MoonBeam.Net Productions - All The World's A Stage

The Midtown International Theatre Festival

and

Presents

All The World's A Stage

A Friendly New Musical Farce
Book, Music and Lyrics by Award-Winning Songwriter
Donna Stearns

Read the Review of the New York Premiere by OOBR!

"All The World's A Stage" premiered in 2002 at The Midtown International Theater Festival
at Raw Space in New York City from July 8 - August 4, 2002. Raw Space, Theater L, 529 W. 42nd St, between 10th and 11th Avenues, New York City.

It was a box office success and advanced on to the festival's "Best of Fest Week!" under the direction of Jason Kendall who is in the casting pool for clowns of Cirque du Soleil.

"All The World's A Stage" is a new musical farce based on "As You Like It" ... except, er well-- this ain't Shakespeare anymore. This timeless classic has been updated as a soap opera, with straight relationships, gay characters, gender-bending and all those crazy love triangles. If you like "The Donkey Show" and TV's hit "Will & Grace," then you'll wanna see this musical romp!

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HB Studio , New York Spaces , Shetler Studios , La Festa Restaurant , The Grey Dog's Coffee , Frascati's , New Heights Realty , AJ's Video House , Caffe San Marco , Healthy Bodies , Ro-Mart Stationers Inc. , Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Eileen Weigand , Aphrodisia , Cleaners & Laundromat (on Carmine) , Dichter Pharmacy , Empire Szechuan Village , Hoppin' Jalapenos , Inwood Italian Bakery

Special Thanks

Our thanks go out to the following people for their hard work and help in this project:

Philip and Noel Kendall , Jennifer DuCaud , Phil Reissman , Steven W. Lozner, Esq.

The Cast for the World Premiere at
The 2002 Midtown International Theater Festival

