A Clockwork Orange: A Play with Music |
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| By Anthony Burgess | ||
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Presented through agreement with The International Anthony Burgess Foundation |
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Cast
Creative Team
Angèlica Forcier Rosenthal
Stephanie Whitney
About Anthony Burgess
John Burgess Wilson was born in Harpurhey, Manchester, on Sunday 25 February 1917. His mother, Elizabeth Burgess, was a singer and dancer on the music-hall stage in Glasgow and Manchester. His father, Joseph Wilson, played the piano in music halls and worked as a door-to-door encyclopaedia salesman before joining the Army Pay Corps in the First World War.
Burgess’s mother and his only sister, Muriel, died in the influenza pandemic of 1918. The loss of his mother had a profound effect on his life and literary work. In 1922 Joseph Wilson married a publican, Margaret Dwyer (née Byrne), and the family lived above a pub, the Golden Eagle, on Lodge Street in the Miles Platting area of Manchester. By 1928, when Burgess enrolled at his secondary school, they had moved to Moss Side, where he wrote his earliest published poems and short stories. He claimed to have composed his first symphony at the age of 18, although there was no performance and the manuscript has not survived.
Burgess was educated at Xaverian College and the University of Manchester, graduating with a degree in English Literature in 1940. He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Army Educational Corps from 1940 until 1946. In 1942 he married his first wife, Llewela (Lynne) Jones, in Bournemouth, while he was the musical director of an army dance band. From December 1943 he was stationed in Gibraltar, where, as a member of the Army Educational Corps, he taught a course entitled ‘The British Way and Purpose’ to the troops. In August 1945 he composed a Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, which is his earliest surviving musical work.
After the war, Burgess taught at colleges in Wolverhampton and Bamber Bridge. In 1950 he moved with Lynne to Adderbury in Oxfordshire, and taught at the nearby Banbury Grammar School. His first full-length stage play was completed in 1951. Around this time he wrote his first two novels, A Vision of Battlements, which drew upon his experiences in Gibraltar, and The Worm and the Ring, although neither were published until several years later.
In 1954 Burgess and Lynne moved to Kuala Kangsar in the Perak province of Malaya, where he taught at the Malay College. In 1956, his first published novel, Time for a Tiger, appeared under the pseudonym ‘Anthony Burgess’. He continued to balance his teaching and writing careers, completing his Malayan Trilogy with the novels The Enemy in the Blanket (1958) and Beds in the East (1959). Writing as John Burgess Wilson, he published a history of English literature in 1958. Lynne and Burgess moved from Malaya to Brunei, but late in 1959 he collapsed in the classroom and was flown back to England with a mysterious illness.
His prolific literary output as a novelist began at this time, as he sought to provide for his prospective widow. By the end of 1962 he had published seven novels, including The Doctor is Sick, The Worm and the Ring, A Clockwork Orange and The Wanting Seed. Working collaboratively with Lynne, he translated three novels from French . He also adopted another pen-name, publishing two novels, One Hand Clapping (1961) and Inside Mr Enderby (1963), as Joseph Kell. His work as a literary journalist, and as a frequent contributor to television and radio programmes, began in 1961.
The following decade was prolific, with Burgess publishing another five novels before 1970, as well as a variety of critical works, including his shortened edition of James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake. Around this time he also worked on an abridged edition of Ulysses. After a long illness, Lynne died from liver failure in March 1968.
Later that year, Burgess married Liliana (Liana) Macellari Johnson, an Italian linguist and translator. Together with Liana’s son, Paolo Andrea (later known as Andrew), they soon left England for Malta, beginning a peripatetic existence that was to last the remainder of Burgess’s life. They acquired various houses throughout Europe, including residences in London, Cambridge, Rome, Bracciano, Lugano and Callian in the south of France, before settling in Monaco in the mid-1970s.
Throughout this period Burgess continued his prodigious output as a novelist, poet, screen-writer, broadcaster and composer. His television credits include Moses the Lawgiver, starring Burt Lancaster, Jesus of Nazareth, directed by Franco Zeffirelli and featuring Robert Powell as Jesus, and the epic mini-series AD: Anno Domini. In total, he wrote thirty-three novels and more than twenty-five works of non-fiction, including two volumes of autobiography, Little Wilson and Big God (1987) and You’ve Had Your Time (1990). There are three published volumes of his essays: Urgent Copy (1968), Homage to Qwert Yuiop (1986) and One Man’s Chorus (1998).
