Elizabeth Rex
November 29, 2011
January 22, 2012
in CST's Courtyard Theater
by Timothy Findley
directed by Barbara Gaines
Production Sponsor
Exceedingly powerful acting in Gaines' deftly forged production.
Chicago Tribune
The Play
On the eve of the beheading of her court favorite and rumored lover, the Earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth was entertained with a royal command performance by Shakespeare and his company. Upon this obscure historical fact, one of Canada's most acclaimed playwrights, Timothy Findley, imagines this daring and original drama. Longing for distraction, the Queen visits her stables where the actors are lodged for the night. There she finds the man who plays Shakespeare's leading ladies, and in their passionate confrontation, the actor and his Queen come to shocking revelations about sexuality, identity and love.
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Pre-amble lectures presented by scholars, talk back discussions with the cast and more.
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Critical Acclaim
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Playgoer's Guide
Plot synopsis of Elizabeth Rex and playwright Timothy Findley's biography.
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The Players
Creative Team
Barbara Gaines Director/Artistic Director
Timothy Findley Playwright
Daniel Ostling Scenic Designer
Mariann Verheyen Costume Designer
Philip Rosenberg Lighting Design
Lindsay Jones Sound Designer
Jenny Giering Original Music
Melissa Veal Wig and Make-up Design
Eva Breneman Dialect Coach
Tammy Mader Choregrapher
John McFarland Fight Director
Janet Louer Bear Movement Coach
Cast
Bradley Armacost Percy Gower
Brenda Barrie Mary Stanley
Diane D'Aquila Queen Elizabeth I
Matt Farabee Harry Pearle
Kevin Gudahl William Shakespeare
Torrey Hanson Lord Robert Cecil
Eric Parks Matthew Welles
Roderick Peeples Luddy Beddoes
Jude Roche The Bear
Andrew Rothenberg Jack Edmund
Steven Sutcliffe Ned Lowenscroft
Mary Ann Thebus Kate Tardwell