALD HOLM JR. Percussion STANLEY J. SILVERMAN Violin LAURA SMOLOWITZ Flute JERI SYKES Clarinet dance captain MAURICE EMMANUEL PARENT* fight captain MICHAEL J. BORGES* * member of Actors Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States ** member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, Inc., an independent national labor union *** member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 CAMELOT Study Guide 6

7 RACHEL ABBATE (Lady in Waiting) makes her New Repertory Theatre debut. Recent credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie (Stoneham Theatre); Oklahoma (The Berkshire Theatre Group); and The Sound of Music, The Mikado, and The Music Man (Muhlenberg College s Summer Music Theatre). Ms. Abbate earned her BA in theatre and dance from Muhlenberg College (Pennsylvania). Originally from Norfolk, MA, she resides in Manhattan. TROY BARBOSA (Guilliam) makes his New Repertory Theatre debut. Recent credits include The Libertine (Bridge Rep); The Da Vinci Commission (Can t Wait Productions); Next to Normal (M&D Productions); Xanadu, The Drowsy Chaperone, and My Fair Lady (Cape Rep). In addition, Mr. Barboza was assistant director on Twins (Boston Actors Theatre). Originally from Cape Cod, he resides in Brookline. RISHI BASU (Castor) makes his New Repertory Theatre debut. Area credits include Les Miserables and Fiddler on the Roof (Reagle Music Theater); On the Town and The Mikado (Lyric Stage Company); RENT, Freakshow, The Pillowman, Oliver!, An Ideal Husband, And Then There Were None, Gypsy, Singin in the Rain, and Hair (Footlight Club). He has been a featured singer with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Boston Camerata, and Harvard Glee Club. Originally from Rochester, NY, he resides in Somerville. MICHAEL J. BORGES* (Sir Dinadan, Fight Captain) makes his New Repertory Theatre debut. Area credits include The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Lyric Stage Company/ Broadway World Award); A Christmas Carol (North Shore Music Theatre); and Awesome 80 s Prom (Bello Productions). Off-Broadway credits include Mexican Hayride and Strike up the Band (Lions Theatre). Mr. Borges earned his BFA in Musical Theatre at Emerson College. Originally from Taunton, MA, he resides in New York. KEVIN CIRONE (Sir Sagramore) makes his New Repertory Theatre debut. Regional credits include Legally Blonde and Sunset Boulevard (Next Door Theater); Ragtime (Fiddlehead Theater); I Love You, You re Perfect, Now Change (Arts After Hours); Into the Woods (Salem Summer Theater); tick, tick BOOM! and The Last Five Years (T & F Theater); The Producers (Turtle Lane Players/IRNE Nomination); and Bye Bye Liver: The Boston Drinking Play (Pub Theater Company). Currently he is developing a new musical called Creative License, for which he wrote the book and lyrics and co-wrote the music. Originally from Veazie, ME, Mr. Cirone resides in Woburn. SHONNA CIRONE (Lady Anne) makes her New Repertory Theatre debut. Boston area credits include Fiddler on the Roof (Reagle Music Theatre); A New Brain (Moonbox Productions); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Turtle Lane Playhouse); Ragtime (Fiddlehead Theatre/IRNE Award); Bye, Bye, Birdie (Reagle Music Theatre, IRNE Nomination); The Full Monty (Stoneham Theatre); I Love You, You re Perfect, Now Change (Arts After Hours); The Phantom Tollbooth (Wheelock Family Theatre); Candide (Huntington Theatre Company); and The Last Five Years (T & F Theater). Ms. Cirone is a graduate of The American Music and Dramatic Academy (New York). Originally from Billerica, MA, she resides in Woburn. Next she will appear in Company (Moonbox Productions). KATIE CLARK (Morgan Le Fey) makes her New Repertory Theatre debut. Area credits include A Chorus Line (Reagle Music Theatre); Thoroughly Modern Millie (Stoneham Theatre); Crazy for You (Fiddlehead Theatre Company); Hairspray (Reagle Music Theatre); Singin in the Rain (New Bedford Festival Theatre); and Spamalot (Cape Rep Theatre). Other credits include Guys and Dolls (Interlakes Summer Theatre); The Music Man (National Tour); Trailer Park Musical (Theatre Barn); and 42 nd Street (Arizona Broadway Theatre). Ms. Clark earned her BA in Musical Theatre and Dance from Ball State University (Indiana). Originally from Medford, MA, she will next appear in Company (Moonbox Productions). BENJAMIN EVETT* (Arthur) returns to New Repertory Theatre after appearing in Amadeus, Cherry Docs, Opus, Indulgences, A Christmas Carol, Quills, A Girl s War, and Jerusalem, and directing RENT. He was recently seen in Freud s Last Session (Arizona Theatre Company) and God of Carnage (San Jose Rep). He was a member of the ART Resident Acting Company from 1993 to 2003, performing in over 50 productions, including Waiting for Godot, The Bacchae, Phedre, and Six Characters in Search of an Author. He has performed at the Missouri Rep, the Virginia Stage Company, the Alley Theatre, the Taiwan National Theatre, and the Moscow Art Theatre. He is Founding Artistic Director of Actors Shakespeare Project, where he played Coriolanus, Hamlet, Petruchio, Edmund, and Caliban. Mr. Evett will next appear in On the Verge this spring. DASHIELL EVETT (Tom of Warwick, Understudy: Ensemble) is a sixth-grader at Ottoson Middle School in Arlington. His previous acting credits include Kurt in The Sound of Music (Concord Players); one of Fagin s Gang in Oliver! (Arlington Friends of the Drama); and a pair of twins in Blood Rose Rising (Honest Ghost Productions). He sings with both In Good Company, an all-ages group that creates engaging, original musical theater inspired by stories from American history, and Arlington s Broadway Performance Group. Dashiell plays guitar, makes his own films, and enjoys cooking, tennis, and ultimate Frisbee. NATALIE HALL (Young Girl in Waiting) is a seventh-grader at The Rivers School in Weston. Her previous acting credits include Children s Chorus in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Turtle Lane Players); Marta in The Sound of Music (Reagle Music Theatre); Molly in Annie (Wellesley Players); and Greta in Henry & Greta (Jenny Lim: Old Depot Film). She performs with The Friends of Broadway (SAMM Entertainment) and dances with Eclipse Dance Company. She trains in musical theater, tap, jazz, and ballet at The Performing Arts Connection in Sudbury. CAMELOT Study Guide 7

8 MARC KOECK*(Lancelot) makes his New Repertory Theatre debut. Other credits include Legally Blonde (Ocean State Theatre). Film credits include Grown Ups 2 (Columbia Pictures) and The Heat (20 th Century Fox). Mr. Koeck is currently a senior pursuing his BFA in Musical Theatre at The Boston Conservatory. Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, he currently resides in Boston. MARK LINEHAN* (Colgrevance) returns to New Repertory Theatre after appearing in The Last Five Years (BroadwayWorld Award). Other area credits include Pippi Longstocking (Wheelock Family Theater); It s A Wonderful Life and Lumberjacks in Love (Stoneham Theatre); Cupcake: A New Musical (GBA Productions/Club Cafe); and Floyd Collins (Moonbox Productions). He has also appeared on stage at the Reagle Music Theatre, Lyric Stage Company, Foothills Theatre, Next Door Center for the Arts, Fiddlehead Theater, and the Papermill Theater (New Hampshire). Film credits include stunt work in Shutter Island and Surrogates. He has also appeared in numerous television commercials. Mr. Linehan earned his BFA in Musical Theater from Emerson College. Originally from Natick, MA, he resides in Malden. This winter, he will appear in Hairspray (Wheelock Family Theater) and in Something s Afoot (Stoneham Theatre). BRITTNEY MORELLO* (Nimue) makes her New Repertory Theatre debut. Other credits include Pirates! (Huntington Theatre Company); Nine (SpeakEasy Stage Company); A Christmas Carol (North Shore Music Theatre); and My Fair Lady and The Marvelous Wonderettes (Maine State Music Theatre). Ms. Morello earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College and resides in New York. ROBERT D. MURPHY* (Merlyn, Pellinore) makes his New Repertory Theatre debut. Other area credits include Operation Epsilon (Nora Theatre Company); Sticks and Bones (Harbor Stage Company); Floyd Collins and Lucky Stiff (Moon Box Productions); A Child s Christmas in Wales and King of the Jews (Boston Playwrights Theatre); and Hotel Cassiopeia and Time of Your Life (Fort Point Theatre Channel). Television credits include Gilded Lilys (ABC) and several episodes Brotherhood (Showtime). Mr. Murphy provides voiceover for many Boston companies, including Fidelity Investments and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. He served on the Board of Directors for StageSource, resides in Beverly, and will next be seen in the Sila (Underground Railway Theater). MAURICE EMMANUEL PARENT* (Sir Lionel, Dance Captain) returns to New Repertory Theatre after performing in RENT, Passing Strange, Cabaret, The Wild Party, and Ragtime. Other area credits include On the Town, Man of La Mancha (Lyric Stage Company); A Raisin in the Sun (Huntington Theatre Company); The Mountaintop (Underground Railway Theater); The Motherf**cker with the Hat and Some Men (SpeakEasy Stage Company); Romeo and Juliet, Troilus and Cressida, A Midsummer Night s Dream, Coriolanus, and King John (Actors Shakespeare Project/ Company Member); Angels in America/Elliot Norton Award Best Actor (Boston Theatre Works). Other credits include The Rink (Cape Playhouse); The Good War (York Theatre); Hair (Barrington Stage); Ragtime (Fulton Opera House/Music Theatre of Wichita). Mr. Parent resides in Cambridge and after Camelot will appear in The Color Purple (SpeakEasy Stage Company). JULIAN SCHEPIS (Page, Understudy: Tom of Warwick) returns to New Repertory Theatre after performing in mainstage productions of DollHouse and A Christmas Carol, as well as performing in New Rep On Tour s A Christmas Carol. He has performed in numerous productions with Watertown Children s Theatre, most recently in Macbeth and Aladdin. Other Boston-area credits include The Nutcracker (Stoneham Theatre); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (North Shore Music Theatre); and Tom Sawyer (Zero Point Theatre). Julian is in eighth grade at Watertown Middle School, plays cello, writes stories, and is an avid Boston Red Sox fan. JACOB SHERBURNE (Bliant) returns to New Repertory Theatre after performing in both Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mockingbird with Classic Repertory Company. Recent area credits include The Donkey Show (A.R.T.); Evil Dead: The Musical (Arts After Hours); Les Miserables and Bye Bye Birdie (Reagle Music Theater); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Turtle Lane Playhouse); and Floyd Collins (Moon Box Productions). Mr. Sherburne earned his BA in Theatre and English from Boston College. Originally from Arlington, he resides in Medford. ERICA SPYRES* (Guenevere) returns to New Repertory Theatre after appearing in Master Class and Marry Me a Little. Area credits include Tribes and The Light in the Piazza/IRNE Award (SpeakEasy Stage Company); Avenue Q/IRNE Award Elliot Norton Nomination, Time Stands Still/ Elliot Norton Nomination, and The Mikado (Lyric Stage Company); Of Mice and Men (Moonbox Productions); and Pirates! (Huntington Theatre Company). Ms. Spyres is a corporate spokesperson, radio/tv announcer, can be seen and heard on commercials throughout the U.S., and coaches for My College Audition. Originally from Missouri, she resides in Boston. NICK SULFARO (Mordred) returns to New Repertory Theatre after appearing in RENT. Other Boston-area credits include Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Stoneham Theatre); Anne of Green Gables (Wheelock Family Theatre); The Full Monty (Stoneham Theatre); Photograph 51 (Nora Theatre Company); The Nutcracker (Stoneham Theatre); Sitting Still #1: a radio play for the Emerging America festival (Huntington Theatre Company); and Bat Boy: The Musical/IRNE Nomination (Metro Stage Company). He directs for Stoneham Theatre s Young Company and serves as the instructor for their Resident Youth Ensemble. A lifelong Massachusetts resident, Mr. Sulfaro earned his BFA from Emerson College, and resides in Allston. CAMELOT Study Guide 8