Burgess’s most substantial novel, Earthly Powers, was published to international acclaim in 1980. George Steiner wrote in the New Yorker: ‘The whole landscape is the brighter for Earthly Powers, a feat of imaginative breadth and intelligence which lifts fiction high.’ Earthly Powers was awarded the Charles Baudelaire Prize and the Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger in France in 1981.
Burgess also composed more than 200 musical works, stimulated in this activity by the 1975 performance of his Symphony in C by the University of Iowa. He wrote the lyrics for the award-winning Broadway musical Cyrano, with music composed by Michael Lewis and featuring Christopher Plummer in the title role. His ballet suite about the life of William Shakespeare, Mr WS, was broadcast on BBC radio. He wrote a song cycle based on his own poems, The Brides of Enderby, along with musical settings of texts by T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence and Gerard Manley Hopkins. Blooms of Dublin, his musical adaptation of James Joyce’s Ulysses, was broadcast on BBC radio in 1982. He also provided new libretti for Scottish Opera’s Glasgow production of Oberon in 1985 (revived in Venice in 1987), and for the English National Opera’s 1986 production of Carmen.
Even when he knew that he was dying from lung cancer, Burgess continued to write and compose music. His novel about the murder of Christopher Marlowe, A Dead Man in Deptford, was published in 1993. His stage play, Chatsky, starring Colin Firth and Jemma Redgrave, was produced at the Almeida Theatre in London in March 1993. He completed his St John’s Sonata on 12 November 1993.
Anthony Burgess died at the age of 76 in London on 22 November 1993. His last novel, Byrne, was published posthumously in 1995. Andrew Burgess Wilson died in London from a cerebral haemorrhage in 2002. Liana Burgess died in Italy on 3 December 2007.
In recent years there has been a worldwide revival of interest in Burgess’s writing. There have been many reprints and new translations, and the first volumes of the Irwell Edition of the Works of Anthony Burgess have been published by Manchester University Press.
Meet the Company
Jesse Drake
Jesse has been performing in the New Hampshire community theatre circuit for over 15 years, with his most recent endeavor being as Johnny in Actors Cooperative Theatre's production of "American Idiot" this past summer. He also recently received top nominations for "Best Production of a Community Musical" for his Summer 2024 production of "Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical" with Actors Cooperative Theatre, as well as "Best Supporting Actor in a Community Play" for his role as Butch Honeywell in Milford Area Players' production of "The Last Days of Judas Iscariot". Fun fact: Jesse directed, musically directed, AND co-choreographed "Cruel Intentions"! Jesse's favorite pastimes are singing, playing video games, and indulging in the dankest of memes.
Garrett Meyer
Garrett, a resident of Manchester, is delighted to bring such a meaningful story to life on the stage. Previous stage credits with ACT include “Cabaret” (Emcee), “The Trail to Oregon!” (McDoon/Various), and “American Idiot” (Will). He hopes you enjoy this unforgettable show.
Mackenzie Goodwin
Mackenzie is thrilled to be returning to the ACT stage for A Clockwork Orange! Recent credits include Elle Woods (Legally Blonde), Heather (American Idiot), and Angie (The Prom). She has had an absolute blast exploring the darkness and physicality required for this show, and wants to thank Angèlica & Steph for sharing their dedication & artistry throughout the process. Enjoy the show!
Aaron Lehner
Aaron came into auditions wanting to play the clockwork orange, but soon realized it was not that kind of show… Jokes aside Aaron is a huge fan of the Stanley Kubrick film and could not ask for a better debut show for a new theater company. Some of Aaron's past theatrical endeavors include Kamikaze Theater, Two Noble Kinsmen, Twelfth Night, Southern Comfort, Love/Sick, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Improv Asylum's House Teams. When not committing villainy onstage Aaron enjoys dance, kickboxing, watching movies so bad they're good, video games and memes. He hopes you droogs enjoy the show!
Gary Locke
Gary has been working in theatre since dirt was new. He's a semi-professional hyphenate. having spent decades as an actor-writer-producer-director-designer and earning very little in the process. However, Gary once served as Roger Moore's body-double (really), so he's okay with how it's all worked out. Everything he's ever done on stage has led to this moment, working with this bunch of miscreants and having no clue what's going on around him. Let us all pray...
