Romulus Players: October 2016

Monday, October 31, 2016

Meet Paul Seaton

Thank you for being the most entertaining Money-Man in the world!

PAUL SEATON (Memorial Players Treasurer Extraordinaire) loves being a regular on the stage, behind the stage, at the pre-show receptions and at the door during performances and wherever Memorial Players and their adoring public can be found. Married to John Seeley, he helps John to maintain his remarkable composure during the theatrical season. Paul is also remembered for his amazing appearances in our productions, most notably as Potifar in Joseph, Bustopher Jones in Cats, Al the Appleseller in Annie, Dr. Grimwig in Oliver and the Trolley ticket taker in Meet Me in St. Louis.

Welcome, Ned!!

We are so glad to have you in the cast.

NED POLLARD (Theodorick), a Bolton Hill native, is excited to be appearing in Romulus, his first Memorial Players’ production. He is delighted to have this opportunity to work with the rest of wonderful company. He is particularly pleased that his first Memorial Players’ production is such a timely and humorous play.

Friday, October 28, 2016

Zeno, Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire

The character of Zeno (portrayed by Mark Herbkersman) is based on the historical Eastern Roman Emperor who reigned from 474 to 475 and again from 476 to 491. He was born in Isaurai, a rugged isolated district in the interior of South Asia Minor, and original bore the name the name Tarasicodissa. He had a military career and eventually married Adriadne, the eldest daughter of the Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I. Their son, Leo II, reigned briefly with Leo I in 473-4 and then alone for three weeks before making Zeno co-Augustus from 9 February, 474. After Leo II's death from illness on November 17 (?) 474, Zeno reigned alone.

Zeno was not the most popular Emperor. He had frequent financial difficulties, which are alluded to in the play. He also loved astrology. There were numerous revolts against him, including one by his mother-in-law Verina and her brother Basilicus, which caused him to flee Constantinople briefly in 745-476. He ruled the Eastern Roman Empire for close to 18 years, dying of natural causes in 491 AD.

In the play Romulus, Zeno flees to Italy during the uprising of his mother-in-law (who was supported by a contingent of Goths lead by the Ostrogothic general Theodoric Strabo – not the same Theodoric as the one who appears in our play) and tries to convince Romulus to unite their forces and fight together. He is portrayed as an Emperor oppressed by the Byzantine ceremonial. Publicly performed rituals and ceremonies formed an essential part of political practice and court culture of Byzantium. Court life "passed in a sort of ballet", with precise ceremonies prescribed for every occasion. A later Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, wrote a Book of Ceremonies which described the Byzantine ceremonial rules in great detail.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

The Romulus Set

Happy to share with you some of the images of the Romulus set. Conceived by the amazing John Seeley and brought to life by Mark Herbkersman. Construction of the set will begin this Sunday at noon. Everyone is welcome to come help out. In fact, the more the merrier!

Thank you Beatnik Barber Shop

Thank you, Beatnik Barber shop for your support! We love your fun, funky vibe, great haircuts and sweet tunes.
Everyone check them out!

https://www.facebook.com/TheBeatnikBarbershop/?hc_ref=SEARCH

Pavia 476 A.D.

In the opening scene of the play 'Romulus,' a young Roman soldier staggers onto the stage. We soon learn that he has come from Pavia, a town in northern Italy. Indeed it was at Pavia in 476 AD that the reign of Romulus Augustulus (r. 475-476), the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire ended and Roman rule ceased in Italy. Many of the mercenary troops of the Roman Empire, under the command of Odoaker, rebelled against Orestes, a Roman general, father of Romulus, who was in control of the remnants of the Western Roman Empire. Pavia was burned and pillaged, and Orestes executed. Subsequently Odoaker and his army marched onto Ravenna, about 280 km away, which was then the capital city of the Western Roman empire.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Meet Clare Booth (Costumes)

CLARE BOOTH (Costumes) is thrilled to be involved with the Memorial Players costume crew this year, having retired from the stage after her role as the orphan who did a handstand in Annie. A junior at Bryn Mawr, her only experience with costumes has been making her (admittedly excellent) Halloween costumes, but she is excited to be lending her knitting skills to the team this year!

