PSF Presents TWO NOBLE KINSMEN, Closes 8/7

Capping a 20th anniversary season of milestones, the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival turns to the Elizabethan past with its rehearsal methods for The Two Noble Kinsmen. The company of actors will arrive with their lines learned, develop their own staging in a "thrillingly brief" rehearsal period, wear what they can find, and open in a matter of days - much like the rehearsal methods of Shakespeare's time.

The Festival typically rehearses each play for three and a half weeks: The Two Noble Kinsmen will rehearse for four days. "No director - the position didn't exist in 1613 - no designers," says Patrick Mulcahy, producing artistic director. "Just great actors, an exciting play, and pure adrenaline and spontaneity, and perhaps a little closer to the energy of an Elizabethan playhouse."

The Two Noble Kinsman will close August 7th on the Schubert Stage in the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of DeSales University. Performances are 7pm Tuesday; Wednesday through Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm and 8pm and Sunday at 2pm and 7:30pm. Single tickets cost $30 and $32.

The Two Noble Kinsman is a play about love, betrayal, forgiveness, and war. Attributed to both Shakespeare and the future lead playwright for the King's Men, John Fletcher, The Two Noble Kinsmen features two princes who fight for the affection of the same woman, a royal lady of the enemy's court.

The Acting Company includes of some of PSF's most seasoned veterans along with a few new faces who have already delighted audiences in this landmark season. Joining this grand adventure are festival favorites Ian Bedford (The Comedy of Errors, Midsummer, Macbeth, Othello) and Lauren Lovett (Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like It, The Merchant of Venice) to play Duke Theseus of Athens and his bride-to-be Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons.

Newcomer Thomas Matthew Kelley from this season's The Comedy of Errors and Festival veteran Spencer Plachy (South Pacific, 1776, Cyrano) play the two cousin princes, Palamon and Arcite from Thebes, who vie for the affection of Emilia as played by Eleanor Handley, also from this season's The Comedy of Errors.

The cast of characters includes a jailer and his daughter, portrayed by Festival regular Gordon Gray and newcomer Lauren Orkus, both seen in The Comedy of Errors. An ensemble of professional actors and Festival interns make up the remaining roles, some as multiple characters.

The script cutting and cast doubling were developed by James J. Christy (director, The Playboy of the Western World, Twelfth Night) and Patrick Mulcahy. While there are no designers, scenic elements created by Bob Phillips for Sleeping Beauty and The Comedy of Errors will be commandeered for this production - which are performed in the same theatre -- as have elements of Elizabeth Elliot's lighting design for Sleeping Beauty. For the costumes, the cast will be lead by the costume shop manager through PSF's storage where they can create a look for each character (and they can also raid their own closets).

Stacy Renee Norwood is the Equity stage manager.

Single tickets, subscriptions and Shakespeare packages are available at www.pashakespeare.org and by contacting the Box Office at 610.282.WILL [9455].

The 2011 Festival continues with The Comedy of Errors (through July 17), Hamlet and Pride & Prejudice playing in rep (July 19 - August 7), Sleeping Beauty (through August 6) and Shakespeare for Kids (July 27 - August 6).

Production Sponsor of The Two Noble Kinsman is the Wills Hall Oblate Community. Season Sponsors are Kathleen Kund Nolan and Timothy E. Nolan; Associate Season Sponsors are The Morning Call, Service Electric Cable TV & Communications and the Harry C. Trexler Trust. Director Sponsors are Linda Lapos and Paul Wirth.

The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is the Official Shakespeare Festival of The Commonwealth and a professional, not-for-profit, theatre company. An independent 501 c 3 organization, PSF receives support from DeSales University and relies on contributions from individuals, government agencies, corporations and foundations. PSF is a constituent of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, and a member of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, Lehigh Valley Arts Council and the Shakespeare Theatre Association.

Company bios
* Indicates member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Stage Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

Patrick Mulcahy (Director, Hamlet; Producing Artistic Director, PSF) Since assuming leadership in 2003, Mulcahy has led PSF's return to artistic excellence and financial stability, rebuilt the professional company of artists, and achieved increasing national recognition for the Festival. Further accomplishments include five awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, including PSF's first, and attracting a company of artists including winners and nominees of the Tony, Obie, Emmy, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Jefferson, and Barrymore awards to the Festival, growth in all income areas, a 50% increase in annual attendance, and the expansion of the number of Actors' Equity contracts per season.

As a professional director, actor and fight director, credits include Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theatre, television, and radio. Mulcahy has acted with Angela Basset, Peter MacNicol, HAl Holbrook, Joan Cusack, Don Cheadle, Anne Meara, Milo O'Shea, Cynthia Nixon, Tony Shaloub, Bradley Whitford, and others at the New York Shakespeare Festival, Hartford Stage, The Roundabout Theatre, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Syracuse Stage, and the Walnut Street Theatre. He served as a fight director for Tom Hulse and Timothy Busfield in A Few Good Men on Broadway and for Off-Broadway productions starring John Savage, John Mahoney, Marcia Gay Harden, and Patrick Dempsey. He directed Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga in The Real Thing, and, for PSF, directed Antony and Cleopatra (2009), The Winter's Tale (2007), Henry IV, Part I (2005), The Tempest (1999), and acted in and served as fight director for The Taming of the Shrew (1998) and Julius Caesar (1997). He holds an M.F.A. from Syracuse University.

