Two Gentlemen of Verona
the Musical

July 26-30, 2023

book by John Guare and Mel Shapiro, lyrics by Guare & music by Galt MacDermot, based on Shakespeare

Directed by Shamus
Music Direction by Kennedy McAllister
Choreography by Tiara Nock
Stage Manager - Eleanor Safer
Technical Director - Nick Schwassman
Set & Prop Designer - Victoria Gill-Gomez
Costume Designer - Anna Sorrentino
Sound Designer - Chris Sannino & Mike Morrongiello
Lighting Designer - Isabella Gill Gomez
Creative Consultant - Brenna Geffers
Vendor Coordinator - Catherine del Tito
Featuring: Roberto Delgado, BRYANT, Camille Young, Vanesa Gomez, Lexi Thammavong, Andrew Carroll, Anthony Crosby, Kerlin Pyun, Wyatt Flynn & Donovan Lockett.

Press Quotes for Two Gents!

“a summer stunner”

“a Goliath of a production on David’s budget”

“If I’d been wearing socks, they would have been knocked off by Two Gentlemen of Verona—the first musical in the company’s 17-year history and an absolute knockout.”

“Delgado, a recent UArts graduate, nails the caddish and cavalier spirit of his character, but his honeyed voice proves fiendishly seductive. Fleming and Young blow the proverbial roof off the joint in the sultry “Night Letter.” Powerhouse vocalist Lexi Thammavong brings a deep pathos to the Brechtian “Land of Betrayal,” a protest song disguised as a lament.”

-Cameron Kelsall, Broad Street Review

Press Quotes for The Taming!

“In 1633, the first time John Fletcher’s The Tamer Tamed, also sometimes known as The Woman’s Prize, was performed alongside its predecessor, Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, the British lord Sir Henry Herbert wrote that audiences “liked” the Bard’s play, but that Fletcher’s sequel was “very well liked.” And if Shakespeare in Clark Park’s presentation of both in a two-act performance, titled The Taming!, is any indication, that sentiment holds true nearly 400 years later. “
- Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey, Broad Street Review

Press Quotes for Pericles

“I couldn’t take my eyes off Ramírez while they were onstage. Ditto Tai Verley as the aforementioned Medieval poet, ad-libbing on her entrances and helping the audience navigate some of the more confusing plot elements, and Lisa VillaMil in her many roles. First playing Pericles’ bride and then his daughter, Brittany Onukwugha brings both sweetness and guile to each role. I could go on praising every member of the cast for their tremendous effort.” - Jillian Ashley Blair Ivey, Broad Street Review

Listen to the wonderful feature about Peril’s Island on NPR !

Organizational Partners: 92.9 WRGL, Germantown Life Enrichment Center, Crossroads Women's Center, Friends of Vernon Park, Joseph E Coleman Regional Library, The Center in the Park, The Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, Urban Youth Kings and Queens

Community Ensemble: Chris Day, Susan Walker, Jay Winston, David Finger, Diane Varner, Catherine Schmitt, Rebecca Ortenberg Lear's Knights: Floyd Crump Jr., John Kearney, Mike Hunt, Nelson Hawthorne, Sheldon Ric

Praise for KING LEAR

“The communal aspect and the invigorating green setting is what gives this two-and-a half hour production its unique charm, casting one of Shakespeare’s late masterpieces as a treat that anyone can enjoy and, importantly, enjoy with loved ones and as part of the community. Whether intentional or not, this set-up also brings the audience closer to Shakespeare’s times, when theater was a popular, low-cost form of entertainment that took place on bare stages in full daylight, with spectators moving around freely.” -Barbora Příhodová, TheatrePhiladelphia

Community Band Members (AKA Midsummer Madness): Calder Burke, Nalini Charles-Belizaire, Cooper Fenton, John C. Hawthorne, Brandy Santoro, Lena Stone-Renez, Mia Stone-Renez

