Staged Reading - Pseudolus

By Plautus

A staged Reading

Adapted and Directed by Anna Andersen

Tuesday - May 15th, 2012 8 p.m.

ONE NIGHT ONLY

Actors Ensemble is proud to announce the third in our 2012 Spring Staged Reading Series, PSEUDOLUS, by the comic Roman playwright Plautus - his play THE MENAECHMI was the source for THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, also presented in our Spring Series, which in turn is the source for A HOT DAY IN EPHESUS, our 2012 Spring Musical.

PSEUDOLUS was one of the sources for the musical A FUNNY THING HAPPENNED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, by Sondheim, Shevelove and Gelbart. It is the story of the clever slave, Pseudolus, who conspires to buy the freedom of the prostitute Phoenicium, the lover of his master Calidorus. Within the twists and turns of the many-layered (and oftentimes madcap) Roman society, Pseudolus schemes his way to success (and wins a bet, to boot). In a special treat, this play will be presented in a new adaptation by Anna Andersen, who also directs. Anna is a recent transplant from Southern California, with a long history in theatre in the Los Angeles area. For Actors Ensemble she has recently directed staged readings of FORTINBRAS and Pirandello's (by way of Stoppard) HENRY IV.

2012 Spring Staged Reading Series

Pseudolus

By Plautus

A staged reading, Adapted and Directed by Anna Andersen

ONE NIGHT ONLY - Tuesday, May 15th, 2012, 8 p.m.

Anna Andersen (Director) Anna is a recent transplant in Southern California, where she acted and directed in just over 75 plays in just under 25 years. Her favorites include playing Kate in Taming of the Shrew, directing Macbeth, and writing/directing/performing an educational outreach program that brought Shakespeare to thousands of students in LA. She thanks Jerome, the Pseudolus of AEB.

Cast

Nate Bogner (Pseudolus) was seen most recently in AE's staged reading of The Comedy of Errors as both of the Antipholus'. He has also played Pfc. Louden Downey (A Few Good Men), Dr. Einstein (Arsenic and Old Lace), J.B. Biggley (How To Succeed...) among others. He studied technical theater at Diablo Valley College and acting with Berkeley Repertory.

Emmy Pierce (Ballio) is a graduate of Amherst College and a Bay Area native. Her first role in the Little Theater was the Ghost of Christmas Past in A 1995 Christmas Carol. Since then, she has appeared elsewhere as Jack Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest, the Big Stone in Eurydice, and Phaeton in Metamorphoses, among others.

Ket Watters (Simo) is the Administrative Director of Generation Theatre and has played a major role in all of their productions including several by local playwright/director R. David Valayre as well as Orgon in Tartuffe and Toby Belch in an adaptation of Twelfth Night. He has also appeared in The Crucible and three productions by local playwright James Keller. He has done a dozen or more staged readings with Subterranean Shakespeare. Ket took up acting as a retirement hobby and has become a devotee. He has studied with Stagebridge and Berkeley Rep.

Erik Johnson (Calidorus) is 21 years old, studying theater at UC Berkeley. He loves reading, skateboarding, and playing the drums. He hopes one day he will grow up, but it seems highly unlikely.

Cameron Dodd (Harpax) is excited to be playing the part of Harpax after having a wonderful experience being part of the Actors Ensemble cast of Arcadia this winter. Cameron is in his sophomore year in high school, during which he’s taken nearly every performance class he could find at the Willows, Berkeley Rep, CalShakes, etc. - Cameron thanks Anna and Actors’ Ensemble for giving him another opportunity.

Wayne Dexter Wong (Simmia) believes in Actors Ensemble of Berkeley.

Karlie Braufman (Phoenicium) is a fourth-year Theater & Performance Studies major at the University of California, Berkeley. This is her first time working with Actors Ensemble, and she hopes it won't be her last! She would like to thank everyone in the audience for being here tonight.

Joseph O'Loughlin (Callipho) was last seen at AE in Shaw's Heartbreak House as the Burglar. He just finished a run at Bus Barn Theatre in Los Altos as the Judge in the Jeffery Hatcher adaptation of Gogol's The Government Inspector, and has done numerous staged readings at Subterranean Shakespeare. He is also a member of the Opera San Jose chorus.

Fred Webre (Charanis) attended UC Berkeley, NYU, Oxford, and the MFA Program in Theater at UC San Diego.  He is very happy to be working with the Actors Ensemble of Berkeley once again.

Percy Arcibal (Slave) Has been in over 100 stage, film, television, and commercial productions over the past 19 years.  Percy recently directed & performed as Victor in Gabriela’s Monologue for San Francisco’s Bindlestiff Studio. Other Bay Area credits include, Aotien in Days Of Being Mild  for Word for Word; Cassio (Vallejo Shakespeare) in Othello and King Phillip in The Lion in Winter (Role Players).

Jose Garcia (slave) has been in many of AE's Productions. His favorite plays have been Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead and Antigone. He wants to thank Anna for giving him the opportunity.

Jerome Solberg (slave) has been in and around Actors Ensemble since 2005.  Enjoy Pseudolus!

Presented by Actors Ensemble of Berkeley ONE NIGHT ONLY, Tuesday, May 15th, 8 p.m., at Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Avenue (at Berryman) in north Berkeley. Tickets $5-$10 sliding scale, cash or check only at the door. (No one will be turned away for lack of funds)