Shenandoah Pizza/Shenandoah Hops

I just got back from another Staunton jaunt and I had the pleasure of eating at Shenandoah Pizza. While the pizza is the best you will find anywhere, my favorite food item is the wings. Owner John Huggins makes sure to get the meatiest, highest quality wings and offers several different sauces: barbecue, hot, XX hot, naked, and General Tso's. Johnnie told me to look out for a new flavor soon, an Eastern Carolina barbecue sauce called Fab-bu-lous Sauce that he will be offering soon. I had a party with some of the actors at the American Shakespeare Center back in January and ordered 100 wings from Shenandoah Pizza of different varieties. The wings were a huge hit with everyone at the party (and an extra thanks to Johnnie for throwing in some extras). We all like using Shenandoah Pizza's pizza sauce (the best I've ever had) as the dipping sauce.

Shenandoah Pizza recently began offering gluten free wraps. My wife is very gluten intolerant and has been forced to adopt a gluten-free lifestyle. She has eaten the gluten free wraps twice and thinks they are wonderful. The first one she had was the Club Staunton; it features ham, smoked turkey, and bacon. The second one was the Sears Hill, named for a Staunton landmark. That wrap is a turkey, bacon, Swiss, and ranch, though rather than ranch she opted for the pizza sauce. Shenandoah Pizza also offers gluten free pizzas, though we have yet to try them. Another of my favorite items are the cheese breadsticks, the finest I have ever had. If they would just start making those gluten free as well I'd be a very happy camper.

Huggins also owns nearby Shenandoah Hops with his wonderful wife Cheryl. Hops is a place with an amazing selection of beers and many locally made/owned products. It's always worth stopping in to see what's new. I especially like the locally made soaps he stocks. Johnnie is also a concert festival promoter and brings jazz, blues, country, and bluegrass festivals to the Valley throughout the year. In short, Huggins is a great guy and a big time community leader and I like to call him "the hardest working man in Staunton." So, if you want the best wings and pizza east of the Mississippi, stop in at Shenandoah Pizza and don't forget to shop at Hops.

The Country Wife

Grant Davis as Harcourt, Abbi Hawk as Alithea, and Chris Johnston as Sparkish in The Country Wife. / Courtesy of ASC/Lauren D. Rogers.

The Country Wife, a play by William Wycherley, is a play tailor-made for the ASC's Actors' Renaissance Season (and the ASC period). It is a bawdy, humorous, sexual innuendo fest that the actors push to the limit and wring out every ounce of laughter from the crowds. This was by far my favorite production of the Ren Season, and while very long for a comedy, it is a terrific play.

Benjamin Curns devilishly plays the lead role, Harry Horner, a man who seeks to place horns on as many men as possible. In order to score even more with the women of town and country, Horner has a quack doctor (played by a well rested Rene Thornton, Jr.- seems like he has hours between scenes) spread rumors that Horner is impotent thanks to a trip to France. Daniel Kennedy, playing Sir Jasper Fidget, takes special delight in heckling Horner concerning his supposed malady. Kennedy is brilliant in his comic mannerisms. Little does he know that he's being cuckolded as Horner pursues Fidget's wife, played by the amazing Allison Glenzer, and his sister Dainty Fidget (Ronald Peet in drag with blonde wig), and their friend Mistress Squeamish (the delightful Sarah Fallon). The main object of Horner's affections is Margery Pinchwife (a wonderful performance by Tracie Thomason- the oranges scene will be long remembered in Staunton), the naive wife of John Harrell's Jack Pinchwife. Harrell, of course does a splendid job as the soon to be cuckolded Pinchwife.

Chris Johnston and Abbi Hawk are the show stealers of this production. Johnston as the "Pshaw!" blaring fop Sparkish and Hawk as Pinchwife's sister and Sparkish's fiancee Alithea who falls for Horner's friend Frank Harcourt (a charming performance by Grant Davis). Hawk has great comic timing and has hilarious facial expressions (she was especially funny during set changes). Johnston is always excellent in roles like this and he definitely delivers in this production all the way down to his costume choices (his white, pink topped dress shoes are amazing). Another personal favorite performance was Gregory Jon Phelps as Old Lady Squeamish, the grandmother of Mistress Squeamish. The mannerisms were perfect for an offended old lady and the one time I sat on stage for this production I was moved off of my stool with a cane shot.

