Theater Director To Lead Comedy At Livermore Shakes

From Livermore Shakes: “Anyone can make history. Only a great man can write it,” penned the colorful and charismatic playwright Oscar Wilde, four years before he wrote his most famous comedy The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People. This summer Livermore Shakespeare Festival will bring Wilde’s madcap farce to life outdoors at Wente Vineyards Estate Winery and Tasting Room. The wildly entertaining comedy includes clever wordplay, mistaken identities and secret entanglements.

At the helm of The Importance of Being Earnest is Domenique Lozano, a Resident Artist with the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, director of A.C.T.’s acclaimed annual production of A Christmas Carol, core faculty in the MFA Program, and a director in the Young Conservatory. “We are thrilled to grow our relationship with A.C.T. with the addition of Domenique Lozano as a director,” says Livermore Shakespeare Festival’s Founding Artistic Director, Lisa A. Tromovitch. “Lozano’s vast experience with teaching and directing Oscar Wilde will lay the foundation for a hysterical play our audiences will delight in.” The characters Jack, Algernon, and Gwendolen will be played by current A.C.T. MFA candidates: Jared Corbin Manders, William Hoeschler and Katherine Romans, respectively, with LSF teaching artist and program manager Deborah Lagin as Cecily. Lagin appeared last summer as the spunky Hermia in LSF’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Bay Area favorite, Gwen Loeb, last seen in LSF’s 2014 production of Pride and Prejudice, will take on the infamous role of Lady Bracknell, an overbearing and hilariously memorable character.

“Getting a chance to see these young actors before they hit New York and LA is exciting for our audience,” noted Managing Director Katie Marcel. “LSF’s ongoing relationship with A.C.T. satisfies an important part of our education goals. Actors mentor each other. Bringing together young and more experienced professionals dedicated to the theater is a match-making role we’re very proud of.”

Also part of the summer line up at Wente Vineyards; Producing Artistic Director Lisa A. Tromovitch will direct William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. Bay area actor, Aaron Murphy, takes on the role of Leontes, a king whose sudden and baseless jealousy almost destroys his kingdom. Livermore Shakes regulars Michael Wayne Rice and Malcolm Rodgers will return to play Camillo and Polyxenes. Typical of Shakespeare’s pattern in the romances, though the play may start like a tragedy, magic ensues and with love at the helm, the play ends like a comedy.

Livermore Shakespeare Festival will produce Shakespeare’s fantasy, The Winters Tale and Oscar Wilde’s comedy The Importance of Being Earnest on the grounds of Wente Vineyards Estate Winery & Tasting room at 5565 Tesla Road in Livermore, June 28th through July 29th, 2018. Tickets range from $25 to $58 and are day-dependent, with discounts for seniors, students and educators. Family Nights will be held on Thursday, June 28th (The Importance of Being Earnest) and Thursday, July 12th (The Winter’s Tale) with $5 youth tickets (under 18). For tickets call (925) 443-BARD or visit here.

Image credit to Livermore Shakes