MAID for a MUSKET ~ A Tough Act to Follow ~ St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

www.stlawrenceshakespearefestival.ca

Lucia Frangione, International Award Winning Playwright

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

The St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival is gearing up for a full exciting Festival Season. Just recently, Ontario Visited had the pleasure of making the trip to the quaint town of Prescott to experience Yours Ever, Jane.

As part of the War of 1812 Celebrations, Ontario Visited is excited to share some “SCOOP” about their upcoming performance “MAID for a MUSKET”, a brand new comedy by Lucia Frangione, Original music by Melissa Morris. Ian Farthing, Artistic Director of the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival has kindly introduced us to Ms. Lucia Frangione, internationally produced award winning playwright and actor. Together with Ian’s input, I have lots of to share with you!

A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW... MAID for a MUSKET … Expectations …

Ontario Visited had the privilege of seeing “Trouble on Dibble Street” in 2010 at the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival. The audience “loved it”. It might be a tough “act to follow”. I wondered if Lucia Frangione had obtained any inspiration from this production and; if she was concerned of “living up to such high expectations” from Patrons of the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival?

Frangione shares … “I am a big fan of John Lazarus as a writer and as a person. I have not read his script yet because I don’t want to worry about any parallels. I’ll read it later. I’m so glad the audience loved Dibble Street: hooray for new Canadian plays and to Ian for commissioning them! The Prescott audience is intelligent: they’re theatre-goers and many of them know their history and know their Shakespeare. So, I do hope I’ve dotted all my i (s) and crossed all my t (s). Obviously these are patrons who love language and also love a good night out along the water with a glass of wine and a bunch of friends. It’s a great audience to write for: super smart but unpretentious and up for good quality fun. I have felt nothing but freedom here. I can throw this audience complex thought and wit and poetic language and they’ll soak it up with ease. I can throw them some naughty jokes and silly physical humor too and the husbands will chuckle and the wives will swat them, or vice versa, heck! They’re a good bunch. It’s a party. I’ve had the privilege of sitting in the audience several times, of meeting the community one on one and doing a public reading of a first draft of this script. Prescott really does have something special here. That’s why Ian Farthing and so many others have worked so hard to keep it going.”

Stay tuned for more exciting “SCOOP” from Lucia Frangione and Ian Farthing, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival! Check out their website for the details (www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca), plan on a fun, and great, memorable time!