	BEATRIZ ABELLA as Rosalynde Beatriz attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where I received my BFA in Acting along with a Music Minor. I am a new addition to the city, and I must say that I am not a big fan of the humidity. Some of my most enjoyable roles have been Sheila in Hair and The Baker's Wife in Into The Woods at UNCG, Millie Longnecker in Scenes and Revelations at UNCG Summer Rep and Yasmin in Pentecost at The Burning Coal Theatre Company. I want to say thanks to the cast for welcoming me with such enthusiasm and support as I stepped in three weeks into rehearsal. Enjoy!
	JONATHAN BEATRICE as Touchstone Jonathan is pleased to be making his first appearance at the Midtown International Theatre Festival. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Jonathan first fell in love with acting playing the Old Actor in his high school production of The Fantasticks. Since then, Jonathan has enjoyed playing a wide range of roles in regional/off-off Broadway theatre and various independent films. His proudest achievements include his 7-month run playing Arnall in New York's longest currently running play, Line, and performing with KLAATU's critically acclaimed improvisationalist Greg Sullivan. Jonathan would like to thank his family for all their support.
	ADRIENNE BELAI as Phebe Adrienne, a recent NYU grad, is thrilled to be working with this zany bunch. Previous credits include Christopher Durang's A History of the American Film, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Into the Woods, Jesus Christ, Superstar, and a lovely romp with animated hamsters for Nickelodeon. Special thanks to friends, (especially the Addainess), the wacky Hungarian family, and the "crazy" kids at 54.
	RALPH CARIDEO as Jacques Ralph has performed in many venues in Manhatttan including Theater For The New City and The New York Comedy Club where he worked with Jason Kendall and Donna Stearns in Shakespeare's Measure For Measure as Abhorson. He has played leading roles in Clive Barker's Frankenstein In Love at The Waterloo Bridge Theater, David Mercaldo's musical comedy Apartment To Let, and Arthur Sainer's The Burning Out of '82 among others. Ralph is also a playwright and recently completed the book for a musical version of the life of Mata Hari which is making the rounds. He lives in Huntington, N.Y. where he rescues stray cats.
	DAVID THOMAS CROWE as Lord Wimbling Standards David has recently been seen this June in the ballet/dance movie parody The Butt Cracker at the American Theater of Actors. Earlier this year, he participated in TOSOS II's Look Again! staged reading series, appearing in both The West Street Gang and Dis Con. Other roles include: the title role in Bullshot Crummond, Sganarelle in Moliere's The Doctor In Spite Of Himself, Norman in Living Together, as well as roles in Blue Is For Boys and Richard II.
	BETH DOVER as Eddie Beth is a graduate of the University of Florida theatre program. Some favorite roles include Miranda in The Tempest, Guildenstern in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Elsa in Hopscotch, and B in Mono. Film and TV roles include Guiding Light, One Hundred Center St, Kenan & Kel, and Welcome Freshman. Recently, she appeared in the film G, with Blair Underwood which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
	JEANNE FAVARA as Celia Favorite roles include Eliza in My Fair Lady, Olive in Joking Apart, Alto in Songs for a New World, Sally Bowles in Cabaret and Maisie Merryweather in The Boyfriend. She performed for President Clinton and shared the stage with Bernadette Peters, Stevie Wonder and Savion Glover. Most recently she worked on the World Premier of KINGS, the musical written by Elliott Weiss. She can be seen at the New York Comedy Club where she performs improvisational theatre. Jeanne is a recent graduate of the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music at The Catholic University of America where she received her Bachelor degree. She would love to thank her family and friends who have always been so supportive and have made this career possible! Most especially, Jeanne thanks her mom...BK, thank you!
	LELA FRECHETTE as Duke Senior Lela is thrilled to be doing another original musical in an International Festival. Last year, she appeared in the NYC Fringe Festival as LouAnn in the amusing, but chillingly prophetic Survival Rival. Other musical roles include Dr. Charlotte Falsettos and Eulalie MacKenknie Shinn Music Man. Among her numerous other regional theatre credits, favorite roles have been the title role in Molly Sweeney, Gertrude in The Sea Horse, Pola in Dream of a Common Language, Charlotte Hay in Moon Over Buffalo, Emilia in Desdemona, A Play About a Handkerchief, and Mrs. Gibbs in Our Town. She has performed in local clubs with The Naked Pigeons, an improv and sketch comedy group which can be seen on Cable Access TV this fall. Lela is also an accomplished cabaret singer. This performance is dedicated to all the "misfits" and uncommon people, who are still looking for the place where they can just be themselves, accepted for who they are.
	STEVEN GILLENWATER as Lord Filibuster O'Mighty and Choregrapher Steven is a recent transplant from the West Coast thrilled to be making his debut on the New York stage. National tours include: Tom Sawyer and Ellis Island with American Family Theater and Love's Labors Lost with Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Regional credits include: Tom in Table Manners and Steve in Hair, both with CityLights of San Jose; Billy Bigelow in Carousel with Monterey Bay Repertory, Sir Hugh Evans in The Merry Wives of Windsor and Player King/Osric in Hamlet, both with Napa Valley Shakespeare. Steven holds both a B.A. and a Graduate Certificate in Theater from the University of California, at Santa Cruz. He wishes to thank Vanessa, Matt and Sarah for all their love and support.