Isabel Norian
Isabel is excited to be part of her first show with ACT! She’s most recently been on stage in Legally Blonde (Actorsingers). Previous shows include The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (all with Milford Area Players). Isabel is grateful to this extraordinary production team for the chance to be part of this challenging show, and to her castmates for bringing her along with them on this unique journey. She’s deeply thankful to her family for their support during many long nights away, and for encouraging her to keep practicing what she loves.
Teddy Wilkin
Teddy is super excited to be making his ACT début in A Clockwork Orange. A recent graduate of Plymouth State University, Teddy was most recently seen as Emcee/Violin in Once at Hackmatack Playhouse. Other past credits include Robbie Faye (A Man of No Importance), Jesus (Godspell) and Edward Bloom (Big Fish). He would like to thank the cast and crew for being so incredibly warm and welcoming throughout the process, and his friends and family for their endless support. Enjoy the show!
Alex Slocum
Clockwork marks Alex's triumphant return to the stage, having previously appeared as "Tree #2" in his third grade production of The Phantom Tollbooth. This is Alex's first time performing in the English language. Outside stage, Alex has "appeared" in numerous amateur prison films, now streaming on Starz+. When not performing, Alex works as a hand model for a children's mitten company.
Erin Balestrieri
Erin is thrilled to be performing in ACT’s A Clockwork Orange! Other recent credits include American Idiot and The Prom. When she is not performing, Erin can usually be found adventuring with her 3 year old daughter. Erin would like to thank her friends and family for their encouragement and support! She hopes you enjoy the show!
Rose Chaffee
Rose is very happy to be back with ACT for another exciting production. You may recognize Rose from previous roles such as Whatshername in ACTs production of American Idiot earlier this year, JD in RGCs production of Heather’s the Musical, and Vivian Kensington in Actorsingers production of Legally Blonde. Working on this show has been so fun for Rose and has reminded them just how much they love dancing. Rose would like to thank our choreographer Steph for believing in them and encouraging them to perform to their full potential. Rose thanks you for coming and hopes you enjoy the show!
Mike Colena
Mike previously appeared in Actors Cooperative Theater’s production of Twisted (Sultan/Djinn). Recent work includes Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Judge Littlefield), 12 Angry Men (Juror #8), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Scanlon), Something Rotten (Nostradamus), Company (Larry), Mamma Mia (Sam), and Rock of Ages (Dennis Dupree). When not acting, Mike is a playwright whose works have been produced in New York, Boston, Dallas, Tucson, and a finitely countable number of places in between.
Ben Gorelick
Ben is excited to be appearing in his first straight play! Recent credits include Roger DeBris in The Producers (Actorsingers), Favorite Son in American Idiot (ACT) and Aaron / Carlos in Legally Blonde (Actorsingers). A multi-instrumentalist, Ben also teaches Chorus and General Music at the high school level, as well as directing and music directing. He hopes you enjoy this important and timely piece!
Kaitlin Smith
Kaitlin is honored to be a part of this impressive production with Actors Cooperative Theatre. This will be her second show with the company, and hopes to do more in the future. She has done theater throughout Southern NH and Eastern MA. Some of her favorite roles have been Lucinda (Into the Woods), Rosie (Bye Bye Birdie), and Kathy (Company). Kaitlin would like to thank every extremely talented person on and off stage with them, their fellow cast members, production staff, and crew.
Theron Zajchowski
Theron is honored to be making his debut with ACT and is excited to perform his first non-musical show with such an amazing cast and crew. A few of Theron’s past roles include Kyle from Legally Blonde and Dodgy/Duchess in Alice By Heart. Theron would like to thank his family and friends for all of their support in his acting journey.
Matthew Powell
Matthew Powell is a writer, actor, and director based in Southern New Hampshire. He received his training in Los Angeles at Beverly Hills Playhouse and iO West Theater.
Angèlica Forcier Rosenthal
Angèlica Forcier Rosenthal (Director/Musical Director) is thrilled to be back at ACT. She holds a degree in Political Science and Theatre from Plymouth State University and has been performing, directing, and teaching in the New Hampshire and Boston area since graduation.
