DOÑA CAPULET (VILMA SILVA) EXPLAINS
TO JULIET (ALEJANDRA ESCALANTE) THAT
DON CAPULET HOPES TO MARRY HER TO
CAPTAIN PARIS.
POWER
WOMEN
OSF
of
by Anna Grace
PHOTO BY JENNY GRAHAM
“I
was on roller skates the whole
time,” Alejandra Escalante recalls
of an early acting experience. Es-
calante, who plays the lead in Or-
egon Shakespeare Festival’s cur-
rent production of Romeo & Juliet,
explains that everything “from the
costumes to the script” in that early role was a
fi asco. “It was embarrassing,” she says.
And Vilma Silva remembers days of brushing
rat poop off her makeup table before heading out
to perform in a barn.
These refl ections could belong to any actress
of the 20th century, stuck playing whores or
somebody’s wife in less than savory conditions.
Yet over the past decade, the weight, intensity
and frequency of women’s roles have increased,
particularly at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
Why?
To dig into this trend, I sat down with OSF
veteran Silva and newcomer Escalante for a dis-
cussion about acting and female infl uence at OSF.
Cottage Theatre presents
Book by Arthur Laurents, Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Suggested by memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee
Directed by Pamela Lehan-Siegel and Judy Smith
Music Direction by David Larsen
April 13, 14, 15* • 20, 21, 22* • 27, 28, 29*
May 3, 4, 5, 6*
*matinee
$21 Adult, $19 Senior/Student
cottagetheatre.org/541-942-8001
700 Village Drive, Cottage Grove
12 APRIL 5, 2012
EUGENE WEEKLY
WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM