Pericles

Notes from the Director

Pericles, Prince of Tyre was written late in Shakespeare's career- it is usually dated circa 1607-8. The Romantic tale of a young prince who travels the Mediterranean, hunted for a crime he did not commit, Pericles is unique among Shakespeare's plays for its epic scope, its fairy tale style, and its Narrator. Although Shakespeare often employs a narrative device in the form of a character or a fictional "Chorus" commenting on the action to the audience, in no other play did he fashion a character whose narration actually distances the audience from that action. The character of Gower, Pericles' narrator, does just that. John Gower was a real figure, a 14th century storyteller who was a colleague of Chaucer's, and his initial lines inform the audience that what they are seeing is merely a fairy tale, a parable for their entertainment:

To sing a song that old was sung,
From ashes ancient Gower is come,
Assuming men's infirmities,
To glad your ear and please your eyes.

In this production, Woman's Will takes that distancing one step further, seizing the opportunity to re-examine the notion of communication and storytelling between different cultures. The intertwining of American Sign Language and English spoken language transports the story to a larger stage, allowing to communities to interact and learn from each other's expression. The story remains the same, but the telling, like travel itself, broadens our horizons in indefinable but important ways.

Every good fairy tale teaches lessons, and Pericles is no different. The play, and Pericles himself, travel the breadth of the Mediterranean Sea for 15 years, living through betrayals and shipwrecks, finding hope in kind strangers and small, everyday miracles. Gradually worn to pieces by loss, Pericles bears himself with dignity and humility, a hero in a very quiet way. Again and again throughout the play, the gods reward those who are humble in the face of despair, who face evil with goodness and hope, while punishing those who give in to the easy sins of greed, lust, envy and so forth.

In 2002, Americans want simple answers to their questions, and in a sense, will get them with this play. But those who dig deeper will understand the implications that ensue from such simplistic thought. I urge you to take from this play its humility and its great hope for the human race but notice how much good will was needed to keep that hope alive. Let these hours with us be a respite, a salve, a touchstone for you, but remember that every one of us must work with others to create a happy ending for our own collective story.

About this Signed/Spoken Project
The written history of deaf people and sign language dates back to 1000 BC (800 years before Pericles takes place), but it is rare to have the opportunity to see this native language, American Sign Language, on stage, and when it is, it is more commonly via hearing sign language interpreters rather than the inclusion of deaf actors or the production of deaf theater. Woman's Will, always looking to bridge divides and expand communication, wants to change that fact.

Many people who are deaf identify themselves as members of a separate and distinct culture with its own language and cultural values, much as one identifies as Chinese American, African American, or Native American. It is with this cultural view that Woman's Will includes deaf actors and deaf interpreters in our performance of Pericles, as we include others from other countries and cultures. The language you are watching is ASL, a distinct, visually-based language with its own grammar and syntax-we have not merely substituted signs for English words but have translated Shakespeare's poetry from one language to another, researching old signs, adapting existing signs, and re-ordering ideas to re-constitute the rhythm, nuance, and old-world feeling of the original. Native users of ASL have worked with us in the creation of this production, and what you are seeing is a brand new translation of a 400-year old work!

The gift of being able to work with a visual language such as ASL and all that it reveals of the fullness, richness of a community and a particular way of thought and life has brought us this magic and created a delicious adventure-more colors to our story, a physicality and specificity for our actors, and a doubly vibrant show for all our audiences.

Our thanks go to all the members of the deaf community who have given us their time, their thoughts, and moments of their world for this production of Pericles.

Places and People of the Play
Although Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a fictional story, most of the locations and at least three of the characters are real, and Pericles' travels would have been possible. This region is among the most contested lands of modern times and remains a site of interest.

The story of the play is set in approximately 200 BC, while its narrator, John Gower, lived circa 1330-1408. Gower, an English poet, was a great friend and colleague of Chaucer's. The eighth book of his Confessio Amantis (Confession of a Lover) tells a Pericles-like tale drawn from a Greek source, so he is a natural narrator for this play.

Pericles-The historical Pericles led democratic Athens during its Golden Age from 460 to 429 BC but does not relate to the Pericles of the play, except perhaps symbolically.

Antioch-A relatively new city at the time of the play, Antioch was the capitol of the Seleucid Empire and a major intellectual and cultural center. The reigns of Antiochus I and Antiochus II were marked by military occupation, chaos, and killing, but Antiochus III (the Great), who considered himself a second Alexander, conquered neighboring regions and built the city to glory. Antioch was, however, famed for licentious behavior, and Antiochus the Great indeed died in defeat, at the hands of his people. His son, Antiochus IV, died a particularly gruesome death as well, which is described in the Bible and would have been known to Shakespeare's audiences. The city remains today as Antakya in southern Turkey.

Tyre-Tyre is an ancient and important Mediterranean port city that served as the launching point for the epic sea journeys of the Phoenecians. Viciously conquered by Alexander the Great after a prolonged battle in 332 BC, the city recovered in time to serve as a chief Christian stronghold during the Crusades but survives today only as a small town in southern Lebanon. Its terrain lacks rivers and rain and features hot dry summers, cold winters and cool nights.