I saw this production three times and wish I had seen it more. The play definitely grew on me, and by the third performance it had become one of my top ten non-Shakespeare ASC productions. Several of the people I regularly see at the Blackfriars told me it was their favorite production and were surprised at how much they liked it. Hopefully we'll get the chance to see it again someday.

Julius Caesar at the American Shakespeare Center

The annual Renaissance Season has kicked off at the American Shakespeare Center and the first play up is William Shakespeare's tragic history Julius Caesar. I saw both a matinee and the official opening night performance of the events surrounding Caesar's assassination. The production is a grand kick-off to the ARS.

Benjamin Curns tackles the role of Caesar with his typical aplomb. Unfortunately, though it's the title role, Caesar doesn't stick around long; though Curns does get to lie prostrate on the stage for quite a while. Caesar's infamous death scene is terrific and bloody. Curns channels a bit of Ric Flair and The Godfather in his time on stage. Rene Thornton, Jr.'s Marcus Brutus is the true main character, and Thornton delivers his many lines with the great skill and passion he is known for. His main ally, Caius Cassius, is played by the returning Sarah Fallon. It feels like Fallon never left as she and Thornton display their wonderful acting chemistry. Fallon very nearly steals the show as the conniving Cassius.

Greg Phelps' turn as Antony is another standout, and he does a wonderful job with one of the most famous speeches in Shakespeare's canon. Alli Glenzer, Abbi Hawk, Daniel Kennedy, and John Harrell are great and amusing as the plebeians.

This production is not the typical performance you saw when you were in school. It's much faster paced and exciting, as are most ASC productions and is a great way to kick off the Actors' Renaissance Season.

Henry V at the Folger

I had the pleasure of seeing a sold-out, standing room only performance of Henry V at the Folger Elizabethan Theatre in Washington, DC on Friday, Feb. 1. Quite simply, it was an exhilarating performance. Zach Appleman is terrific as the invading Henry V, exhibiting magnetic star power and tremendous gravitas. For someone whose Shakespeare theatre experiences mostly consist of the lights on, crowd contact style of Staunton's American Shakespeare Center, the darkened theater and heavily produced style of the Folger took a little adjusting for me. However, a play like Henry V is at its best with great production and the Folger supplies plenty of set pieces, explosions, and music to transport you to the fields of France.

Henry V is arguably England's greatest hero (though he is quite the Machiavellian Prince). While many centuries have passed since his miraculous conquest of France, his legend has grown thanks to William Shakespeare's Henriad, and the lesser known plays Sir John Oldcastle and The Famous Victories of Henry V. Modern generations have come to know the story not only through the works of Shakespeare but through two film versions, one a patriotic homage during the dog days of World War II by Sir Laurence Olivier and the other; a more gritty but equally impressive version by Kenneth Branagh. Another, lesser-known version for the small screen, featuring a tremendous performance by Robert Hardy as part of the BBC's An Age of Kings should also be consulted.

While most theatre productions of Shakespeare's works are far superior to filmed versions, it's rare that a theatre performance of Henry V can match the intensity of the Branagh and Olivier classics. Robert Richmond's Folger Henry V can claim to do just that. The performances were riveting and the crowd was enthralled.

Apart from Appleman's star making turn in the title role, ASC veteran James Keegan is grand as the blustery Pistol. Keegan takes a great deal of punishment in this role, not just from the leeks, but from hoisting other players, and ducking low hanging wooden planks. Jessica Witchger's fiddling is an amazing accompaniment to the performance. Katie deBuys does a wonderful job in double duty as the boy/Princess Kate. Richard Sheridan Willis is another standout in the often overlooked but vitally important role of Chorus/Montjoy.

Special thanks goes out to Deborah J. Leslie, head of cataloging at the Folger Library for giving us a grand tour of the Library and hooking us up with tickets and providing much needed guidance and company while we were in DC.

While I missed the audience interaction and crowd watching at the ASC, this production was just right for Shakespeare's celebrated hero play and is a performance I will never forget. I would urge anyone with a love for Shakespeare to get to DC as soon as possible to see this production.

Love's Labour's Lost at the Blackfriars and The Lyric in Blacksburg

Stephanie Holladay Earl as the Princess of France and 
Patrick Midgley as Navarre in Love's Labour's Lost. 
Photo by Michael Bailey.

