LAS CRUCES, NM—The Starlight Theatre Company of Las Cruces proudly announces six performances of Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic musical HMS PInafore or The lass that loved a sailor
Friday, 15 July 2016 at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, 23 July 2016 at 7:00 p.m. All performances will be at the Atkinson Recital Hall at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. May 19, 2014 – The Starlight Children’s Theatre Co. o
f Las Cruces brings to the stage Gilbert and Sullivan’s richly witty and musically brilliant Patience, the story of two wealthy poets who treasure the village milkmaid, Patience, almost as much as they admire their own poetic gifts. In classic Gilbert and Sullivan style, the production is rich with satiric commentary. In Patience, they parody the public’s tendency to follow new fads, quickly discarding them when the next fad comes along. This time, the fad is for lovesick maidens to swoon forlornly at any lily-toting, self-absorbed poet who shows his face in the village. About Patience
First performed in London in 1881, Patience sparkles with the witty dialogue, exuberant music, and sharp social commentary that characterize such Gilbert and Sullivan favorites as Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore, and The Mikado. In its first run, Patience earned the distinction of being the second-longest running work of musical theatre of its day and enjoyed a longer run time than its successful predecessor, HMS Pinafore. With its delightfully clever plot and memorable music, it comes as no surprise that Patience is a sure-fire winner! Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience is a satire on the late nineteenth century Aesthetic Movement, made notable by Oscar Wilde. The Aesthetics believed that Art should be beautiful, but not necessarily useful. Aesthetic poets often carried lilies or sunflowers while reciting their poetry. They so rejected Victorian ideals of speech, fashion, and behavior, that they were considered bizarre by polite society and became tempting targets for satirists. Starlight’s director, Ginger Scarbrough Andersen describes her excitement about directing this production, “When I first saw Patience, I was enamored with the humorous characterizations and the wonderful songs. Although it is not well known today, the moment I saw it, I knew that this was a show that Las Cruces would love. The cast and the audience will have great fun laughing along with the plot and enjoying the memorable music. The appeal is timeless.”
Patience synopsis: Twenty lovesick maidens have abandoned their suitors—members of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards—to follow after Reginald Bunthorne, a poet who carries a lily and has a taste for obscure and pretentious poetry. For his part, Bunthorne loves Patience, a simple village milkmaid. She, however, is put off by his high-mindedness and his poetry. Even when Bunthorne confesses to her that he is a fraud who does not like his poetry either, Patience cannot be convinced to love him. In fact, she confides that she has never experienced love and does not understand it, but believes that love must be completely unselfish. Left out in the cold, the Dragoons resolve to act like aesthetic poets to win back their sweethearts (with hilarious results). The oldest of the maidens, Lady Jane, resolves to win Bunthorne’s affections, and Patience resolves to fall in love with someone...perhaps a stranger! That “stranger,” Archibald Grosvenor, appears on the scene. He is called “Archibald the All-Right” because he is the embodiment of perfection. He and Patience had been childhood companions. They now confess their enduring love for each other, and it appears for a moment that they will live happily ever after. Then Patience realizes there can be nothing selfless in loving a perfect man; therefore, they must part. In her determination to love unselfishly, she agrees to marry Bunthorne, the one man she dislikes. All the lovesick maidens except Lady Jane abandon Bunthorne and turn their attentions to Archibald. Although he finds them tiresome, Archibald accepts his duty to entertain the ladies. While betrothed to Bunthorne, Patience secretly meets with Archibald. That is the last straw for Bunthorne. He determines to rid himself of his rival once and for all. But his plan backfires. The result is a surprise for Bunthorne and for the audience as well. About Starlight Children’s Theatre Co. of Las Cruces
The Starlight Children’s Theatre Company, directed by Ginger Scarbrough Andersen, is well known in the Las Cruces area for their high-quality productions of theatre classics. They regularly produce shows written by Gilbert & Sullivan and Shakespeare. These time-tested classics represent some of the greatest works of theatre, and are a fabulous way to introduce children to great literature. Starlight’s productions are modified for child actors and modern audiences by reducing the run-time, but they maintain the rich dialogue and most of the music from the original productions. Since SCT’s primary goal is to help children learn and grow, each child is given at least one line in every show. Since all on-stage roles are played by children, this provides a wonderful way to promote literacy skills for the actors and to enrich the community. Throughout every aspect of the production—costumes, sets, acting, dialogue, and music—SCT strives to maintain the highest quality. All members of the staff and cast are asked to “rise to the occasion” to produce a truly memorable show. “You will be amazed,” says Andersen, “at what children from ages 6 to 17 can do when they are shown the way. We are often told that our productions rival those of adult casts. Once you’ve seen a Starlight production, you’ll keep coming back for more.”
This year’s production of Patience is sure to be one of SCT’s finest, as they welcome a wealth of Las Cruces talent to their staff: notable Music Director Ryan Fellman; Choreographer Tracey Watterson; Costume designers Emily Harrington and Sarah Bybee; and the highly acclaimed Set Designer, Doug Roby. Production Manager is Alejandra del Plain, Publicity Director is Debra Darmata, and Joe Pfeiffer is the Stage Manager. FACT SHEET
Who: Written by Gilbert and Sullivan
Directed by Ginger Scarbrough Andersen
Musical Direction by Ryan Fellman
Cast features more than 30 youth from ages 8 to 17
Creative team: Doug Roby (scenic designer), Emily Harrington and Sarah Bybee (costume designers), Tracey Watterson (choreographer)
Production team: Alejandra del Plain (production manager), Joe Pfeiffer (stage manager), Heather Pfeiffer (assistant stage manager)
What: The musical comedy, Patience, sparkles with witty, exuberant music and sharp social commentary about two poets who take themselves very seriously, and seriously love the village milkmaid, Patience. The comedy parodies the fickle public’s tendency to follow one fad after another. Where: Atkinson Recital Hall, 1075 N. Horseshoe St.,
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces
When: Six performances July 11-19
Performance and Ticket Information
2014 Performances: Friday, 11 July, 7:00 PM
Saturday, 12 July, 1:00 PM
Saturday, 12 July, 7:00 PM
Friday, 18 July, 10:30 AM (Children’s Matinee)
Friday, 18 July, 7:00 PM
Saturday, 19 July 7:00 PM
Location: Atkinson Recital Hall, NMSU Music Center
Tickets: $6, General Admission
Advance Ticket Sales: Spirit Winds (2260 S. Locust)
HoldMyTicket.com (service charge applies)
Tickets also available: At the door
Contact Information
For more information about the upcoming performance, or to schedule an interview with the Director, Ginger Scarbrough Andersen, please contact Starlight’s Director of Public relatons:
Jennifer Taylor
Starlight Email: [email protected]
Website: StarlightChildrensTheatre.org