9 JACKIE THEOHARIS (Lady in Waiting) makes her New Repertory Theatre debut. Area credits include Thoroughly Modern Millie/IRNE Nomination and The Drowsy Chaperone/IRNE Nomination (Turtle Lane Playhouse); Spring Awakening/ MyTheatre Nomination (FUDGE); Fiddler on the Roof and Oklahoma (Reagle Music Theatre); Once on this Island (Blue Spruce Theatre); A Chorus Line and Cabaret (Woodland Theatre Company); Next to Normal and The Rocky Horror Show (Emerson Umbrella); and Children of Eden/EMACT Nomination (Wellesley Players). Ms. Theoharis will graduate from Brandeis University this December with degrees in Theater Arts and Education. She also studied at both the Circle in the Square Theatre School and the Broadway Artists Alliance, in New York. She resides in Waltham. JEREMY A. TOWLE (Squire Dap) returns to New Repertory Theatre after performing in Cabaret and The Wild Party (IRNE Nomination, Best Supporting Actor/IRNE Award, Best Ensemble). Other Boston area credits include On the Town (Lyric Stage Company); A Christmas Carol (Hanover Theater); A Chorus Line and La Cage aux Folles (Reagle Music Theatre); The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Walpole Footlighters); The Awesome 80 s Prom (Bello Productions) and Pirates! (Huntington Theatre Company). He toured the U.S. with The Doodlebops Live! and toured internationally with Snappy Dance Theater and The Aluminum Show. Mr. Towle earned his BA in Theater and Dance from the University of Maine. After Camelot, he will appear in Baby with the Bathwater (Happy Medium Theater) and Aida (Fiddlehead Theatre Company). RUSSELL GARRETT** (Director & Choreographer) returns to New Repertory Theatre after directing Little Shop of Horrors and performing in The Elephant Man and Amadeus. In New England, he has directed and choreographed All Shook Up (North Shore Music Theatre); Shout!, High School Musical, and Beehive! (Ogunquit Playhouse); 9 to 5, Hairspray, and The Full Monty (Theatre By The Sea); Legally Blonde (Ocean State Theatre Company); Lies and Legends: The Musical Stories of Harry Chapin (Majestic Theatre); Falsettos, The Rocky Horror Show, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Foothills Theatre Company). He has staged acclaimed productions in theaters across the country including Skylight Music Theatre (Wisconsin), Arts Center of Coastal Carolina (South Carolina), Sierra Repertory Theatre and Moonlight Stage (California), and Red Mountain Theatre Company (Alabama). At those theaters he directed and choreographed multiple productions of Chicago, Ain t Misbehavin, Smokey Joe s Cafe, and Anything Goes as well as The Who s Tommy; Cabaret; Kiss Me, Kate; The Wizard of Oz; and Guys and Dolls. Originally from San Diego, CA, Mr. Garrett resides in Boston s South End. DAVID MCGRORY (Music Director) returns to New Repertory Theatre after music directing Marry Me a Little. Boston Music Director credits include Avenue Q and The Threepenny Opera (Boston College); HPT 164: There Will be Flood (The Hasty Pudding Theatricals); and Code Monkey (Westford Academy). Assistant Music Director credits include Oklahoma, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Sweeney Todd (Boston Conservatory) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (North Shore Music Theatre). Mr. McGrory is also a composer and concert pianist, performing mostly in the Boston area. His debut CD, Beethoven & Bizet: Variations, was released in Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, he resides in Medfield. After Camelot he will perform recitals in Newton and Lexington, and will music direct The Drowsy Chaperone (Boston College) and Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (Gloucester Stage Company). JOHN TRAUB (Scenic Designer) returns to New Repertory Theatre after previously designing Master Class. Regional credits include Production Manager for The Merry Wives of Windsor (Boston Midsummer Opera); Dead Man Walking (Boston Opera Collaborative); Associate Designer for A Christmas Carol (Hanover Theatre); Fred! The Musical (Cutler Majestic