I had the pleasure of seeing performances of Love's Labour's Lost at the Blackfriars Playhouse and at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg for the first show of the Tempt Me Further Tour. I had not read or seen Love's Labour's Lost before (I've tried to watch Branagh's horrible musical version of it a few times, but have not managed to get past the first five minutes), so I was quite unfamiliar with the play, but this production is very accessible and entertaining.

ASC veteran and fan favorite Patrick Midgley opens his first tour as the King of Navarre, leading a band of lords (Berowne: Patrick Earl, Dumaine: David Millstone, Longaville: Jake Daly) who form a sort of "He-Man Woman Haters Club," swearing off women to devote their time to study. The Lords have varying degrees of commitment to this idea, with Patrick Earl's Berowne being the most humorously opposed to it. Perchance, the Princess of France (played by the elegant Stephanie Holladay Earl), who just so happens to have an equal number of Ladies (Rosaline: Lexie Helgerson, Katharine: Bridget Rue, Maria: Molly Gilman) attending her, arrive in Navarre and the King and his men fall head over heels immediately. The ladies are attended by Lord Boyet, played brilliantly as a butler by Seth McNeill. Midgley, who is excellent in comedic roles, is terrific in the production and it's evident he has some fun wearing that white suit. Patrick Earl is equally adept as the love stricken and hilarious Berowne.

Rick Blunt as Don Armado in Love's Labour's Lost. 
Photo by Michael Bailey.

Meanwhile, we are joined by the ridiculously comical Don Adriano de Armado of Spain and his page Moth. Rick Blunt plays Armado to the hilt, complete with an absurd accent and blustering mannerisms. Blunt uses all of his boundless comic abilities and energies to steal the show and have the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. Stephanie Earl, pulling double duty, is amazingly convincing playing the male Moth and as typical of the past two troupes she plays a great smart aleck foil to Blunt's blustering fools. Speaking of blustering fools, Andrew Goldwasser's Costard is another foil for Don Armado (and several others) and would be a good candidate for the US Postal Service with his love letter delivery mix-ups.

Bridget Rue plays the slatternly Jaquenetta with her typically excellent clownery. Jake Daly brings the house down with his snuff dipping, country boy Forester. David Millstone, borrowing from his stuffy Malvolio in Twelfth Night, is great as the stuffed shirt academic Holofernes. Lexi Helgerson pulls double duty as the skittish, concerned priest Sir Nathaniel, the sidekick of Holofernes. Seth McNeill shows his comedic chops as the foolish Constable Dull, a definite close relation to Dogberry.

The show at the Lyric was well-attended, probably around 300. I sat on stage, which was a very up-close experience as the stage is tiny, probably a third of the size as the Blackfriars. Like the other shows in this season, the music is outstanding. One highlight is Patrick Earl and Seth McNeill performing "More than Words" with Patrick Midgley providing an accompanying gesture that I will not spoil.

Twelfth Night at the Blackfriars & Hollins University

Lexie Helgerson as Viola and Stephanie Holladay Earl as Olivia in Twelfth Night. Photo by Michael Bailey.

I am a big fan of Twelfth Night. It is definitely my favorite of Shakespeare's comedies, so I was looking forward to the ASC Tempt Me Further troupe's version of the classic comedy, directed by John Basil. I was able to see an early showing at the Blackfriars and then a ready-for-the road version at Hollins University. The show at Hollins was more polished than the Sunday matinee version I saw at the Blackfriars and the troupe was definitely able to draw off the energy of the large crowd (that said, the crowd was more subdued than what one normally experiences at Hollins).

Longtime ASC favorite Rick Blunt is fittingly cast as the affable, drunken lout Sir Toby Belch. Blunt is always a natural in this type of role and he doesn't disappoint here. He was especially loved by the crowd at Hollins and seemed to feed off of their energy. Newcomer Seth McNeill ably plays Toby's partner in debauchery, Sir Andrew Aguecheek and is convincing in portraying the cowardly, foolish knight. They are joined in their foolery by Bridget Rue, who on her second tour with the company, pretty well steals the comedic show as Maria, Olivia's gentlewoman. Rue has masterful facial expressions and knows how to use physical comedy to her advantage. She also does a great job on the cover of Supertramp's "Take the Long Way Home." Maria, Andrew, and Toby's confederate, Fabian, is aptly played by ASC rookie Molly Gilman. Gilman is terrific in this role and she is equally impressive musically. She has a beautiful singing voice- eerily reminiscent of Miriam Donald. She brought the house at Hollins down with Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe."

