About the Show |
Cast List |
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Proteus and Valentine are headed to Milan, bringing along their clownish servants and followed by Proteus’ beloved, Julia, who is wondering why he has ghosted her.
When both Gentlemen fall in love with the same girl, a truly Shakespearean sort of chaos ensues. Between the laughs, we ask ourselves, who deserves to be forgiven? The PlotTwo gentlemen, Valentine and his best bud, Proteus, have to say goodbye when Valentine leaves Verona to head to the Duke of Milan's court.
Proteus stays behind because he's head over heels for Julia... but just as things are starting to heat up between them, Proteus's dad decides he needs a little culture and ships him off to Milan, where our boy instantly falls for his best friend's girl, Sylvia. To make matters worse, the Duke wants Sylvia to marry his friend, Thurio. Meanwhile, Julia sets out for Milan to reunite with Proteus, dressed as a boy. Attempting to win Sylvia's affection, Proteus gets Valentine banished from Milan. This backfires when Sylvia follows her lover into the woods, pursued by the Duke, Thurio, Proteus, and his new servant - Julia in disguise. A band of outlaws has adopted Valentine and captured Sylvia, but she is "rescued" by Proteus, who just can't take no for an answer. In the confusion in the woods, Julia reveals her true identity and Proteus remembers how much in love with her he is. Valentine is redeemed in the eyes of the Duke and given permission to marry Sylvia, and everyone lives happily ever after... right? |
Crew List
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Director's Notes
Trigger warning: there is an attempted sexual assault in the final scene of this play.
What do you do with a comedy that ends moments after such an act?
One option is to cut it out - but in doing so, we rob ourselves of the chance to consider the act within its context, to think about how these acts happen with such frequency.
With gender-based violence so recently declared an epidemic in this province, taking it out of our telling of this story was never on the table.
Instead, we follow Proteus's path from ardent lover and devoted friend, through misplaced love, to dishonesty, betrayal, and ultimately violence.
We see the women in Milan punished for asserting their independence, and the men subject to a strict hierarchy.
Julia - the most empowered woman in the play - is still aware that travelling by herself as a woman is too dangerous to undertake.
Four-hundred years after this story was written, these themes feel all too relevant today.
But there is also laughter.
Fundamentally and from the first moments, there is the chance to connect to one another by literally sharing a laugh.
Please enjoy the clowns, the slapstick, the raunchy jokes and the terrible flirtatious poetry.
We have laughed so much in the making of this play - and we hope you will take some of our joy home with you at the end of the show.
Thanks to the incredible company of volunteers and staff who dove headlong into this project, bringing their whole selves into the process to make this show what it is.
- Sharon King-Campbell
What do you do with a comedy that ends moments after such an act?
One option is to cut it out - but in doing so, we rob ourselves of the chance to consider the act within its context, to think about how these acts happen with such frequency.
With gender-based violence so recently declared an epidemic in this province, taking it out of our telling of this story was never on the table.
Instead, we follow Proteus's path from ardent lover and devoted friend, through misplaced love, to dishonesty, betrayal, and ultimately violence.
We see the women in Milan punished for asserting their independence, and the men subject to a strict hierarchy.
Julia - the most empowered woman in the play - is still aware that travelling by herself as a woman is too dangerous to undertake.
Four-hundred years after this story was written, these themes feel all too relevant today.
But there is also laughter.
Fundamentally and from the first moments, there is the chance to connect to one another by literally sharing a laugh.
Please enjoy the clowns, the slapstick, the raunchy jokes and the terrible flirtatious poetry.
We have laughed so much in the making of this play - and we hope you will take some of our joy home with you at the end of the show.
Thanks to the incredible company of volunteers and staff who dove headlong into this project, bringing their whole selves into the process to make this show what it is.