Praise for TWELFTH NIGHT

“Conda’s lyrics are inspired by, but not faithful to, the original Shakespeare text. Where the Bard’s language is dense and complex, Conda traffics in the power of rock ‘n’ roll’s simplicity and repetition.” -Peter Crimmins, WHYY

Coriolanus

July 26-30, 2017

Directed by Kittson O’Neill
Community Chorus Direction by Carly L. Bodnar
Assistant Directed by Esther Cohen

Set Design by D’Vaughn Agu
Lighting Design by Drew Billiau
Costume Design by Natalia de la Torre
Soundscape and Design by Robert Kaplowitz
Dramaturgy by Meghan Winch
Stage Management by Maya Neville

Featuring Christina May, Kimberly Fairbanks, Charlotte Northeast, Alexandra Palting, Iman Aaliyah, D’Arcy Dersham, Angelica Jackson, Ashley Spearman, Hannah Gold, Brandi Burgess, Eli Lynn, Ciera Gardner, Judith Lightfoot-Clarke, Chelsea-Ann Jones.

The Citizens of Rome: Rodel Atanacio, Megan Bogia, Eddie Brown, Calder Burke, Dashona Cannon, Lily Cavanaugh, Nalini Charles-Beliz, Kimiko Doherty, Aimee Ferguson, David Finger, Camille Foster-Swartley, Miriam Foster-Swartley, Aaron Freeman, Sarah Goldfine-Ward, Jerene Good, Shanarose Hartie, Frank Innes, Andrea Kearney, John Kearney, Robert Killion, Don Leedy, Joe Leedy, Max Liebersohn, Natalie Margasak, Christine McDaniel, Henry McDaniel, Jane McDaniel, Yvonne Michael, Betsy Okrent, Anna Rekulak, Lauren Ryder, Catherine Schmitt, Clifford Schwinger, Gloria Stepherson, Abby Walker, Susan Walker, Isabella Walls, Matt Zaneski

The Volscians: Fran Bartlett, Carly Bodnar, Katie Brown, Chris Johnson, Henry Margasak, Malcolm Margasak, Andrea Smith

Praise for CORIOLANUS

“There was a revealing moment on opening night that showed just how much this smart, stimulating production of Coriolanus is connecting with its audience. It came near the end of the play, when the citizens of Rome approach the senators to declare that even though they took part in protests led to Coriolanus being banished from Rome, they never really wanted her to be exiled. “Though we willingly consented to her banishment,” one of the citizens declares, “yet it was against our will.”

A man sitting on the lawn near me shouted, “Liar!” Laughter rolled through the crowd.” -Tim Dunleavy, DC MetroArts

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

July 27 - 31, 2016

Directed by Kathryn MacMillan

Scenic Design by Lance Kniskern
Costume Design by Natalia de la Torre
Lighting Design by Shannon Zura
Sound Design by John Kolbinski

Featuring Jake Blouch, David Glover, Claire Inie-Richards, Maria Konstantinidis, Ezra Ali-Dow, KO DelMarcelle, Trevor Fayle, Lindsay Smiling, Brock Vickers, Meghan Winch, and Peanut the Dog

Our Flash Mob of Lindy-Hoppers: Amy Kwasnicki, Anndee Hochman, Annie Tallman, Ashley Banks, Betsy Okrent, Beverly A. Rouse, Brandice Mazick, Colleen McCauley, Edward Brown, Eli Avenue, Elissa Goldberg, Jeff Bullard, Katie Brown, Manny Savage, Megan Mueller, Nani Manion, Rebecca Ortenberg, Sandy Selznick, Wendie Hetherington

Praise for THE TWO GENTLEMAN OF VERONA

“For its eleventh annual summer offering, Shakespeare in Clark Park is offering a take on The Two Gentlemen of Verona that feels light and airy as the summer breeze wafting across the park. It’s blessed by a cast that injects it with just the right blend of drama and sweetness.” -Tim Dunleavy, DC MetroArts