On her second tour with the ASC, the always excellent Stephanie Holladay Earl plays the love stricken Countess Olivia, the love interest of Count Orsino (and Malvolio) and the niece of Sir Toby. Stephanie always exudes grace and class in roles like this with just enough humor to give the character depth and more sympathy than a less talented performer could coax from the audience. This will be a strong and successful season for her. Orsino, who is also love stricken with Olivia, is wonderfully portrayed by Patrick Earl. Earl's strong vocal style and sense of stage presence make him a natural for this role. He blends just enough humor, firmness, and confusion to make Orsino a favorite with the crowd. Earl, also in his second season with the company, looks to me to be the headliner of the tour.

David Millstone as Malvolio inTwelfth Night. Photo by Michael Bailey.

ASC newcomer Lexie Helgerson tackles the legendary role of Viola/Cesario. She was very impressive in front of the large crowd at Hollins, seeming more comfortable than at the subdued matinee performance back in Staunton. She does a very good job at making you forget she's a she, and her costume and demeanor gives her that great, impish look reminiscent of Peter Pan. She also uses her facial expressions very well to convey emotions. Her twin Sebastian, played by Jake Daly (a definite favorite at Hollins), has a much smaller role in the play, but Daly plays it well and gets the most out of it. Daly is also the music coordinator for the troupe and the song selections for this tour are the best I've heard from the touring troupes I've seen. Sebastian's creepy, obsessed friend Antonio is played by ASC veteran (but tour rookie) Patrick Midgley. Midgley does a great job in this small, mysterious, passionate role. I think if someone would write a book on what happens to Antonio and Malvolio after Twelfth Night, they would have a hit.

Malvolio and Feste, two of Shakespeare's great characters are played by David Millstone and Andrew Glodwasser respectively. Millstone definitely has fun with Malvolio, playing him about 9/10ths past dour. Goldwasser, who has a great voice both for singing and speaking, is very good as the mercurial Feste (as a matter of fact, he's quite impressive in all three shows this season).

The costumes for this show are quite ornate and one can tell ASC Costume Designer Erin M. West did a lot of research for this one. Particularly impressive is Rick Blunt's gift wrapped crotch.

If you get a chance to see the show on the road or at the Blackfriars, do it. The troupe will be on tour through November before returning to the Blackfriars for December and the holiday shows before heading back out in January before bringing the shows home for the spring season in April.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Sophie the Dog as Crab and Benjamin Curns as Launce inThe Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Photo by Michael Bailey.

I have seen two performances of The Two Gentlemen of Verona in recent weeks, along with a "speed through" and some rehearsals of Shakespeare's first known play. The shows have been well attended and quite pleasing to the crowds on hand. If you are a fan of Shakespeare's comedies, particularly the early ones, then this production should not be missed.

This production, directed by Ralph Alan Cohen, does a good job of keeping things light. Greg Phelps and ASC newcomer Grant Davis play the good friends Proteus and Valentine. Both actors do an outstanding job in their roles. They both have wonderful scenes with Alli Glenzer (Speed), who has several show stealing moments. Glenzer also works magic in tandem with Ben Curns (Launce) and his pooch sidekicks. This was easily Glenzer's strongest role of the year so far. When given the opportunity she never fails to deliver. She is definitely an all-star at the ASC. Curns, as always, brings his "A-game." He got to work with Tulip, a mixed Pit Bull who had some stage fright, and Jed, an obese black Lab who had the crowd ooing and ahhing and was a bit more comfortable on stage. Proteus and Valentine's love interests are played by Tracie Thomason (Julia) and Abbi Hawk (Silvia). Both actors do tremendous work in these roles. Thomason is especially funny sporting a codpiece late in the play as Sebastian and Hawk is impressive as the unrequiting and wronged Silvia. Speaking of codpieces, the master of the cod, "Codpiece" Chris Johnston is back rocking a garish, slightly erect yellow and red codpiece to match his foppish character Thurio. Johnston always excels in this type of role and he steals plenty of scenes in this production. It's always fun to see James Keegan as one of the outlaws, stealing something from an audience member (so far, I've seen him take M&Ms and mineral water). The "rape scene" is downplayed about as much as it can be, and that leaves people with little pause and keeps the light feel out there. The costumes for this show are also excellently done.

While the play itself is nothing to write home about, this production is fun and a great night out at the theatre.