community
Bag&Baggage Theatre Company
of performers would arrive in small
towns around the state with everything
they needed to put on a show in their
“bags and baggage…” (hence our
company name, which comes directly
from Shakespeare’s great pastoral
comedy As You Like It).
The company quickly earned
a reputation for artistic quality,
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2014
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continued from front page
and writers that people know
sources)
who
is
and were forced to read in
Lear’s foster son and
high school,” says Palmer.
was the inspiration
“We try to reinvigorate and
for
Shakespeare’s
reinvent those classics in a
character Kent. Lear
modern, provocative way.
has many of the
We look at these pieces of
original
storylines
work as living literature,
from Shakespeare’s
not a museum piece. We
original, but is much
believe
Shakespeare
more focused on
has something to say to
the intimate family
modern audiences and that
dynamics
between
theatre should provoke
Lear and his daughters
strong feelings.”
as they grapple with
Palmer, a native
the implications of
of Hillsboro, was the
their father’s madness
founding Artistic Director
and the chaos it
Kevin Connell as Lear playing at the Venetian Theatre in Hillsboro,
of Bag&Baggage.
He
creates within their
March 6-23. Photo courtesy Casey Campbell Photography.
has directed and produced
lives and the kingdom.
gone back to the original scripts and
critically
acclaimed
The many subplots
theatrical productions across the globe. made the relationships between Lear around Edmund and Edgar have been
As the Artistic Director of Glasgow and his daughters the heart of our story,” cut, replaced with snippets of a range of
Repertory Company, he produced an says Palmer. “We’ve created a small, original materials and texts inspired by
earlier version of Lear, which was drawing room, family tragedy. Some of Shakespeare.
critically acclaimed. Bag&Baggage’s this script has not been performed on
“It’s like a jigsaw puzzle,” says
production in Hillsboro will be the stage, anywhere in the world, for over Palmer. “There are all of these amazing
North American premier of Palmer’s 500 years.”
pieces of text, snippets of long forgotten
The
other
sources
Palmer
used
adaptation.
poetry and verse, all of which influenced
“We’re very excited to bring were Geoffrey Monmouth’s 1135 text and shaped Shakespeare’s tale. I love the
this to the Venetian,” says Palmer. The History of the Kings of Britain, challenge of putting them back together
Bag&Baggage Artistic Director Scott Palmer. “This is a version that has rarely been Raphael Holished’s Chronicles in and seeing what kind of new picture will
produced any place in the world. This 1577, Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie be made.”
affordability and a very quirky sense production is very representative of the Queen 1590 and the later, Georgian-era
Palmer also mentioned another
adaptation King Lear’s Wife the nearly unique aspect of Bag&Baggage’s Lear.
of humor. In 2007, the company was kind of work we do.”
approached by Denzil Scheller, the
The story of the mad king and his completely forgotten playwright Gordon Their production will feature an original
Bottomley.
owner and operator of the then soon-to- faithless daughters told
score, composed by Taylor
be opened Venetian Theatre. Originally by William Shakespeare
Neist and performed live
built as a vaudeville stage, and used as a in King Lear, is in
by members of Bridgetown
movie theatre throughout the 1980s, the fact, a much older tale.
Orchestra
at
each
Venetian had been refurbished by Denzil Shakespeare relied on a
performance.
in partnership with the City of Hillsboro. number of older sources
“There
are
so
Now a state-of-the-art, 400-seat for his play, including
many places to look for
performing arts theatre, Bag&Baggage the anonymous play The
Shakespeare’s inspiration,
is proud to call the Venetian their True Chronicle History of
and so much incredible
primary performance venue. Currently King Lear and His Three
and interesting material
they sell approximately 15,000 tickets to Daughters which was
out there, and that is all
their productions each year.
published and performed
before you start adding in
With a reputation of producing 12 years before the first
live music and an original
highly
inventive,
original,
and recorded production of
score,” says Palmer.
provocative shows, Bag&Baggage Shakespeare’s sweeping
Hopefully, now that
follow a standard yearly schedule, political tragedy.
more Vernonians have heard
opening each new season with an
Palmer explained
of Bag&Baggage, locals
outdoor summer Shakespeare event at that Shakespeare adapted
will accept the invitation and
the Tom Hughes Civic Center Plaza. his version of King Lear
make the trip to Hillsboro
Next, they return to the Venetian for from those earlier classic
to experience live theater
Stephanie Leppert as Cordelia and Kevin Connell as Lear.
four consecutive shows beginning in plays, creating his own
at the Venitian Theatre for
Photo courtesy Casey Campbell Photography.
September with an American classic, massive production with
themselves.
Palmer’s
Lear
has
a
cast
of
only
followed in December by a holiday numerous additional characters and
five actors who play King Lear, his three The Venetian Theatre and Bistro is
themed production, then a major literary subplots.
adaptation of Shakespeare in March and,
Palmer returns to this original daughters (the beloved Cordelia and her located at 253 E. Main Street in Hillsboro.
finally, closing their season in May with source material as the inspiration for less-favored sisters Goneril and Regan) Tickets available at Bagnbaggage.org or
a classic of English drama.
his adaptation “I originally adapted the alongside the nearly forgotten character call 503-345-9590.
“We focus on the classics-titles play in 2003 ,” said Palmer. “We’ve of Perillus (featured in the original