Ian Bedford* (Theseus) returns to PSF for his sixth season. PSF credits: Antipholus of Syracuse, the title role in Henry V, Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, Othello, As You Like It, and Henry IV, Part I. Recent credits: Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew (Chicago Shakespeare), Superior Donuts (Arden Theatre Co.), School of Night (Mark Taper Forum), The Beaux Stratagem and Richard III (Lake Tahoe Shakespeare) and Macbeth (Orlando Shakespeare). TV credits include recurring on Law & Order: SVU.

Pete Danelski (Ensemble) is a rising DeSales sophomore from Philadelphia.

Eleanor Handley* (Emilia) originally from Melbourne, Australia, Eleanor came to New York to complete her M.F.A. at the New School for Drama. Since graduating she has worked extensively with the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival playing Maria in Twelfth Night, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and most recently Cressida in the critically acclaimed production of Troilus and Cressida. Off Broadway she has appeared opposite Austin Pendleton in the New York premiere of Check Mee's Limonade Tous les Jour and with Dominic Chianese in A Chamber Christmas Carol. Regional: Joanne Galloway in A Few Good Men, Sylvia in Sylvia, and Cecily Pigeon in The Odd Couple. TV: Guiding Light and As The World Turns.

Andrew Kane* (Pirithous) 6th season. PSF: Shakespeare for Kids, Antony and Cleopatra, Twelfth Night. Area credits include: Hatchetman, Three Musketeers, Emperor's New Clothes, Cinderella (Barrymore Award), etc. at People's Light, The Credeauz Canvas, Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abrgd) at Theatre Horizon, The Lieutenant of Inishmore at Theatre Exile, Hamlet, Henry IV (Barrymore nom) at Lantern Theatre, Go, Dog, Go! (Barrymore nom) at Arden Theatre. BA: DeSales.

Thomas Matthew Kelley* (Palamon) Off-Broadway: Wife to James Whelan (Mint Theatre Company), Dust (Westside Theatre), Phenomenon (HERE Arts Center), Dog Sees God (The Red Door Theatre). Regional: Cardenio, Julius Caesar, and Donnie Darko (American Repertory Theatre); Pride and Prejudice, As You Like It, and A Christmas Carol (Actors Theatre of Louisville). TV: How to Make It in America (HBO) Film: The Strangest Bullet in My Skull (AlphaSixty Productions). M.F.A. ART/MXAT Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University.

Lauren Lovett* (Hippolyta) PSF: Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, Rosalind in As You Like It, and Portia in Merchant of Venice. Regional highlights: Rabbit Hole (Becca), Bad Dates (One-Woman Show), The Immigrant (Leah), The Importance of Being Earnest (Gwendolyn) at IRT. Los Angeles: Brecht's The Good Woman of Setzuan (Shen Te/Shui Ta) at the Open Fist Theater Company, three productions at the Geffen Playhouse, (u/s Peri Gilpin, Mirelle Enos, Maggie Siff, and Polly Draper, Therese Raquin (Therese) at Ensemble Theatre, Spin (Sally), Theatre40; and iWitness (Margaret u/s), at the Mark Taper Forum. Television: The Whole Truth (Nancy Kohlhass M.E.), ER, Days Of Our Lives, and Guiding Light. She is a graduate of the Julliard Drama Division.

Lauren Orkus* (Daughter/Queen 1) Credits include: My Sweet Charlie (June Havoc Theatre, NYC) The Diary of Anne Frank (St. Louis Rep), Doubt (Weston Playhouse), Night of the Iguana (Berkshire Theatre Fest.), The House in Hydesville (GeVa Theatre), Ivanov (Gene Frankel, NYC), Arms and the Man (Orlando Shakespeare Theater), Hollow (NYC). M.F.A. Acting: FSU/Asolo Theatre Conservatory, B.A. Theater: Penn State.

Spencer Plachy* (Arcite) 5th season: 1776 (Jefferson), Cyrano de Bergerac (Christian), My Fair Lady (Freddy), Amadeus (Venticelli), and Antony and Cleopatra (Agrippa). Most recently he appeared in The 39 Steps (Richard Hannay) at Orlando Shakespeare Theatre and Florida Repertory Theatre. National tours: Oklahoma! (Curly), and Fiddler on the Roof (Perchik). He's originally from the Houston area where he performed at The Alley Theatre: Rock ‘N' Roll (Stephen), A Christmas Carol (Fred), and The Man Who Came To Dinner (Richard Stanley).

Abbie Richards (ensemble) is a rising senior theatre major at DeSales. Credits include Dana in Quilters, and Jane Andrews in Anne of Green Gables.

Julia Stroup (ensemble) 4th season: Romeo and Juliet (Lady Montague), Forum (Gemini), Cinderella (Fairy Godmother) and Antony and Cleopatra (Octavia). Since graduating, Julia has performed with People's Light and Theatre Company in Hatchetman (Jane) and The Three Musketeers (Gyrfalcon).

Ryan Yandersits (ensemble) recently received a B.A. in acting/directing from DSU. Act 1 credits include King Pellinore (Camelot), Smee (Peter Pan), and Tony Lumpkin (She Stoops to Conquer).