---

 •  Home •  Tickets •  Education Programs •  About Us •  Archive •  Latest News •  Support the Festival •  Contact Us • 
 

---

For its ninth year, the Carolinian Shakepseare Festival celebrated summer and the Bard in beautiful and historic New Bern, North Carolina. That summer's lineup of events included:

"The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare

August 2 through August 19 at New Bern Civic Theatre

Thursdays: 7:00 p.m., Fridays & Saturdays: 8:00 p.m., Sundays: 2:00 p.m.

The battle lines were drawn for the festival's production of "The Taming of the Shrew," the Bard's great battle of the sexes, August 2 -19 at the New Bern Civic Theatre. With this production of "The Taming of the Shrew" plus other Fringe events, Producing Artistic Director, Mary McGinley, is called the upcoming season "The Year of the Clown." She spoke about the play during rehearsals. "What makes this comedy so riotous, and special, is Shakespeare's source material of the early clowning tradition of Europe. These are timeless comic figures that go back as far as ancient Rome -- and are still very much alive on today's TV sitcoms. All in all, it should be a wonderful season, full of good humor and fun." As for the battle, she says "all bets should be off on the rules of engagement."

McGinley was pleased with the cast members she has chose whom she calls "talented and diverse." Noemi de la Puente, familiar by now to all Festival fans, returned to New Bern in the leading role of the "Shrew," Katherina, one of Shakespeare's most memorable and enduring female characters. A skillful comedienne, de la Puente has charmed local audiences with a wide range of characters including Maria in "Twelfth Night" and Dromio the clown in "Comedy of Errors." Her original one-act play, "Fountain of Youth," received enthusiastic reviews both here and in New York.

Two actors who made debut appearances for the Carolinian Shakespeare Festival were Wesley Broulik and Brian Peters. Broulik, as Petrucio, was a great match for the wildcat, "Kate," in this riveting dance of domestic politics. With an MFA from Rutgers and BA from University of Iowa, his career has included extensive TV and stage roles with frequent appearances in Shakespeare productions around the country. Brian Peters portrayed Lucentio, the wily (and slightly goofy) suitor of Kate's more marriageable sister, Bianca. Peters earned his BFA in Performing Arts at Adelphi University, and performs frequently in the New York area, most notably with the Long Island Shakespeare Festival where his long list of credits have included Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet." Bianca, the object of Lucentio's desire, was played by ECU graduate Kris Lundberg. She brought to her role experience as both actor and fight director including many appearances in the popular Shakespeare in the Park(ing Lot) in New York City. Lundberg was the Stage Manager for "Romeo and Juliet," the festival's first production in 1999, and McGinley was happy to welcome her back to New Bern for the 2007 season.

Other visiting actors filling principal roles were Richard Brundage, as the foolish Gremio; and Emile Nebbia who played Hortensio. Joining them were be numerous local actors including Bob Husson, as Kate and Bianca's demanding father, Baptista; Randal Hemminger in the role of Vincentio; New Bern High School Drama teacher, Willie Sumner as Petrucio's servant, Grumio; and ECU student, Von Lewis, as Tranio. McGinley's cast, as always, featured the "Young Company," a group of talented local students.

---

"Clowning 101"

July 21, 7:30 p.m., at New Bern Civic Theatre

Renowned clown Matt Chapman presented this performance workshop that helped participants, both of the cast and of the community find their inner clown. Admission is free; Participants were told they could bring their own rubber nose.

Matt Chapman is a performer, director, and teacher of physical theatre and clown. He is Artistic Director of Under the Table, a Brooklyn-based physical theatre ensemble whose work has traveled to many stages across the U.S. in the past five years. Additionally, he tours internationally as an actor with Dell'Arte International (California), and has worked as a performer and teacher in Swaziland and South Africa through Clowns Without Borders.

In the U.S., Matt has taught workshops and residencies at Vassar College, Sarah Lawrence College, Towson University, Luther College, the University of Iowa, the University of North Dakota, and the New York International Fringe Festival. He has served as Assistant to Ronlin Foreman, Clown master and Director of Pedagogy at Dell'Arte International.

In the Spring of 2007, Matt was a professor of Clown at Marymount Manhattan College and Manhattanville College in New York, and had just finished a 6-week intensive workshop at the Brooklyn Arts eXchange. That June, he opened his Clown technique intensive workshop in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, at Golden Palace Studio. Besides this solo show, he conducted a series of workshops on the art of clowning at the festival.

Matt attended the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre and received his bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas.

This performance was funded in part by a grant from the Southern Arts Federation in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Agency.

---

"The School for Husbands" by Jean Molière

August 8, 7:30 p.m., and August 12, 6:30 p.m., at Christ Church Ministry Center

The fourth offering in the "Unplugged Series," our battle of the sexes continued when the classic clown, Sganarelle, learned what it meant to be a good husband at the hands of his charming wife. This was a staged reading by members of the company, joined by several guest artists.

---

"Festival Fringe" - Comedy Tonight! With Ooops! Improv

August 15, 7:30 p.m., and August 19, 6:30 p.m., at Christ Church Ministry Center

Our season of the clown finished with two delightful evenings of improvisational comedy presented by Ooops! in the tradition of "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" This was a co-production with Greenville Theater Project

---

Shakespeare at the Movies

August 7 and August 14, 7:00 p.m., at Trent River Coffee Company

New Bern Movie Club presented a private viewing of film adaptations of Shakespeare plays and explorations of themes presented in the festival.