Hedgerow Theatre to Present THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS, 5/26-6/26

Hilarious chaos will abound on the Hedgerow Theatre stage when The Servant of Two Masters gets to work from May 26 to June 26 in director Aaron Cromie's world premiere adaptation of the Carlo Goldoni classic farce.

The plot is, as is typical with the genre, complicated and filled with mistaken identities, and confusion. The play opens at the home of Venetian merchant Pantalone with the celebration of his daughter Clarice's engagement to her beloved Silvio. It's interrupted by the arrival of Beatrice, a lady of Turin, disguised as her brother Federigo, who lost his life defending her honor against her lover, Florindo. Federigo was betrothed to Clarice, so Beatrice hopes to deceive them long enough to collect the dowry owed to her brother. In the meantime, Florindo also comes to Venice in search of Beatrice. The title character is Truffaldino, a servant with an insatiable appetite who wants to double his intake of food, so he--unbeknownst to them--takes jobs with both Beatrice and Florindo. He shuttles back and forth between assignments, given messages for the "boss," although he's never sure which one they're for. The escalating misunderstandings lead to multiple comical complications before all is resolved.

Italian playwright Goldoni (1707-1793) created a new form of comedy by taking the best elements of the improvised style of commedia dell'arte (literally comedy of the profession) and adding witty dialogue in longer, more complete stories. Commedia dell'arte was primarily short scenarios with stock characters, featuring love triangles, mistaken identities and disguises. It was the source of slapstick, with lots of physical comedy and an actual "slapstick" used to create a slapping sound.

Goldoni first wrote The Servant of Two Masters in 1746. His original version was based on improv, but he revised it to make more complex characters and had it printed in 1753. It retains, however, many of the traditional characteristics of its origin enhanced by clever wordplay; in other words, lots of physical comedy and ongoing silliness.

Artistic Director Jared Reed, a Juilliard graduate with a degree in acting, plays Truffaldino. He's joined by Hedgerow Company members Zoran Kovcic as Pantalone; Allison Bloechl as Beatrice; Mark Swift as Silvio; Susan Wefel as innkeeper Brighella; Brock D. Vickers as Florindo Josh Portera as Dr. Lombardi, Silvio's father, and also the second waiter and porter, and Shaun Yates as the first waiter and porter.

Also in the cast are two newcomers to the Hedgerow stage, but not to the Philadelphia theatre scene. Clarice is portrayed by Madalyn St. John, a graduate of St. Joseph's University who has performed at many local venues. Clarice's maid, Smeraldina, is played by Sarah Knittel, who has a BFA in acting from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and an MFA in devised performance from the Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training.

They're directed by Aaron Cromie, who helmed the critically acclaimed Or, this winter and has adapted the original Goldoni. The self-described multidisciplinary theatre artist is perfectly suited for the job, having studied at the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre in California, and been involved in three previous productions of this play .

Adult ticket prices for Friday, Saturday evening and Sunday shows are $34; Thursday and Saturday twilight shows are $29. There is a $3 discount for seniors. Tickets for those 30 and under are $20. Previews on May 26 and 27 are $20. For groups of 10 or more, tickets are $18. Members can purchase half-price tickets for all shows. Prices include all fees and are subject to change.

For reservations or more info, call 610-565-4211 or visit www.HedgerowTheatre.org. Hedgerow Theatre is located at 64 Rose Valley Road in Rose Valley (near Media).