Directed by Merlyn Q. Sell
Rapid City Performances:
Friday May 31st: HTR Black Hills Resorts
Saturday June 1st: Old Storybook Island
Sunday June 2nd: Memorial Park
Saturday June 8th: Robbinsdale Park
Sunday June 9th: Roosevelt Park
4:30pm-Apprentice Company Preshow Performance and Games
5:30pm-Show Begins
Lead Performances:
June 15th and 16th: Black Hills Renaissance Festival
3:00pm-Apprentice Company Preshow Performance, immediately followed by Love's Labour's Lost
Rapid City Performances:
Friday May 31st: HTR Black Hills Resorts
Saturday June 1st: Old Storybook Island
Sunday June 2nd: Memorial Park
Saturday June 8th: Robbinsdale Park
Sunday June 9th: Roosevelt Park
4:30pm-Apprentice Company Preshow Performance and Games
5:30pm-Show Begins
Lead Performances:
June 15th and 16th: Black Hills Renaissance Festival
3:00pm-Apprentice Company Preshow Performance, immediately followed by Love's Labour's Lost
SHOW CAST
APPRENTICE COMPANY
ARTISTIC STAFF
Merlyn Q. Sell (Director) is BHCT's Artistic Director and holds an MFA in Shakespeare & Performance. Merlyn's directorial work at BHCT includes The Revolutionists and Macbeth among others. Some other favorite productions include As You Like It (Sweet Wag Shakespeare), Romeo & Juliet (Actor's Basement), and Coriolanus (Narrow Way Stage Co.). Merlyn's work at BHCT is permitted by her two cats, Nora and Tallulah.
Dillon Burton (Stage Manager) is excited to be back in the Stage Manager saddle again! Dillon’s day job is an Information Security Specialist at BankWest. When off work, he enjoys listening to music, playing video games, riding his motorcycle, and being a dog dad to Millie and fiancée to Balie. Dillon has had previous theatrical experience with BHCT, recently with Death by Design, One Man, Two Guvnors, & Alabama Story. Dillon hopes that you have a great time with this lovely ode to Shakespeare.
Dave DeChristopher (Apprentice Company Director) serves as the Education and Outreach Director at Black Hills Community Theatre. Most recently, he appeared as Garth Williams in BHCT’s production of Alabama Story and directed the Cherry Street Players production of The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza. A prolific playwright, his comedy Hand-Me-Downs was featured in The Fresh Fruit Festival in New York in May.
Angela Miller (Costume Designer) is so happy to be a part of this fun production! This is her first time costuming a production with BHCT and was glad for the opportunity. Usually, she’s seen on stage, but is also involved in some way with technical attributes of plays with both makeup and helping with costumes. Angela loves to explore color palettes and was excited to play with her creative side for this production.
Dillon Burton (Stage Manager) is excited to be back in the Stage Manager saddle again! Dillon’s day job is an Information Security Specialist at BankWest. When off work, he enjoys listening to music, playing video games, riding his motorcycle, and being a dog dad to Millie and fiancée to Balie. Dillon has had previous theatrical experience with BHCT, recently with Death by Design, One Man, Two Guvnors, & Alabama Story. Dillon hopes that you have a great time with this lovely ode to Shakespeare.
Dave DeChristopher (Apprentice Company Director) serves as the Education and Outreach Director at Black Hills Community Theatre. Most recently, he appeared as Garth Williams in BHCT’s production of Alabama Story and directed the Cherry Street Players production of The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza. A prolific playwright, his comedy Hand-Me-Downs was featured in The Fresh Fruit Festival in New York in May.
Angela Miller (Costume Designer) is so happy to be a part of this fun production! This is her first time costuming a production with BHCT and was glad for the opportunity. Usually, she’s seen on stage, but is also involved in some way with technical attributes of plays with both makeup and helping with costumes. Angela loves to explore color palettes and was excited to play with her creative side for this production.
SPECIAL THANKS
Lindsey Myers & Rapid City Parks Department
Jerry Cole & HTR Black Hills Resorts
Abby Simmons, Nate Dickerson
Hugh Foreman, Nick Johnson
The Board of BHCT
Jerry Cole & HTR Black Hills Resorts
Abby Simmons, Nate Dickerson
Hugh Foreman, Nick Johnson
The Board of BHCT
Show Synopsis:
The King of Navarre, in order to focus on his studies, has proclaimed that for the next three years any man who is distracted by a woman shall be imprisoned. His friends Longaville and Dumaine willingly agree to take the oath, but the stubborn Berowne is more hesitant before ultimately agreeing. The constable Dull brings the countryman Costard accompanied by an overly long letter from the extravagant Spaniard Don Adriano de Armado explaining that Costard was found with the country wench Jaquenetta. The King sends Costard to be punished under the watch of Armado, who also declares his love for the country girl to his page Moth.