	FREDERICK HAMILTON as Orlando Rick has performed worldwide on the tours of OKLAHOMA!, CAMELOT and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Dedicated to the production of new works, he was in the original workshop productions of DISSOLVING ELSA and THE SPARE SERAPHIM, among others. Favorite roles include James in Johnathan Tolins' ANOTHER GAY PLAY with The Genesius Guild; Frankie in FOREVER PLAID and Ty in SORDID LIVES at the Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre; Jesus in GODSPELL, Tony in WEST SIDE STORY and the title roles in JOSEPH.. and PIPPIN at the Bucks County Playhouse. As a benefit for The New York Times Neediest Fund, Frederick recently appeared in the NYC and LA mountings of ELEVEN: Songs For a New Time, a song cycle response to the events of September 11.
	ANSON HEDGES as Duke Frederick Anson, a refugee from opera and Ohio, studied at Susan Grace Cohen Studio. His roles include: MOLINA in KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, PETER in STOP KISS, BREAM & COOTIE'S FATHER in MOONCHILDREN (OOBR award), LT. GREGG in SEX (Mae West's first play), THOMAS JEFFERSON in 1776, DON PEDRO in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, and CAMILLO in THE WINTER'S TALE. Anson's repertoire includes DON OTTAVIO in DON GIOVANNI, TAMINO in DIE ZAUBERFLUTE and MACHEATH in Benjamin Britten's THE BEGGAR'S OPERA. Movies include THE LAVERNE AFFAIR, portraying GARY, a nasty police psychic, THE STORY TELLER as a hired killer, and the father in HEADTRIP, a short film shown at festivals. Music Video credit: INVADERS as a FBI/INS Agent who gets his guy. He has performed with New York City Opera and New Jersey State Opera.
	JEFFREY LANDMAN as Oliver Jeffrey appeared on Broadway in Les Miserables and Falsettos (also Nat'l tour). Off-Broadway: Shopping and Fucking (also LA Backstage West Award), The Workroom, The Rothschilds, Wuthering Heights, Traveler In The Dark. Regional: Oliver!, George M!, What's Wrong With Angry? (Robby and GLAAD nominations), 2Gs (NAACP Award), A Thousand Clowns, Gypsy, Dancing With Miracles. Workshops: Mask - The Musical, Big - The Musical. Film: Halloween 5. TV: Saturday Night Live, Smoke Alarm, Guiding Light. Recordings: Broadway Kids Sing Broadway, Home Alone 2 Soundtrack. Background vocals for: Michael Jackson, Little Richard, Gloria Estefan. Jeffrey holds a BFA from NYU. All my love to 515, EGW, Mommy, and Poo. Jeffrey is represented by Nicolosi and Company.
	KENNY WADE MARSHALL as Adam, Catherine Von Tingles/Castrato, Club Kid Kenny was in the original workshop and Off-Broadway production of Pirates of Penzance Live-On-Deck! (Ensemble/swing for Ruth). In New York, Kenny has performed with Gorilla Rep., Vortex Theatre Co., 24-Hour Play Series at Present Co. amongst others. Regional Credits include: A Chorus Line (Mike), Cinderella (Ugly Stepsister), Barber of Seville (Count Almaviva/Southem US Company) & Once Upon A Mattress (Queen Aggravain) w/ Ms. Carol Bumett-Dir. Kenny is also a professional improviser. He performs frequently at Gotham City, Comedy Cellar & NY Comedy Club. You can currently see him performing with the sketch/improv group Rash Behaviour at the Knitting Factory. Catch him, as well, on Nick at Nite as "The Big Idea Guy"! Up next, Kenny is working on the book and lyrics to a new musical with performance artist Janie Martinez and UK musician Jonathan Spottiswoode entitled Honey Moon Killers!. Special Thanks to Kim (my angel), fellow Rash Behaviourists, the fam, Kevin & Julien at FiFi Oscard (You Guys Rock!).
	CATHERINE MUNDEN as Alex Catherine celebrates her New York theatrical debut with All The World's A Stage. Regional theatre in Los Angeles includes Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Maids of Honor, and Barrel of Monkeys (Improv Group). Since moving to New York last September, she has starred in a series of Independent features and short films: BRA America, Sneers of a Clown, Being and Becoming, 1.2.5, So Real?, What They Come For, and Small World. She studied Acting with Janet Alhanti in Los Angeles and is currently studying with Michael Howard here in NY. �It is a blast working with this crazy bunch! I'm so excited to be in New York and so grateful for the opportunity to work in this show, it has been more shi*s and giggles than I could have imagined!
	SCOTT DAVID PHILLIPS as Lord Meidick Istiph Scott played roles including Lacroix in Danton's Death (Prospect Theater, NYC), Young Shepherd in The Winter's Tale (Texas Shakespeare Festival), Harlequin in The Triumph of Love, Mr. Medley in The Man of Mode, Mr.Peachum in The Threepenny Opera, and Smerdyakov in The Brothers Karamazov (UT). Other venues Scott has played at include Pennsylvania Centre Stage, National Theater for the Peforming Arts, University of Wyoming Summer Theatre, and Freunde der Italienischen Oper in Berlin, where he performed the role of Baz in Tony Kushner's Bright Room Called Day with the support of a Fulbright Fellowship. Scott holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Performance from the University of Texas-Austin, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts from the Pennsylvania State University.
	BRIAN WHISENANT as Silvius Brian is elated to have the opportunity of playing this role again, especially with the added pleasure of songs and dog collars. Brian recently performed Silvius in As You Like It with The Storm Theatre. Other favorite hopeless, doomed, or lucky romantic roles which he has played include: Freddie in My Fair Lady, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Hero in Forum, Jean-Michel in La Cage Aux Folles, Tony in West Side Story, and Kinesias in Lysistrata. Other non-romantic yet abused roles include: Berthold in Pirandello's Henry IV, Christopher Wren in The Mousetrap, and The Beggar in the National Tour of A Christmas Carol. Brian holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performance from The University of Southern Mississippi and looks forward to more abuse in the future.