The Winter’s Tale

July 29 - August 2, 2015

Directed by Kittson O'Neill
Associate Direction & Dramaturgy by Erin Washburn
Chorus Direction by Christina May
Music Direction by Kate Herzlin
Assistant Direction by Carly L. Bodnar

Set Design by Melpomene Katakalos
Lighting Design by Maria Shaplin
Costume Design by Jillian Keys
Sound Design & Original Music by Robert Kaplowitz
Puppetry Design by Aaron Cromie
Stage Management by Annie Halliday

Featuring Kevin Bergen, Corinna Burns, Nicole Godino, Niall Kaplowitz, Gracie Martin, J. Paul Nicholas, Bi Jean Ngo, Brandon Pierce, Sam Sherburne, Wendy Staton, Thomas Van Dean, and Hannah Van Sciver.

Children's Chorus: Ayush Bennur, Tanay Bennur, Edward Brown, Calder Burke, Antja Cramer, Chiara Crociata, Adjani DeBellis, Margalit Eisenstein, Paloma Hatch, Alfred Henderson, Hank Margasak, Natalie Margasak, Adaline Sand, Lily Sand, Molly Sand, Owen Skidmore, Joanna Steinig, Lena Stone-Renez, Annie Tallman, Esperanza Thomas, Kinaya Williams, Oliver Young, Piper Young, Emma Zimmerman

Praise for THE WINTER’S TALE

"This production treats this plot with the care usually accorded Shakespeare's best political thrillers, pitting Bergen's near-sympathetic portrayal of fury against the impassioned yet logical pleading of trusted adviser's Paulina (the excellent Nicole Godino) and Camillo (Wendy Staton)." -Jim Rutter, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Henry IV: Your Prince and Mine

July 30 - August 4, 2014

Directed by Alex Torra
Co-produced with Team Sunshine Performance Corporation
Associate Direction by Tommy Butler
Set by John McDermott
Costumes by Laila Swanson
Lighting by Oona Curley
Sound by Dan Perelstein
Original Music by Alex Bechtel
Pub Experience by Makoto Hirano
General of the Army: Benjamin Camp
Recruitment by Liz Green

Featuring Adam Altman, Marla Burkholder, Rob Cutler, Charlie DelMarcelle, Darin Dunston, Lori Felipe-Barkin, Daniel Fredrick, Brandon Pierce, Brian Ratcliffe, and Justin Rose, Jerry Rudasill, and Brian Anthony Wilson

Lieutenants: Rajeer Alford , Sarah Gladwin Camp, Lauren Harries, Jennifer Nikki Kidwell, Richard Mitchell, Nicole Quenelle, Jahzeer Terrell, Hannah Van Sciver

The Army:

Sarah Adeyinka, Aram Aghazarian, David Alexander, Nate Allen, Frances Bartlett, Rin Barton, Tanay Bennur, Edward Brown, Patty Bulack, Tegan Bunsu, Erin Carney, Davon Carroll, Cecily Chapman, Sharon Chestnut, Randall Claney, Rachel Coates-Knowles, Hyresh Corbin, Sam D’Agostino, Brandon D’Augustine, Jesse Delaney, Renee DeStefano, Kimiko Doherty, Susan Edens, Andre Evers, Stephen Field, Avery Finch, Eileen Fisher, Megan Force, Jerene Good, Jesse Gottschalk, Todd Haires, Hannah Hammel, Sean Hanrahan, Stephanie Harmelin, Kathy Herman, Emma Hohenstein, Joe Hohenstein, Maggie Hohenstein, Sarah Hoskins, Frank Innes, Steven Johns, John Kearney, Victoria Kehm, Katelynd Knorr, Corinne Lagermasini, Loretta LaVella, Max Liebersohn, Nani Manion, Brett Mapp, Thaddeus Mayfield, Brandice Mazick, Sasha Alexander McDermott, Sean McGarry, Benjamin Morris, Ahmed Muhamed, Mercy Oyana, Rebecca Ortenberg, Bonnie Paul, Ilena Paul, Kathy Pentek, Thienquan Chris Pham, Patty Pickup, Maria Pino, Gerald Radack, Bobbi Robinson, David Robinson, Laura Rush, Cathy Schmitt, Felice Schwartz, Clifford Schwinger, Abigail Sherburne, Matt Stern, Tom Strube, Jeffrey Tan, Diane Varner, Susan Walker, Meghann Williams, Jay Winston, Jeffrey Womack, Mark Zierden