Tarsus-Legend says that Adam and Eve's son Seth founded Tarsus in 6300 BC, and this city has a rich history. The Greeks arrived in 1100 BC, and Alexander the Great conquered it in 333 BC. By the 2nd century BC, Tarsus was known for its large Jewish population; Cicero lived here in 50 BC; and Antony and Cleopatra first met here in 41 BC. Also the home of Saul of Tarsus (also known as the Christian Apostle Paul), Tarsus, which is in modern Turkey, is a vast fertile plain shielded by the Taurus Mountains. An ancient harbor is now silted in, and the region features extremely hot humid summers and cool winters.

Pentapolis-The site of Pentapolis ("Five Cities") is in dispute. Isaac Asimov, in his important Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare places it on a north African shore located in what is now northern Libya. A Greek and later Roman colony, the main city, Cyrene, is now the site of impressive Greek ruins. Biblical scholars, on the other hand, place Pentapolis (which includes Sodom, Gomorrah and three other cities) in the Jordan valley, near or possibly in the Dead Sea.

Ephesus-Founded in 1087 BC by Androclus, Ephesus is the legendary home of the Amazons and the site of the ruins of two major historical landmarks, the Library of Ephesus and the Temple of Diana, which was considered one of the seven wonders of the world and originated the right to asylum. Although the temple was destroyed in 356 BC, rebuilding was occurring at the time of the play. Located near a now silted-in harbor and on trading routes, Ephesus was home to the metaphysician Heraclitus, who taught that all matter was in a constant state of flux. Ephesus exists today in southern Turkey.

Mytilene-"Mytilene" or Mytilini is the capitol of Lesvos (Lesbos), the third largest island in the Greek archipelago and a major cultural center. Lesvos' pleasantly green sloping hills give way to golden beaches, caves, grottoes and a petrified forest. This fertile region features olive and pine trees and wild flowers. Famous ancient inhabitants include the poet Sappho; Aristotle, the master of ancient dramatic theory; and Lysimachus, one of the characters in Pericles. Lysimachus was one of Alexander the Great's generals, and he took one third of Alexander's kingdom upon the great man's death.

