Fortinbras

By Lee Blessing
Directed by Michael R. Cohen

Actors Ensemble of Berkeley presents FORTINBRAS, by Lee Blessing ("A Walk in the Woods") at John Hinkel Park in north Berkeley, Sat/Sun August 24th and 25th, and Sat/Sun/Mon August 31st, September 1st, and September 2nd. All performances are FREE and begin at 4 p.m. Seat reservations accepted - call 510-649-5999 (seating begins at 3 p.m.)

FORTINBRAS begins where "Hamlet" ends - with the Norwegian prince Fortinbras appearing just as Hamlet expires in Horatio's arms. Eager to take the reigns of government, he is apoplectic when Horatio explains how everyone (except himself) has died either through homicide, suicide, regicide, or just plain dumb luck.

Fearing a public relations disaster, Fortinbras attempts to replace the truth with his own fabrication - only to be hounded by the ghosts of the cast of "Hamlet", who want the REAL story told - and also by his own hubris, which comes back to haunt him as well. FORTINBRAS is a hilarious, modern take on themes which continue to be relevant today - hailed by the L.A. Times as a "pungent political satire" with "dialogue as scathing as it is hilarious" And what more appropriate play for a pleasant summer afternoon than a sequel!

FORTINBRAS features Patrick Glenn as the titutular character (just returned from getting his degree at UCLA, last seen with AEB as Rosencrantz in our 2006 hit "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead"), AEB newcomer Anju Hyppolite as Horatio, Ann O'Connelll, fresh off a role in AEB's "Rock 'n' Roll" as Osric, Sarah Guerrero as Opheilia, Max Chervin as Hamlet, Bruce Kaplan as Claudius, Alison Whismore as Gertrude, Susannah Wood as the Captain, Jeffrey Trescottas Polonius, Nils Skuda as Laertes, Peter Weiss as Marcellus, and Katie Tandy and Hannah Tobin-Bloch as The Polish Maidens.

Set Design by Allie Blanchard. Costumes by Helen Slomowitz. Props by Crystal Barnes. Stage managed by The Polish Maidens. Set Construction and Technical Direction by Robert Gudmundsson Directed by Michael Cohen, recently relocated from Los Angeles, he most recently directed AEB's staged reading of Havel's insidiously funny satire of bureaucracy, "The Memorandum".

WHAT: FORTINBRAS
WRITTEN BY: Lee Blessing
DIRECTED BY: Michael R. Cohen
COMPANY: Actors Ensemble of Berkeley
WHEN: Sat/Sun August 24th/25th
Sat/Sun/Mon August 31st, September 1st/2nd
All performances at 4 p.m. (seating begins at 3 p.m.)
WHERE: John Hinkel Park Amphitheatre, north Berkeley 
HOW MUCH: Free! Reserve your seats by calling 510-649-5999 (only the first 3 rows/60 seats will be reserved)

• Description:

  Sarah Guerroro as Ophelia

• Description:

  AnJu Hyppolite as Horatio

• Description:

  AnJu Hyppolite as Horatio, Patrick Glenn as Fortinbras

• Description:

  Bruce Kaplan as Claudius, Hannah Tobin-Bloch as a Polish Maiden, Patrick Glenn as Fortinbras, and Alison Whismore as Gertude