- Sharon King-Campbell
Production Bios
Sharon King Campbell: Director
Sharon King-Campbell (she/her) has directed for companies across Ktaqmkuk, including Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland, Best Kind Productions, New Curtain Theatre, Grand Bank Regional Theatre, Stephenville Theatre Festival, Girl Power Inc., Power Productions, and SBTS. She was the founding Artistic and Managing Director of World's End Theatre Company from 2008 to 2011, and is currently Executive Director for Kittiwake Ballet and Producing Artistic Director for PerSIStence Theatre, in addition to her work with SBTS, where she is outgoing Artistic Director. Sharon is also a writer, actor, storyteller and scholar. www.sharonkingcampbell.com.
Leahdawn Helena: Assistant Director
Leahdawn Helena (she/they/nekm) was born and raised on the west coast of Ktaqmkuk. They are of Mi'kmaq (L’nu) and settler heritage. Trained as an actor, writer, director, and dramaturge, they hold a BFA in Theatre and a BA in Sociocultural Studies from Memorial University Grenfell Campus. Though known mainly as a writer and actor, they have directed a number of productions, including community Shakespeare (Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night with The Swan Players), short plays (Elizabeth Hicks’ Hearty at 80, starring Petrina Bromley) and full-length productions (Stolen Sisters staring Deantha Edmunds for Persistence Theatre, and Nsituninal for IPANL).
Julia Daley: Stage Manager
Julia Daley is a technician, performer and artist from St. John's, Newfoundland. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Memorial University, Grenfell Campus. Julia made her directorial debut this past fall during Grenfell’s Directed Studies course with her original short play Vanishing Hope. She is a two-time published poet and published visual artist with Paper Mill Press Journal of Creative Arts, and a recipient of the Maxim Mazumdar Memorial Scholarship in 2023. Prior work includes Vanishing Hope (writer and director), and Drowning Girls (set designer, set builder, and fight choreographer) at Grenfell Campus, along with The Winter’s Tale (stage manager), The Merry Conceited Humours of Bottome the Weaver (stage manager), and Loves Labours Lost (stagehand) with SBTS.
John Deon-Walsh: Assistant Stage Manager
A student of many arts, John Deon-Walsh (he/him) is a new assistant stage manager with a backing in theatre and storytelling projects of various forms. He seeks to support the work of SBTS in whatever form that takes, helping with the many needs of the crew to make sure the shows turn out the best they can be. When not working with SBTS, he pursues a university degree as an amateur historian of Indigenous histories, and an online media analyst and storyteller.
Sharon King-Campbell (she/her) has directed for companies across Ktaqmkuk, including Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland, Best Kind Productions, New Curtain Theatre, Grand Bank Regional Theatre, Stephenville Theatre Festival, Girl Power Inc., Power Productions, and SBTS. She was the founding Artistic and Managing Director of World's End Theatre Company from 2008 to 2011, and is currently Executive Director for Kittiwake Ballet and Producing Artistic Director for PerSIStence Theatre, in addition to her work with SBTS, where she is outgoing Artistic Director. Sharon is also a writer, actor, storyteller and scholar. www.sharonkingcampbell.com.
Leahdawn Helena: Assistant Director
Leahdawn Helena (she/they/nekm) was born and raised on the west coast of Ktaqmkuk. They are of Mi'kmaq (L’nu) and settler heritage. Trained as an actor, writer, director, and dramaturge, they hold a BFA in Theatre and a BA in Sociocultural Studies from Memorial University Grenfell Campus. Though known mainly as a writer and actor, they have directed a number of productions, including community Shakespeare (Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night with The Swan Players), short plays (Elizabeth Hicks’ Hearty at 80, starring Petrina Bromley) and full-length productions (Stolen Sisters staring Deantha Edmunds for Persistence Theatre, and Nsituninal for IPANL).