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Meet Richard Peck (Achilles)

RICHARD PECK (Achilles) made his debut with Memorial Players last fall in the roles of Judge Littlefield and Caiaphas the Elder in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. He has been active in Baltimore theater for going on two decades. He is a member of the bass section in The First Unitarian Church of Baltimore Choir. He lives with his wife, Margaret, in Bolton Hill.

Thank You C&H Restoration and Renovation

Many thanks go to Timothy Horjus and Nicholas Cairns who have supported Memorial Players for almost 6 years. C&H Restoration and Renovation specializes in the restoration and updating of historic homes. Nick and Tim spent years working both as artists and in the trades prior to forming C & H in 2010. With a love for historic architecture and detail combined with a thorough knowledge and appreciation of contemporary aesthetics, they strive to achieve a seamless integration of old and new. To help achieve this vision, C & H has made it a point to draw their workforce from the artist community in Baltimore, a community with which they are deeply involved. The artists that work with C & H share a strong attachment to craft and understand the need to meet exacting standards. For more information visit their website at http://www.candhrestoration.com/. Oh and, one of our pre-show receptions is held in The Gargoyle House, a unique Bolton Hill home which they carefully restored a few years ago. To sign up, go to http://memorial players.org/.

Meet John Lisch (Metullus)

JOHN LISCH (Metullus) has previously appeared with Memorial Players in Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Arcadia, Our Town, and quite a few musicals. He lives in Bolton Hill with his wife Connie and son Jesse. He finds Memorial Players to be an excellent outlet for his creative talent and is thrilled to be part of a local community theatre group.

Monday, October 24, 2016

Meet Sharon Lucas (Costumes)

Sharon Lucas (Costumes). Longtime resident of Bolton Hill, where she and her husband, David, have raised two children. Sharon is uniquely qualified to help with costuming, because she owns a sewing machine; knows how to operate it; and is willing to help. After 6 years of grueling studies, she recently graduated from UB. Sharon is the Financial Administrator for Brown Memorial, around the corner.

"Break-A-Leg" Wishes.

Hail All,
Please remember this great way to support our production:
"Break-A-Leg" Wishes. Your words of encouragement and support will appear in our Romulus Playbill for everyone to see!

Here are some examples:
"We hope you have a wonderful performance and a great time. Wish we could be there to see it. Go Scagliones! Dianne and Dave Basso."
"Memorial Community and Theater Arts Committee, thank you so much for all you do. A more warm, caring, and welcoming community Rachel could never have found. Blessings, The Vandegrift Family."
"Jesse, you're a wonderful director, but this Kralahome thing is going to cost you. Your loving husband, Bill."
"Jesse, Nancy, and the Cast and Crew of the “King and I:” so sorry I cannot be with you on opening night - break a leg! Darren."
The donation is $25 for 25 words or less. And you'll get to see your name in print! Email your wishes to kimscaglione@gmail.com ASAP! Deadline is Friday, Oct 28th.
Please mail checks to Memorial Episcopal Church 1407 Bolton Street, Baltimore, MD 21217. Put "Romulus Break-A-Leg" in memo line.
Thank you in advance for your support!!

Meet Julianna "JJ" Lucas (Costumes)

Julianna "JJ" Lucas (Costumes). Raised in Bolton Hill, JJ is a senior in the Ingenuity Project at Baltimore Polytechnic. Julianna's love of sharks steers her towards a future in Marine Biology and Environmental Studies. Drawing and sewing fashions from a very early age, Julianna literally has "binders full of women" illustrating her designs. When not doing homework, she enjoys playing her favorite instrument, the accordion.

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Rina Steinhauer, showing the cast how to spear an emperor.