The Production Group for the 2002 World Premiere

From Left to Right:
Donna Stearns: Playwright, Composer, Lyricist, Musical Director
Jason Kendall: Director, Executive Producer
David M. Zuber: Assistant Director
Steven Gillenwater: Choreographer

Lela Frechette: Costumes

Reviews of the World Premiere at
The 2002 Midtown International Theatre Festival

"An irreverent, knowing, and playful adaptation that highlights the potent sexuality (gay and straight) of Shakespeare's gender-bending comedy. . . . . broadly comic and contemporary in its references, combining Shakespeare's text with new dialogue and songs that confront the original's convenient relationships and resolutions, offering a more sexually chaotic and entertaining alternative that never takes itself too seriously."

Miranda Lundskaer-Nielsen, Off Off Broadway Review
Read the Full Review

"C'e molta azione e qualche canzone orecchiabile: "You Make Me Moist" e "Midnight Pillow". Gran senso dell'umorismo sulla nuova "moralita". Tutto e lecito." (Translated: "There's a lot of action and some catchy songs: "You Make Me Moist" and "Midnight Pillow". A great sense of humour on the new "morality." Everything is allowed.")

Mario Fratti, Oggi (Italian Magazine)

"some real gems ... quite funny."

Irene Walsh, Former President
Bat Theater Company, NYC

"A Bawdy Shakespearean Transgender ROMP! More fun than a barrel of Hamlets!"

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director
Manhatan Repertory Theater, NYC

Donna Stearns' name made the Bill Moyers "Now: Women in the Arts" PBS Quiz!!! See how you do http://www.pbs.org/now/quiz/quiz9.html (See Question #4)

"I passed the quiz and got 100%!"

Anonymous New York Producer of Note

"All The World's A Stage" was premiered in The Midtown International Theatre Festival at Raw Space in New York City from July 8 - August 4, 2002. Raw Space, Theater L, 529 W. 42nd St, between 10th and 11th Avenues, New York City.

Character Breakdown

Rosalynde -- All that and brains too. Thinks she can solve problems by dressing like a boy. Nice girl but can't tell when her own cousin Celia is lusting after her.

Celia -- Closeted lesbian in love with her cousin Rosalynde.

Duke Senior -- Rosalynde's father, but ... he's a biological man who lives his life as a woman in Arden.

Phebe -- Bitchy shepherdess not in love with Silvius.

Jaques -- Dark, scary, secretive, wierd misanthrope. Speaks in Star-Trek-like technical jargon.

Alex and Eddie -- Flunky tech assistants to Jaques and stage managers with headsets dealing with the soap actors.

Club Kid and Entertainment Reporter Katherine Von Tingles -- Cameo role for outlandish club kid who owns his or her own "gear" and can pull off a woman from Entertainment Tonight. Ultra sexy and nasty.

Oliver -- Jealous older brother of Orlando. Wants to kill Orlando but is saved by Orlando from jungle animals and hunters.

Orlando -- Prefers porn to poetry. Nice guy but can't tell when a girl is dressed up as a boy.

Adam -- Servant and kind old coot who tries to stand between these 2 brothers and tries to smooth things out.

Touchstone -- Terrible stand-up comedian who thinks he looks good in a wonder bra.

Duke Frederick -- Celia's father. Evil bad-guy duke who mends his ways by becoming a minister. Falls for the Club Kid from Limelight.

Silvius -- Quirky Poindexter shepherd in love with Phebe.

3 Lords to Duke Senior and Clown Troupe -- Ab-Fab whistling hunters. Mutts and Jeffs who are happy to be quite Out in Arden with Duke Senior.

The Music of All The World's A Stage

Midnight Pillow

880kb mp3

"Midnight Pillow" is the ballad of unrequited love where Silvius laments over Phebe.

Sung by Brian Whisenant.

I Have That

9.5kb mp3

Love triangles abound! "I Have That" is sung by the lovers, each professing who they have passion for. Celia joins in during the coda with her "dark circles around [my] eyes . . . " which counterpoints these two songs.

Sung by Brian Whisenant, Lela Frechette, Beatriz Abella, and Scott David Phillips.

What I've Learned

1.2Mb mp3

"What I've Learned" is Oliver's song of repentence. Oliver planned to kill his brother, but his hate dissolved into love when his brother saved his life in the forest.

Sung by Scott David Phillips

Medley of all the Other songs

2.5MB mp3

This music clip gives short instrumental samples of the other songs from "All The World's A Stage." All samples are played and spoken by the Composer, with two songs of note. "You Make Me Moist" was an underground hit at such Manhattan 80's club hotspots as Limelight, Tunnel, Red Zone, MK's, World: The It Room. "Phantasmagorical" features the singing talents (sic) of Daniel Carroll O'Leary and Jason Kendall as recorded in Inwood Hill Park Studio with the mixing skills of Phoebe and Tabitha.

Song Breakdown

*All The World�s A Stage*	Full Cast
*Brotherly Love*	Orlando, Oliver, and Adam
*The Powers of a Super Hero*	Rosalynde
Love at First Sight	Rosalynde, Celia
*Reprise- Love at First Sight*	Orlando
*Ganymede*	Rosalynde, Celia, Alex and Eddie
Phantasmagorial	Duke Senior, 4 Lords
*Reprise-Phantasmagorical*	Club Kid, Duke Senior, 4 Lords
*Midnight Pillow*	Silvius (4 Lords, and Alex and Eddie)
*You Make Me Moist*	Orlando and Full Cast
*Reprise- Midnight Pillow*	Celia
*What I�ve Learned*	Oliver and Full Cast
*I Have That*	Rosalynde, Celia, Orlando, Silvius, Phebe
*Reprise- I Have That*	Rosalynde and Orlando
*Minister Man*	Duke Frederick and Full Cast
*Reprise- The Powers of a Super Hero*	Rosalynde, Celia, Phebe
*Reprise- All The World�s A Stage*	Full Cast