Julia Daley: Stage Manager
Julia Daley is a technician, performer and artist from St. John's, Newfoundland. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Memorial University, Grenfell Campus. Julia made her directorial debut this past fall during Grenfell’s Directed Studies course with her original short play Vanishing Hope. She is a two-time published poet and published visual artist with Paper Mill Press Journal of Creative Arts, and a recipient of the Maxim Mazumdar Memorial Scholarship in 2023. Prior work includes Vanishing Hope (writer and director), and Drowning Girls (set designer, set builder, and fight choreographer) at Grenfell Campus, along with The Winter’s Tale (stage manager), The Merry Conceited Humours of Bottome the Weaver (stage manager), and Loves Labours Lost (stagehand) with SBTS.
John Deon-Walsh: Assistant Stage Manager
A student of many arts, John Deon-Walsh (he/him) is a new assistant stage manager with a backing in theatre and storytelling projects of various forms. He seeks to support the work of SBTS in whatever form that takes, helping with the many needs of the crew to make sure the shows turn out the best they can be. When not working with SBTS, he pursues a university degree as an amateur historian of Indigenous histories, and an online media analyst and storyteller.
Sacha Adler: Eglamour
Sascha Adler is looking forward to his third production with Shakespeare by the Sea after appearing in A Winter's Tale in 2024 and The Merry Wives of Windsor in 2025. Based in St. John’s, Sascha spends most of his time these days chasing around his two little ones, but you might have spotted him singing tenor with Projēkt Chamber Voices (although he’s usually in the back row). He started acting on stage while singing in opera choruses more than a decade ago, and is grateful to do so now even though he (mostly!) just gets to talk.
Lauren Andrews:Antonio
Lauren is thrilled to be returning for another season with Shakespeare by the Sea. Past performances include Flute in Bottome the Weaver, Clown in Winter's Tale, and Phoebe in As You Like It. Lauren has also recently performed with St. John's Players and Pourquoi-Pas Players. When not on stage Lauren is usually doting on cats, building Lego, and crafting.
Holly Boland: Ursula/Outlaw
Holly Boland (she/her) is an actor, director, stage manager, and teacher from St. John's. She has appeared in She Kills Monsters (Producing the Play, MUN) and has worked with Shakespeare by the Sea, Pourquoi Pas Players, and Whadda Ya Call It Productions on multiple shows. Her acting credits include Carrie in Carrie and Hanna in This Flight Tonight (MUN Directing Scenes), as well as Lucy in What Light? with MUN Drama. She has also worked as a background performer for local television productions. In addition to her work on stage and screen, when she's not involved in a production, she enjoys writing and playing piano.
Doug Boyce: Host
Doug Boyce is an internationally recognized trilobite specialist. Originally from Saint John, New Brunswick, he obtained a B.Sc. (Honours) and M.Sc. in Geology at Memorial, and was the Provincial Palaeontologist from 1984–2023. ‘Two Gentlemen’ is Doug’s twenty-second SBTS show; his first was ‘Twelfth Night’ in 2002, as Sir Toby Belch. He’s worked with many other local theatre companies, and has done a variety of work for movies and television. Doug’s into singing and swing dancing. Currently, he’s involved with St. John’s Improv, and is a regular participant in the annual NL Comedy Sketch Festival and the Karaoke Parody Parties.
Billy Cochrane: Proteus
Billy Cochrane is ecstatic and grateful to be included as Proteus in Shakespeare by the Sea's production of Two Gentlemen of Verona. Billy spent his life doing screen acting, Sketch Comedy and is a graduate of Humber College's Comedy writing and performance program. He's thrilled to be on stage for the first time, taking part in both the tradition of Shakespeare as well the Newfoundland tradition of travelling theatre.
Jen Fleming: Panthio
Jen Fleming (She/Her) is a graduate of Memorial University's Acting Program and has been in several SBTS shows. She enjoys reading, crafts, languages and tea. She thanks her loving partner Liam and her gorgeous cat Westley for all their support through everything.
Krystal Hillier: Silvia
Krystal Lynn Hillier is a multidisciplinary artist from St. John's whose work spans theatre, music, comedy, writing, visual arts, and game development. Her work explores themes of personal vulnerability, reconciliation, community building, and mutual aid. She is grateful to Shakespeare by the Sea and the cast and crew of The Two Gentlemen of Verona for entrusting her with the complex portrayal of one of Shakespeare's most debated heroines.