Bios

• Erin Merritt (Director)
  • With Woman's Will, Artistic Director Erin Merritt has directed four productions (most recently 2001's critically acclaimed Comedy of Errors) and acted in two, but she is particularly pleased to return to Pericles, in which she played Gower at the tender age of 15, her first experience with Shakespeare. She has also been seen in the Bay Area and beyond with such companies as Shotgun Players, Center Rep, Pacific Repertory Theatre, and Unconditional Theatre. Favorite past roles include The Woman in Scotland Road, Li'l Bit in How I Learned to Drive, and the title role in Sylvia. You can catch her next as Algernon in Woman's Will's November production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Sit back and enjoy the ride!
• Victoria Carter (Assistant Director)
  • is currently an acting student at Pace University in New York City. She has appeared in numerous productions at the various schools she has attended up until now. Her favorite past roles include Mama Euralie in Once on This Island and Police 2 in Skin. This is not her first directing endeavor (it's her second); however, this is the first one she would have anyone remember. Ms. Carter is both elated and terrified to have been given this fabulous opportunity.
• Alexis Murrell (Stage Manager)
  • is an 18 year old writer/actress/singer/stage manager from Daly City. She just finished up a cycle with the SF Running Crew at Brava! for Women in the Arts and will be studying musical theatre at SF City College in the Fall. Ms. Murrell has worked as Assistant Stage Manager with Woman's Will for the past two years and is thrilled to be stepping in to the "big boss" role for Pericles.
• Jaxy Boyd (Helicanus, Cerimon, Lychorida et al)
  • is a Woman's Will company member last seen with the company in Measure for Measure. Since then, she has appeared as Gina in the world premiere of Bee, and in the new musical Mountain Days: the John Muir Musical. Other cherished roles include two different survivors of the massacre in Unconditional Theatre's West Coast premiere of Greensboro: A Requiem, Yolanda of Spain in Goodtime Charley, Mama Maddelena in Nine, Mrs. Strakosh in Funny Girl. She also turns up in industrial videos and voiceover projects around the Bay Area. Ms. Boyd also holds a BA in Drama from Stanford University and an MBA in Marketing from UC Berkeley.
• Lizzie Calogero (Thaisa, Bawd, et al)
  • This is Ms. Calogero's third time around with Woman's Will. A company member, in 1999, she played Virgilia in Coriolanus; in 1998, she was seen in the role of Speed in Two Gentlemen of Verona. One of her favorite roles is Audrey, the tetchy 7-year-old in Dennis Potter's Blue Remembered Hills, which she performed with Theatre FIRST, where she was also seen recently in both The Colour of Justice and The Memory of Water. She has also worked with the Magic Theatre, Unconditional Theatre, Marin Theatre Company and The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. She is also the mother of our lovely poster girl, Sophia.
• Sage Catron (Gower, Goddess Diana 7/13-7/14)
  • has appeared in the role of Sarah in Children of a Lesser God twice, in Seattle and, more recently, in Fremont, California. Other stage experience includes Beauty and the Beast, More than Meets the Eye, and Bats in the Belfry. You may also remember her as Sally Ruth Cochran in the PBS series The Voyage of the Mimi, which ran from 1982-1984 and featured Ben Affleck in his film debut.
• Susan-Jane Harrison (Pericles)*
  • trained as an actress at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and has performed in a variety of UK tours and London based productions, both modern and classical. Locally, she has enjoyed acting with Berkeley Repertory Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Thick Description, The Aurora Theatre Company and A Travelling Jewish Theater. Ms. Harrison has coached dialect for several TheatreWorks productions and served as Director of The Actor's Centre, a Shakespeare Conservatory for two years. She is currently on staff as a teacher at Berkeley Repertory's School of Theatre. The last male role she gamboled with was Leontes in A Winter's Tale at the age of 18. She offers unending thanks to her loving husband and two year old son.
• JAC (Interpreter)
  • is a renowned Bay Area Deaf performer, storyteller, interpreter, and sign consultant. Woman's Will is thrilled to have her working with the company.
• Kendra Keller (Interpreter Jefa)
  • trained in theatre interpreting at the Juilliard School of Drama evening program. Ms. Keller has worked with the National Theater of the Deaf's Professional Summer School in Connecticut, as faculty at Studio ACT, and with many theatre companies in the Bay Area as well as the Long Wharf Theatre in Hartford. A full-time sign language interpreter, Ms. Keller is also a performer whose acting training includes Studio ACT, Meisner technique with Rachel Adler, and the Dell'Arte School of Physical Theatre.
• Kristen Lo (Dionyza, Antiochus' Daughter, et al)
  • is ecstatic to be back in the Bay Area after studying theatre at Emory and Brown Universities respectively. Some of her favorite past roles include Hilda in Ibsen's The Master Builder, Titania in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Cindy in Maria Irene Fornes' Fefu and Her Friends. Currently Ms. Lo teaches theatre and directs productions at Palo Alto High School. She would like to thank her incredibly supportive new husband.
• Rami Margron (Leonine, Lysimachus, et al)
  • is an East Bay native and a graduate of the Bennett Theater Lab in San Francisco. She has toured locally, nationally, and internationally with the Traveling Lantern Theatre Company, for which she also directs. In addition to being a new member of Woman's Will, she is a member of the Original Action Pack, a band of Improv Comedy Adventurers, and of Reconnect, a company which performs dance and music of the African Diaspora. Ms. Margron was most recently seen in Love's Fire at New Langton Arts and Travesties at Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. Being in this, her first Woman's Will production, makes her jump and skip with delight.
• Christine Odera (Simonides, Boult, et al)
  • has been acting in the Bay Area for the past 5 years. She has worked at The Marsh, Venue 9, CTI, San Jose Stage and Foothill College and was recently seen in The Colour of Justice at TheatreFIRST in Oakland. This is her first performance with Woman's Will.
• Robin Steeves (Antiochus, Cleon, Pander, et al)
  • Having performed in over 60 productions in her career, Ms. Steeves was a recent SF Bay Area Theatre Critics' Circle Award nominee for her portrayal as the Countess Charlotte Malcolm in the Lamplighters' A Little Night Music. Other favorite roles include: The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, Pam in Baby (both Shellie Award nominated performances), Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker, Joanne Galloway in A Few Good Men, Ella in Bells are Ringing, Marian in The Music Man, and the dual roles of Josefine/Monica in Romance Romance, and Yvonne/Naomi in Contra Costa Musical Theatre's Sunday in the Park with George. She has also been seen frequently with 42nd Street Moon in such shows as: Fiorello!, Do I Hear a Waltz, Nymph Errant, and Let's Face It.
• Juliet Tanner (Marina, Thaliard, et al)
  • was last seen as Lady Nijo and Kit in Crowded Fire's production of Top Girls. Her other Crowded Fire credits include Trojan Women: A Love Story (Cassandra) and One Flea Spare (Morse). She has performed extensively in NCTC's YouthAware program, and she has worked with Shotgun Players-As You Like It (Celia), The Jungle Book (Kaa), and The Bacchae (chorus), and with Word for Word-Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave (Vasilisa), The Most Girl Part of You (Most Girl), and The House on Mango Street (Nenny/Rachel).
• Poh-Gaik Teh (Gower, Goddess Diana)
  • currently teaches at California School for the Deaf (CSDF), where she also used to assist in play productions. Locally, she has performed with California SignRise Production's own plays about Deaf culture in Bay Area and played Lydia in Children of Lesser God at Fremont Community Center. She also performed for two years with Cleveland SignStage Theater in Ohio, appearing in The Fools, The Case of the Crushed Petunia and Noodle Doodle Box, and toured the Midwest, performing and conducting workshops. Ms. Teh received her training at ACT in SF and at the National Theater of the Deaf's Professional Summer School in Connecticut.

*Member, Actors' Equity Association

Multimedia

Photos

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Study Guide

Pericles Study Guide (Word Doc)

Press

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