Theater); Moonchildren and Annie! (Berkshire Theatre Festival); Fallujah (winner of the KCACTF National Showcase; Off-Broadway debut); The Postman Always Rings Twice, Susannah, and Twelfth Night (Boston University School of Theatre); and Play about the Baby (Exquisite Corps). Mr. Traub earned his BA at Colorado College and his MFA at Boston University, and serves as Professor of Production Management and Technology at The George Washington University. Originally from New Mexico, he resides in Washington, D.C. and will next be working on several events in the Capitol area, including the White House East Wing, CNN and the National Endowment for the Arts. RAFAEL JAEN*** (Costume Designer) returns to New Repertory Theater after designing costumes for Marry Me a Little, DollHouse, Boston Marriage, and The Misanthrope. Recent theater credits include The Mikado (Lyric Stage Company/IRNE Award Nomination); Possessions (Escape Artist); Two Gentlemen of Verona (Emerson Stage); 42 nd Street (Stoneham Theater); and Café Variations (ArtsEmerson & Ann Bogart s SITI Company). Television and film credits include God in America (PBS) and The Game Plan (Disney). He is the recipient of the Kennedy Center ACTF Golden Medallion for Excellence in Theater Education. His book SHOWCASE, 2 nd Edition (Focal Press) was nominated for a USITT Golden Pen Award. He serves as Assistant Professor of Costume Design at University of Massachusetts in Boston. Mr. Jaen will also design costumes for New Rep s On the Verge in May. CHRIS BRUSBERG (Lighting Designer) returns to New Repertory Theater after designing Master Class, Holiday Memories, Three Viewings, DollHouse, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and Fool for Love. Other select area credits include The Other Place (Central Square Theater); The Third Story (Titanic Theater Company); Loose, Wet, Perforated (Guerilla Opera); Carmen and Cosi Fan Tutte (Boston Midsummer Opera); Monster and I Am My Own Wife (Boston Center for American Performance); Yank (Boston Center for the Arts); Dead Man Walking and A Little Night Music (Boston Opera Collaborative); and Richard III (Northeastern University). Mr. Brusberg earned his BFA in Lighting Design from Boston University. Originally from New Jersey, he lives in Somerville. STEVE DEE (Sound Designer) returns to New Repertory Theatre after mixing sound for Amadeus. Area design credits include Assassins (Boston University), Monster/ IRNE Nomination and House (Boston Center for American Performance). Other design credits include Radio Gals, Hello, Dolly!, Sweet Charity, Nunsense, and Ain t Misbehavin (Cape Playhouse) in Dennis, MA. Mr. Dee earned his BFA from the Boston University s School of Theatre. Originally from Cromwell, CT, he resides in Somerville. KEVIN SCHLAGLE* (Stage Manager) returns to New Repertory Theatre after serving as Production Stage Manager for The Elephant Man and Assistant Stage Manager for Amadeus. Recent Boston credits include The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company), Our Town (Huntington Theatre CAMELOT Study Guide 9

10 Company), Marie Antoinette and over two years with The Donkey Show (American Repertory Theatre). Mr. Schlagle s opera credits include work with Boston Baroque, Boston Opera Collaborative, Guerilla Opera, New England Conservatory, and Boston University s Opera Institute. Mr. Schlagle earned his BFA from Boston University. LESLIE SEARS* (Assistant Stage Manager) returns to New Repertory Theatre after stage managing Rancho Mirage, Amadeus, and Race. Area credits include A Raisin in the Sun, Invisible Man, Private Lives, Ma Rainey s Black Bottom, Sons of the Prophet, Ruined, Vengeance is the Lord s, Bus Stop, Prelude to a Kiss, All My Sons, A Civil War Christmas, Fences, The Miracle at Naples, The Corn is Green, How Shakespeare Won the West, and The Rivals (Huntington Theatre Company); three seasons at Boston Lyric Opera and four seasons at Tanglewood Music Center. New York credits include Sons of the Prophet (Roundabout Theatre Center). Ms. Sears is a graduate of Boston University where she