Vladyslavia Hondia: Outlaw
Vladyslava Hondia (Ensemble) is excited to join The Shakespeare by The Sea and be a part of “Two Gentlemen of Verona” production. Vlada was involved in drama festivals and showcases in high school. She is now a MUN student who wishes to continue her acting journey. She is happy to be a part of a new community.
Alex Mason: Thurio
Alex is thrilled to return to the festival after too long of an absence. He’s previously acted in productions of Julias Ceasar, Timon of Athens, Richard the Third, and many years of Shake it Up!, all with SBTS. When not trying his best with scripted theatre, you can find him taking the stage at any venue in town that will let him improvise weird stuff, with St John’s Improv or his duo team, Free Action. When he’s not on stage you can find him thinking about, playing with, and choreographing fights with Swords. Here’s to a summer in the Sun!
Roger Mason: Duke
Roger has appeared with SBTS on and off since 2002. He is married with two children and lives in CBS.
Cassandra Munroe: Lucetta
Cassandra Munroe is an interdisciplinary theatre artist and arts administrator. They hold a BFA in theatre from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Cassandra has worked in a variety of roles including Production Management with Todos Productions, Festival Coordination with Women's Work Festival and NL sketch Comedy Festival, and Directing with Capacity Theatre. Cassandra co-founded artist collective Just A Concept Productions, with which she wrote, directed, and produced two of her competition winning scripts; Inconvenient Attraction (co-written with Faith Young), and Boys Will Be Men. Cassandra is incredibly excited to be returning to acting this summer with Shakespeare by the Sea!
Melissa Ralph: Launce
Melissa Ralph is a simple gremlin who surfaces occasionally to shake off the drudgery of cave life and perform in a play. They have been involved with SBTS every year since 2011 with highlights including Lady M, Titania, Dogberry and Rosalind. They can be found with SJP or anyone else willing to tolerate their semi-feral nature. Looking forward to yet another wonderful season filled with Shakespeare, fun, and friends!
Tyler Sampson: Speed
Tyler is very excited to be a part of Shakespeare by the Sea's production of Two Gentlemen of Verona. He has worked with Grenfell on Caucasian Chalk Circle as Lavrenti Vachnadze and more recently on Andy Jones's adaptation of Tartuffe as Valère. Tyler continues to study Theatre at Grenfell Campus, entering his third year in the fall. In his spare time, Tyler is a Dungeon Master for his long-running Dungeons and Dragons campaign. He wants to thank both Tonya Kearley and Michael Waller for encouraging him to pursue his dreams of telling stories.
Sarah Saint-Claire: Outlaw
Sarah Saint-Claire (She/Her/They) is an emerging theatre and film actress currently based in St. John’s. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from Grenfell, and a Certificate in Musical Theatre Performance from The Stratford Festival MTI Program. Select Theatre Performances: Murder on the Orient Express (Power Productions), Hay Fever (St. John’s Players), Hedda Gabler, Anything to Declare, Bedlam, Alice in Wonderland (Grenfell Theatre), Duckish (Theatre CBS), Coriolanus (Shakespeare by the Sea), Ours (Opera on the Avalon).
Belle Warner: Julia
Belle (they/them) spends their days as a mild mannered substitute teacher, but in the evening and sometimes in the light of day they assume their secret identity, Getting Back into Acting Man! It has been Belle’s absolute pleasure to have worked with the St. John's Players, Shakespeare by the Sea, Capacity Theatre, Power Productions, and the Sunshine Singers (Arts and Aging Network). Before arriving in St. John’s in 2024, Belle acted, directed, and was a general ‘theatre maker of all trades’ in Niagara Falls and up and down Vancouver Island. Thank you to everyone who makes this all possible!