Praise for HENRY IV

". . . The most ambitious production by Shakespeare in Clark Park that I've seen in its 10 years of performances, and the most successful. . . . A forceful and highly engaging telling of the young playboy prince's tale.  . . . It's an impressive production, with all the trimmings. The other players include Marla Burkholder, artistic director of Shakespeare in Clark Park, and they all contribute to the energy and pacing of the show – and to the fun of it, which comes through easily in their interpretation of Shakespeare's text." - Howard Shapiro, Newsworks.org

Praise for THE TEMPEST

Shakespeare in Clark Park returns July 24 with The Tempest"Under [Adrienne] Mackey’s direction, SCP’s production of “The Tempest” will color itself outside the theater lines. While Prospero’s role is typically cast with a male actor, Mackey has brought in Barrymore Award-winning actress Catharine Slusar to take on the contentious lead . . . "- Annamarya Scaccia, West Philly Local

Praise for Much Ado About Nothing

An Outdoor Much Ado Triumphs Over All". . . This company's take on Will's comic treatment of a pair of couples who attempt to resist Cupid's bull's-eyes provides a breezy respite from the weather. . . . This cast stays cool and offers West Philly a solid reason to venture away from its air-conditioned comfort and sit outside with the neighbors."- Wendy Rosenfeld, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Praise for A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Shakespeare in Clark Park"Devising a concept for a Shakespeare play can be tricky, but for Shakespeare in Clark Park's fifth annual summer production, all director Maria Moller did was look around. Her ideas for A Midsummer Night's Dream "grew out of the bike-heavy culture of Clark Park ... and out of the way a bicycle transforms your movement and lets you fly." Since this romantic comedy is also Shakespeare's most fantastical play, designer Erica Hoelscher's costumes are, Moller explains, "a melange of Japanese cosplay, Burning Man and Vivienne Westwood — all extreme fashions ... that humans engage in to bring themselves closer to a 'magical' world." Stephen Hungerford's set uses aluminum trees "inspired by bicycle-based kinetic sculpture," while composer Andrew Nelson's live music employs everything from "regular old drums to bits of metal hanging off a bike frame." Most magical of all is the price: As always, SCP's performances are free." - Mark Cofta, City Paper

The Comedy of Errors

July 29 - August 2, 2009

Directed by Alex Torra
Set and Lighting by Stephen Hungerford
Costumes by Erica Hoelscher
Props by Leah Walton 
Original Music by Andrew Nelson
Assistant Directed by Rachel Moffat 
Fight Direction by Brett Cassidy
Dramaturgy by Rebecca Ennen
Stage Management by Lindsay Galbraith

Featuring Christopher Bohan, Marla Burkholder, Ben Camp, Jess Conda, Justin Jain, Luigi Sottile, Wendy Staton, David Sweeny, Mary Tuomanen, and Bradley K. Wrenn

Praise for THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

The Bard shines indoors as rain pours outside"The play is merry and the performances entertaining . . . . Luigi Sottile and Bradley K. Wrenn bring off one set of twins with nice madcap timing, and Justin Jain and Benjamin Camp imbue the other set with a proper confusion. Marla Burkholder and Mary Tuomanen are game as the women central to the befuddlement. "- Howard Shapiro, The Philadelphia Inquirer