Rehearsing Act Two Scene 5

Friday, October 21, 2016

Meet Ryan Tisch (Tullius)

Bolton Hill's RYAN TISCH (Tullius) is thrilled to make his second appearance in a Memorial Players production (after playing Valentine in Arcadia in 2014). His theater background is in improv comedy, and he remains continually surprised by how much harder it is when you have to say the lines the same way in every show. When he isn't acting or at work, Ryan makes his own buttermilk and enjoys decorative macramé. Ryan wants to thank his two favorite guys, husband Curtis and son Luke, for letting him make time for Romulus.

Thursday, October 20, 2016

Meet Sandra Stevens (Props)

SANDRA STEVENS (props manager) is thrilled to be part of another Memorial Players production after her debut as props and stage manager last year. Sandra is a cultural historian and runs her own gallery in Maastricht, the Netherlands, her old home country. She remembers seeing Dürrenmatt’s Romulus performed at her high school in the 1980’s and has loved it ever since. Convinced of the high quality of both Vidal’s play as well as the actors of this extraordinarilly gifted theater group Sandra is grateful to be part of the team again.

Meet Nancy Kelso (Pyramus)

NANCY KELSO (Pyramus) has been involved in Memorial Players since its very beginning, appearing as Pilate’s Wife in Jesus Christ Super Star, Yenta in Fiddler on the Roof, Eulalie McKechnie Shinn in Music Man, Skimbleshanks in Cats, Vera Charles in Mame, Mrs. Pugh in Annie, Mrs. Bedwin in Oliver!, the Guard in Twelve Angry Jurors, Stage Manager in Our Town, and Henrietta Iscariot in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. In 2014 she assisted Jesse Milan with the direction of spring musical The King and I.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Meet Kristine Smets (Producer, Chef)

KRISTINE SMETS (Producer, Chef) always wanted to be an actress but for most of her life was too afraid to say so. She is extremely grateful to Memorial Players for giving her the confidence and opportunity to give it a try. Her first timid lines on stage were in the 2012 production of Twelve Angry Jurors. A year later she had great fun portraying Professor Willard in Our Town, and last year got a kick out of playing Mother Teresa in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. She also appeared in the musicals Oliver!, Meet Me in St. Louis, and The King and I. In 2014 she agreed to co-produce Memorial Players’ fall drama Arcadia. This was such a rewarding experience she could not resist the temptation to do it again … and again. Thank you Mike & Clare for letting me play!

Meet Kim Scaglione (Apollonia)

Kim Scaglione (Apollonia) calls Bolton Hill home, and is thrilled to be a part of this great community theater again. Thanks to Memorial Players she's portrayed maids, wives, jurors, dead people and even a nun! She'd like to thank Carl, Spencer, and all her wonderful friends and neighbors for their patience, love and support. Mostly patience. LOTS of patience.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Meet John Dignam (Otto Rumpf)

John Dignam makes his (HILARIOUS!) Memorial Players debut in Romulus as Otto Rumpf. He recently returned to community theatre with the Salem Players in his adopted hometown of Catonsville, Maryland. His most recent roles with Salem were Tony Cavendish in The Royal Family and Willy Wonka in Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka. Welcome, John!

Thank You Bolton Hill Food Center

Please visit another neighborhood business and supporter of Memorial Players:
Bolton Hill Food Center
1111 Park Ave (lower level of Sutton Place)
Baltimore, MD 21217

They are wonderful!

Meet The AMAZING John Seeley

The AMAZING John Seeley has been involved in all of the Memorial Players productions and has designed sets for 17 of its shows. He also designed the set for Chesapeake Chamber Opera’s Hansel and Gretel. John has an MFA in sculpture from MICA. He studied art in France and religious (Byzantine) iconography in Palestine. We are so very lucky to have his talent on our team!

Twitter

Hi everyone! Rea here! So excited to be apart of the awesome cast of Romulus! If you have twitter be sure to follow the new account: MemorialPlayer and track #romulusplayer! Hope to see everyone at the show!