Evan Healey White: Valentine
Evan (he/him) will be making his return to Shakespeare by the Sea after interning with the company as an assistant stage manager in 2015. He earned his B.A. with an English major from MUN in 2017. While living in Victoria, BC, he re-enrolled in MUN part-time and earned a certificate in criminology. He has also been a proud member of the Home Depot team for almost a decade, and is an avid concert goer who soaks in shows from multiple music genres. While he has not performed on stage in quite some time, Evan is excited to be one of the two lead roles in "Two Gentlemen of Verona".
Sascha Adler is looking forward to his third production with Shakespeare by the Sea after appearing in A Winter's Tale in 2024 and The Merry Wives of Windsor in 2025. Based in St. John’s, Sascha spends most of his time these days chasing around his two little ones, but you might have spotted him singing tenor with Projēkt Chamber Voices (although he’s usually in the back row). He started acting on stage while singing in opera choruses more than a decade ago, and is grateful to do so now even though he (mostly!) just gets to talk.
Lauren Andrews:Antonio
Lauren is thrilled to be returning for another season with Shakespeare by the Sea. Past performances include Flute in Bottome the Weaver, Clown in Winter's Tale, and Phoebe in As You Like It. Lauren has also recently performed with St. John's Players and Pourquoi-Pas Players. When not on stage Lauren is usually doting on cats, building Lego, and crafting.
Holly Boland: Ursula/Outlaw
Holly Boland (she/her) is an actor, director, stage manager, and teacher from St. John's. She has appeared in She Kills Monsters (Producing the Play, MUN) and has worked with Shakespeare by the Sea, Pourquoi Pas Players, and Whadda Ya Call It Productions on multiple shows. Her acting credits include Carrie in Carrie and Hanna in This Flight Tonight (MUN Directing Scenes), as well as Lucy in What Light? with MUN Drama. She has also worked as a background performer for local television productions. In addition to her work on stage and screen, when she's not involved in a production, she enjoys writing and playing piano.
Doug Boyce: Host
Doug Boyce is an internationally recognized trilobite specialist. Originally from Saint John, New Brunswick, he obtained a B.Sc. (Honours) and M.Sc. in Geology at Memorial, and was the Provincial Palaeontologist from 1984–2023. ‘Two Gentlemen’ is Doug’s twenty-second SBTS show; his first was ‘Twelfth Night’ in 2002, as Sir Toby Belch. He’s worked with many other local theatre companies, and has done a variety of work for movies and television. Doug’s into singing and swing dancing. Currently, he’s involved with St. John’s Improv, and is a regular participant in the annual NL Comedy Sketch Festival and the Karaoke Parody Parties.
Billy Cochrane: Proteus
Billy Cochrane is ecstatic and grateful to be included as Proteus in Shakespeare by the Sea's production of Two Gentlemen of Verona. Billy spent his life doing screen acting, Sketch Comedy and is a graduate of Humber College's Comedy writing and performance program. He's thrilled to be on stage for the first time, taking part in both the tradition of Shakespeare as well the Newfoundland tradition of travelling theatre.
Jen Fleming: Panthio
Jen Fleming (She/Her) is a graduate of Memorial University's Acting Program and has been in several SBTS shows. She enjoys reading, crafts, languages and tea. She thanks her loving partner Liam and her gorgeous cat Westley for all their support through everything.
Krystal Hillier: Silvia
Krystal Lynn Hillier is a multidisciplinary artist from St. John's whose work spans theatre, music, comedy, writing, visual arts, and game development. Her work explores themes of personal vulnerability, reconciliation, community building, and mutual aid. She is grateful to Shakespeare by the Sea and the cast and crew of The Two Gentlemen of Verona for entrusting her with the complex portrayal of one of Shakespeare's most debated heroines.
Vladyslavia Hondia: Outlaw
Vladyslava Hondia (Ensemble) is excited to join The Shakespeare by The Sea and be a part of “Two Gentlemen of Verona” production. Vlada was involved in drama festivals and showcases in high school. She is now a MUN student who wishes to continue her acting journey. She is happy to be a part of a new community.
