Theatre Rhinoceros Presents ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL, May 23 - June 2
All's Well that Ends Well is Rhino's annual roving, queer Shakespeare tradition.
Theatre Rhinoceros presents All's Well that Ends Well, Rhino's annual roving, queer Shakespeare tradition comes home to the Castro, running May 23 - June 2, 2024.
Things are (gestures broadly) a mess, and so is the world of topsy-turvy morals, jealous lovers, and highly questionable “pranks” in Shakespeare's socially problematic romance All's Well that Ends Well. What better group to revel in, and eventually make sense of, such a mess than a roving band of queer, gender non-conforming, and trans-generational theatre folks?
Director John Fisher's vision of the production, which starts inside Rhino's Castro theatre venue (representing the characters' home in France) and moves outside to a nearby park (representing their time abroad and at war in Italy), has been cast with what could be described as gender anarchy - protagonist Helena is played by a Black male actor (Omar Stewart), Bertram is played a white woman (Julie Lamb), and Fontana Butterfield does triple duty as both monarchs of the warring nations, as well as the assisting Widow to Helena's marital scheme. If Shakespeare is a mirror for human relationships through time, this prism of talent is sure to cast new light on current and evolving politics of race, age, and especially gender.
Audience members should note that All's Well that Ends Well includes an exterior performance portion that will require audience members to walk, at a moderate pace, a total of 8 blocks, with several pauses to observe scenes. This path is wheelchair accessible and only involves pedestrian-accessible sidewalks, crosswalks, and public areas. Please dress for late evening San Francisco weather. Accessibility questions or concerns can be directed to Crystal at cliu@therhino.org.
All's Well that Ends Well starts May 23rd and is adapted and directed by Theatre Rhinoceros' Executive Artistic Director John Fisher, starring an ensemble of eight Bay Area actors. This production is made possible by support from The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc, Grants for the Arts, Horizons Foundation, The Geller-Sullivan Trust, The Bob Ross Foundation, Tom Horn, Ira Kurlander and Andy Guest, and the donors and supporters of Theatre Rhinoceros.
Theatre Rhinoceros was founded in 1977, and is the longest running LGBTQ+ theatre in the nation. We develop and produce works of theatre that enlighten, enrich, and explore both the ordinary and the extraordinary aspects of our queer community. Our emphasis is on new works, works about under-represented members of the larger queer community, and revivals of lesser known queer classics.
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