The Princess of France, accompanied by her ladies Rosaline, Maria and Katherine and their confidante Boyet, arrives to discuss a dispute over the land of Aquitaine. They are met with the news that they must stay in the garden so the King and his men don’t disobey their oath. The men instantly fall in love, the King with the Princess, Berowne with Rosaline, Longaville with Maria, and Dumaine with Katherine.
Don Armado frees Costard in order to deliver a love letter that he has written to Jaquenetta. Berowne also enlists Costard to deliver a letter of love he has written for Rosaline.
As the Princess’ party join a Forester to go hunting, Costard interrupts them to deliver Berowne’s letter to Rosaline, but he accidentally gives them the letter from Don Armado to Jaquenetta instead. Costard also mistakenly gives Berowne’s letter to Jaquenetta, who takes the letter to the schoolmaster Holofernes for help reading it. Holoferenes directs Jaquenetta to show the letter to the King because it is proof of Berowne breaking his oath. Berowne catches the other three men in the act of writing letters expressing their love to the women and just as he is berating them for breaking their oaths, Jaquenetta arrives with the letter Berowne wrote to Rosaline, which blows his cover and confirms that he, too, is in love. The men agree to forego their oath and to instead focus their energy on wooing the women they love.
Don Armado recruits Holofernes, Dull, Costard, and Moth to perform a pageant of the Nine Worthies for the royal guests. As the women share with each other the gifts they have received from the men, Boyet alerts them that he overheard that the men are planning to arrive in disguise. The woman then mask themselves and exchange gifts to confuse the men when they arrive. When the lords return as themselves, the ladies taunt them and expose their ruse. Impressed by the ladies' wit, the men apologize, and when all identities are righted, they watch the parade of the Nine Worthies. The merriment is interrupted by the messenger Mercade who informs the Princess that her father, the King of France, has died. The Princess makes plans to leave at once, and she and her ladies, readying for mourning, declare that the men must wait a year and a day to prove their love. Don Armado announces he will swear a similar oath to Jaquenetta and then presents the nobles with a song.
The Princess of France, accompanied by her ladies Rosaline, Maria and Katherine and their confidante Boyet, arrives to discuss a dispute over the land of Aquitaine. They are met with the news that they must stay in the garden so the King and his men don’t disobey their oath. The men instantly fall in love, the King with the Princess, Berowne with Rosaline, Longaville with Maria, and Dumaine with Katherine.
Don Armado frees Costard in order to deliver a love letter that he has written to Jaquenetta. Berowne also enlists Costard to deliver a letter of love he has written for Rosaline.
As the Princess’ party join a Forester to go hunting, Costard interrupts them to deliver Berowne’s letter to Rosaline, but he accidentally gives them the letter from Don Armado to Jaquenetta instead. Costard also mistakenly gives Berowne’s letter to Jaquenetta, who takes the letter to the schoolmaster Holofernes for help reading it. Holoferenes directs Jaquenetta to show the letter to the King because it is proof of Berowne breaking his oath. Berowne catches the other three men in the act of writing letters expressing their love to the women and just as he is berating them for breaking their oaths, Jaquenetta arrives with the letter Berowne wrote to Rosaline, which blows his cover and confirms that he, too, is in love. The men agree to forego their oath and to instead focus their energy on wooing the women they love.
Don Armado recruits Holofernes, Dull, Costard, and Moth to perform a pageant of the Nine Worthies for the royal guests. As the women share with each other the gifts they have received from the men, Boyet alerts them that he overheard that the men are planning to arrive in disguise. The woman then mask themselves and exchange gifts to confuse the men when they arrive. When the lords return as themselves, the ladies taunt them and expose their ruse. Impressed by the ladies' wit, the men apologize, and when all identities are righted, they watch the parade of the Nine Worthies. The merriment is interrupted by the messenger Mercade who informs the Princess that her father, the King of France, has died. The Princess makes plans to leave at once, and she and her ladies, readying for mourning, declare that the men must wait a year and a day to prove their love. Don Armado announces he will swear a similar oath to Jaquenetta and then presents the nobles with a song.
Sponsored by Friends of BHCT
Show Co-Sponsors:
Leo and Kara Flynn, Robert and Vicki Stubbs, Carmen Villa
Summer Stage Supporters:
Scott and Margaret Bader, Carol Cook, Egon Dzintars, Stephanie Helms, Patricia Horlock, Bill and Teresa McDevitt, Mike and Lori McGuire, Jeffrey Nelsen and Karen Hall, Anne and Carter Taylor, Peggy and Vince Vidal, Rob and Jan Woodruff
Show Co-Sponsors:
Leo and Kara Flynn, Robert and Vicki Stubbs, Carmen Villa
Summer Stage Supporters:
Scott and Margaret Bader, Carol Cook, Egon Dzintars, Stephanie Helms, Patricia Horlock, Bill and Teresa McDevitt, Mike and Lori McGuire, Jeffrey Nelsen and Karen Hall, Anne and Carter Taylor, Peggy and Vince Vidal, Rob and Jan Woodruff