The Comedy of Errors"Marla Burkholder stands out in the role Adriana, who doesn’t realize her husband’s long-lost twin is in town. Her sweet, staccato ire never misses a beat. Mary Tuomanen appears as pious sister Luciana. David Sweeney gives a whirlwind, multitalented performance in various ensemble roles including the Duke, but really breaks out the fun for the bumbling, hysterical exorcist Dr. Pinch. Jess Conda ratchets up comedy over seduction as both a demanding courtesan and the bamboozled goldsmith."- Alaina Mabaso, EDGE Philadelphia

Editor's Pick: The Comedy of Errors"It’s an impressive achievement for any theater company to last four years. It’s even more impressive when you consider the unique troupe Shakespeare in Clark Park has never charged so much as a penny for their performances. . . . A zippy, playful work about pursuing your dreams and desires, Errors would seem the perfect entertainment for a warm summer eve."- J. Cooper Rob, The Philadelphia Weekly

Praise for As You Like It

Editor's Picks For The Week: As You Like It"Shakespeare in Clark Park is one of the best ways to add a little gas to ol’ Billy’s witty pastoral comedy—this one most famously the source of the line 'All the world’s a stage.' Besides, who wants to be in some poorly ventilated theater surrounded by crushed velvet and sticky floors on a nice evening? . . . There’s no better way to jump between the rural and the urban than in Clark Park. Take a deep whiff of exhaust, smush your toes into the grass and enjoy the show."- John Steele, The Philadelphia Weekly

Philadelphia Spotlight"The terrific young company Shakespeare in Clark Park returns for a third summer. . ."- J. Cooper Robb, TheaterMania.com

WRTI Creatively Speaking: Shakespeare in Clark Park's As You Like ItAn interview with director Maria Möller, music director Andrew Nelson, and actor Justin Jain.

Praise for Romeo & Juliet

Editor's Pick: Romeo and Juliet"Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet is typically thought of as the tale of two "star cross'd lovers." But in the new production from fledgling company Shakespeare in Clark Park, the focus won't be as much on the doomed couple as on a community divided. Director Tom Reing explains that while the production isn't set in any particular era, the rampant violence besetting the lovers' hometown of Verona is not unlike the hostilities currently plaguing Philadelphia. The profound civil unrest is reflected in Jacob Walton's scenic design, which depicts Verona as cancerous concrete, dirt and corroded steel, an image echoed in Kelly Cobb's oxidized costumes. "- J. Coober Robb, The Philadelphia Weekly

Arts Picks: Romeo and Juliet". . . I can't think of a better way to savor R&J than live in Clark Park, where the intimacy, and the landscape, should suit it perfectly. And it's free! It seems that the doomed lovers will have their day in the sun - better yet, their evening in the moonlight - after all."- David Anthony Fox, City Paper

Praise for our first production, Twelfth Night

Shakespeare in Clark Park a summer treat"The Twelfth Night presented in Clark Park by a small troupe of theatrical pros is a remarkable combination of excellent classical acting and disconcertingly contemporary naturalness. Director Tom Reing has found some lovely and funny place where Shakespeare's world and ours meet under a half-moon on a hot summer's night. Bring a blanket and picnic dinner, bring the kids, the dogs, the bicycle, bug spray, a beach chair, whatever - but don't miss this one."- Toby Zinman, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Midsummer Madness: The brand-new Shakespeare in Clark Park takes it outside"Last summer, while waiting out a downpour in the Franklin Mills Mall, actors Maria Möller and Marla Burkholder started talking about what they missed in Philly's summer theater scene. A year later, the result of that conversation is four nights of free theater from the first truly Philadelphian Shakespeare in the Park company, founded by Burkholder, Möller, director Tom Reing and managing director Whitney Estrin."- Rachel Frankford, City Paper

A-List: Twelfth Night"Reing has emerged as one of the city’s most creative directors, and with a strong cast performing a taut, edited version of the play, the show provides a rare opportunity to see the best of professional Philadelphia theater free of charge."- J. Cooper Robb, The Philadelphia Weekly