Alex Mason: Thurio
Alex is thrilled to return to the festival after too long of an absence. He’s previously acted in productions of Julias Ceasar, Timon of Athens, Richard the Third, and many years of Shake it Up!, all with SBTS. When not trying his best with scripted theatre, you can find him taking the stage at any venue in town that will let him improvise weird stuff, with St John’s Improv or his duo team, Free Action. When he’s not on stage you can find him thinking about, playing with, and choreographing fights with Swords. Here’s to a summer in the Sun!
Roger Mason: Duke
Roger has appeared with SBTS on and off since 2002. He is married with two children and lives in CBS.
Cassandra Munroe: Lucetta
Cassandra Munroe is an interdisciplinary theatre artist and arts administrator. They hold a BFA in theatre from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Cassandra has worked in a variety of roles including Production Management with Todos Productions, Festival Coordination with Women's Work Festival and NL sketch Comedy Festival, and Directing with Capacity Theatre. Cassandra co-founded artist collective Just A Concept Productions, with which she wrote, directed, and produced two of her competition winning scripts; Inconvenient Attraction (co-written with Faith Young), and Boys Will Be Men. Cassandra is incredibly excited to be returning to acting this summer with Shakespeare by the Sea!
Melissa Ralph: Launce
Melissa Ralph is a simple gremlin who surfaces occasionally to shake off the drudgery of cave life and perform in a play. They have been involved with SBTS every year since 2011 with highlights including Lady M, Titania, Dogberry and Rosalind. They can be found with SJP or anyone else willing to tolerate their semi-feral nature. Looking forward to yet another wonderful season filled with Shakespeare, fun, and friends!
Tyler Sampson: Speed
Tyler is very excited to be a part of Shakespeare by the Sea's production of Two Gentlemen of Verona. He has worked with Grenfell on Caucasian Chalk Circle as Lavrenti Vachnadze and more recently on Andy Jones's adaptation of Tartuffe as Valère. Tyler continues to study Theatre at Grenfell Campus, entering his third year in the fall. In his spare time, Tyler is a Dungeon Master for his long-running Dungeons and Dragons campaign. He wants to thank both Tonya Kearley and Michael Waller for encouraging him to pursue his dreams of telling stories.
Sarah Saint-Claire: Outlaw
Sarah Saint-Claire (She/Her/They) is an emerging theatre and film actress currently based in St. John’s. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from Grenfell, and a Certificate in Musical Theatre Performance from The Stratford Festival MTI Program. Select Theatre Performances: Murder on the Orient Express (Power Productions), Hay Fever (St. John’s Players), Hedda Gabler, Anything to Declare, Bedlam, Alice in Wonderland (Grenfell Theatre), Duckish (Theatre CBS), Coriolanus (Shakespeare by the Sea), Ours (Opera on the Avalon).
Belle Warner: Julia
Belle (they/them) spends their days as a mild mannered substitute teacher, but in the evening and sometimes in the light of day they assume their secret identity, Getting Back into Acting Man! It has been Belle’s absolute pleasure to have worked with the St. John's Players, Shakespeare by the Sea, Capacity Theatre, Power Productions, and the Sunshine Singers (Arts and Aging Network). Before arriving in St. John’s in 2024, Belle acted, directed, and was a general ‘theatre maker of all trades’ in Niagara Falls and up and down Vancouver Island. Thank you to everyone who makes this all possible!
Evan Healey White: Valentine
Evan (he/him) will be making his return to Shakespeare by the Sea after interning with the company as an assistant stage manager in 2015. He earned his B.A. with an English major from MUN in 2017. While living in Victoria, BC, he re-enrolled in MUN part-time and earned a certificate in criminology. He has also been a proud member of the Home Depot team for almost a decade, and is an avid concert goer who soaks in shows from multiple music genres. While he has not performed on stage in quite some time, Evan is excited to be one of the two lead roles in "Two Gentlemen of Verona".