currently teaches Stage Management. Originally from San Diego, California, she now resides in East Boston. ALAN JAY LERNER (Book & Lyrics) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world s most popular and enduring works of musical theatre for both stage and film, including Brigadoon, Gigi, and My Fair Lady. He was educated at Bedales School (England), The Choate School (Connecticut), Harvard University, and Julliard. He won three Tony Awards and three Academy Awards, among other honors. He died in 1986 at age 68. FREDERICK LOEWE (Music), raised in Germany, was an Austrian-American composer. He learned to play piano by ear and begin composing songs at age 7. In Berlin he attended a music conservatory. At age 13, he was the youngest piano soloist to appear with the Berlin Philharmonic. After moving to New York, he met Alan Jay Lerner in 1942, and together, they created Brigadoon, My Fair Lady, Gigi, Camelot and others. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972, he died in 1988 at age 87. JIM PETOSA** (Artistic Director) joined New Repertory Theatre as an award-winning theater artist, educator, and leader in He has served as Director of the School of Theatre, College of Fine Arts, at Boston University since 2002, and Artistic Director of Maryland s Olney Theatre Center for the Arts and its National Players educational touring company ( ). While at BU, he established the Boston Center for American Performance (BCAP), the professional production extension of the BU School of Theatre, in Throughout the Northeast, Petosa has directed for numerous institutions, including The Elephant Man, Amadeus, Three Viewings, The Last Five Years, and Opus at New Rep. In Boston, his work was nominated for two IRNE awards for A Question of Mercy (BCAP). He has served as one of three artistic leaders for the Potomac Theatre Project (PTP/NYC) since In Maryland, his work earned over 25 Helen Hayes Award nominations as well as the award for outstanding direction of a musical for Jacques Brel is Alive And Well and Living in Paris. His production of Look! We Have Come Through! was nominated for the Charles MacArthur Award for outstanding new play, and he earned the Montgomery County Executive s Excellence in the Arts and Humanities Award for Outstanding Artist/Scholar. A member of Actors Equity Association, Petosa has served on the executive board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for StageSource. Originally from New Jersey, he was educated at The Catholic University of America and resides in Quincy. HARRIET SHEETS (Managing Director) joined New Repertory Theatre in 2000, bringing with her experience in human resources, union contracts and negotiations, budgeting and cash-flow management, as well as marketing, development, and special events. During her tenure, Ms. Sheets has successfully managed the theatre s increasing operational budget, and moved the company from Newton Highlands to Watertown s Arsenal Center for the Arts. Prior to New Rep, she was the General Manager at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, where she worked for nine years. Ms. Sheets began as an Actors Equity Association Stage Manager, working at North Shore Music Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Opera Company of Boston and others. Originally from Arizona, she holds a BFA from Arizona State University and resides in Methuen. additional production staff fight choreographer Angie Jepson props designer Andrea VanDenBroeke assistant director & child supervisor Sophie Rich production assistant Tom Kordenbrock audio engineer Jeremy Goldenberg follow spot operator Renne Brungard hair and makeup artist Emily Damron dialect coach Christine Hamel costume assistants Colleen Fitzgibbons, Sarie Guessner, Ashleigh Roy special thanks Martha Mulligan, Dr. Solomon of Solomon Collection and Fine Rugs, Heather Eagan, Robert Walsh, Ted Hewlett, North Shore Music Theatre, The Boston University School of Theatre, The Huntington Theatre Company, UMass Boston Theatre Arts, Mercury Manufacture and Design CAMELOT Study Guide 10