Theater and performance

Ian Merrill Peakes. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is officially open! Did that last Monday, to a full house of totally engaged and laughing patrons. Opening nights are a funny thing. It used to be that I hoped for opening night to…

Actor Ian Merrill Peakes (“The Player”) continues sharing his thoughts on the Folger Theatre production of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.  Learn more about Ian at the Folger and read his previous posts.  I have done (and it’s true,…

Nancy Robinette (Hanna) and Louis Butelli (Sir Amias Paulet) in Mary Stuart. Hi again from your friend Louis Butelli! Here at the Folger Theatre, our production of Mary Stuart is up and running, and you should definitely come and see…

Louis Butelli as Sir Amias Paulet Greetings from your friend Louis Butelli. Here at Folger Theatre, Schiller’s Mary Stuart opened last night! Peter Oswald’s electric new translation is directed by Richard Clifford, and stars Kate Eastwood Norris as Mary, Queen…

Next Tuesday, February 3rd, British poet-playwrights Simon Armitage and Peter Oswald will be at the Folger to celebrate their work in an evening of readings entitled “Drama and Verse.” Peter Oswald and Simon Armitage. Both poets are distinguished for their…

Louis Butelli Hello once again from your pal Louis Butelli. Here at Folger Theatre, we are currently two weeks into our rehearsal period for Friedrich Schiller’s play Mary Stuart, which begins previews on January 27. We’re having great fun so far…

In Mary Stuart, Costume Designer Mariah Hale has the task of clothing Queens, Lords, Earls, Secretaries, Ambassadors, Nurses, Sheriffs, and all the other inhabitants of Queen Elizabeth I’s court – English and French, traitors and loyal subjects together. Mariah has worked in…

Hello again from your pal Louis Butelli. On behalf of Folger Theatre, I wanted to thank you once again for reading these missives, and for coming along to see our recently-closed production of Julius Caesar. We had an absolute blast…

Louis Butelli Hello again from your pal Louis Butelli. Our run of Julius Caesar at Folger Theatre came to an end this past Sunday, and I wanted to write one last post to thank you for coming to see us, if…

By your leave, gods:—this is a Roman’s part Come, Cassius’ sword -Julius Caesar, V.ii.100  One of the great challenges of playing Cassius in Folger Theatre’s production of Julius Caesar is (spoiler alert!) committing suicide on-stage eight times a week. Louis…

Let’s do it after the high Roman fashion -Cleopatra, Antony and Cleopatra, IV.xv In Julius Caesar, Costume Designer Mariah Hale handles the designs for soldiers and soothsayers, assassins and their prey. Mariah has worked in design and textiles for 25…

Maurice Jones as Mark Antony. Photo by James Kegley. Hello! It’s your friend Louis Butelli here. I’ll be playing Cassius in Robert Richmond’s upcoming production of Julius Caesar at Folger Theatre. We begin previews on October 28th, and tickets are…