Some of her recent directorial credits include:
Hadestown (KCT), American Idiot (ACT), Legally Blonde (Actorsingers), The Prom (Kids Coop Theatre), The Addams Family (Broadway World Award, Kids Coop), Trail to Oregon! (ACT), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (MAP), The New Hampshire Theatre Awards (New Hampshire Theatre Alliance), Hand to God (NHTA Award, ACT), Cabaret (NHTA Award, ACT), The Producers (Windham Actors Guild), Big: The Musical (Kids Coop Theatre/ACT), Oklahoma! (Kids Coop Theatre), Sweeney Todd (Actorsingers), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Actorsingers), Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier (ACT), The Sound of Music (Kids Coop Theatre), Bring It On (Kids Coop Theatre), Cannibal: The Musical (Actorsingers), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (NHCTA Winner, Actorsingers), Mamma Mia! (Actorsingers), 21 Chump Street (NHCTA and six other awards, Actorsingers), Reefer Madness (Actorsingers), Bye Bye Birdie (Windham Actors Guild), Spring Awakening (Winner of four NHCTA awards, including Directing, Actorsingers), and Jesus Christ Superstar (NHTA Award, Actorsingers).
When not directing, Angèlica can often be found onstage. Recent performances include Cruel Intentions (NHTA Top Nomination, ACT), Nevermore (NHCTA Excellence in Acting and Broadway World Best New Show, Actorsingers), Cruel Intentions (Actorsingers), Little Shop of Horrors (Dive In Productions), Macbeth (Hatbox), and the original cast of God Hates Musicals.
Angèlica has taught music for the past ten years. Her primary instruments include cello, violin, viola, ukulele, bass, guitar, trombone, trumpet, piano, and voice. She also has extensive experience in dance, fight direction, intimacy direction, technical direction, sound design, stage management, and set design.
She is looking forward to her next production, Oliver! which is Auditioning in December — see the KCT website and socials for details.
Stephanie Whitney
Owner/Director-UNBOUND DANCE ACADEMY
Miss Stephanie fell in love with dance at age 4 when she took her first ballet class. From that point on, dance continued to be a huge part of her life. She competed as a pre-teen and teenager on a dance team as well as becoming an assistant dance instructor. Stephanie followed her passion and majored in dance at Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBAU), where she also danced in the PBAU Dance Ensemble. At PBAU Stephanie was fortunate enough to study under the modern great, Demetrius Klein, and ABT former soloist, Eileen Hebron. Stephanie continued to study pedagogy as well as perform through college and graduated with a BA in Dance in 2007. Stephanie has continued to instruct, choreograph and share her passion for dance through teaching for many dance schools in Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts. Stephanie brings her passion for artistry and technique to Unbound Dance Academy. In addition to business ownership for the past 11 years, Stephanie still dances professionally for Saving Grace Dance Ensemble and serves as President for the Hooksett Chamber of Commerce.
Designers, Crew, and Board of Directors
Designers and Crew
Stage Manager - Rosemarie Kelly
Stage Crew - Becca Sheetz, Mayson Gentiluomo, and Caislin Bento
Technical Director - Angèlica Forcier Rosenthal
Producer - Tom Lott
Costume Design - Laurel Forcier, Erin Krakowa Lautieri, and Angèlica Forcier Rosenthal
Set Design - Angèlica Forcier Rosenthal
Sound Design - Patrick Pettengill
Light Design - Craig Brennan
Light Board Operator - Craig Brennan
Projection Design - Angèlica Forcier Rosenthal
Sound Board Operator - Patrick Pettengill
Fight Choreographer- Angèlica Forcier Rosenthal
Build Crew - Larry Birch and Marcus Lewis
Mental Health Advisors - Laurel Forcier and Erin Balestrieri
Master Bedazzler - Mackenzie Goodwin
The Board of Directors
President - Erin Lautieri
Vice President - Rosemarie Kelly
Treasurer - Laurel Forcier
Recording Secretary - Jesse Drake
Director - Angèlica Forcier Rosenthal
Director - Jessica Pappathan
Director - Larry Birch
Director - Tom Lott
Director - Amanda Coan
Director - Patrick Harlow
Director - Liz Kolb
Director - Michelle Pezone
Director - September Ingram
Director's Note
A Clockwork Orange is a piece that I have been passionate about working on for a long time. I have been looking at this piece since very early in my career as a director. The deep themes of choice, society, politics, and morals were always so incredibly well stated but somehow always overlooked through the first few moments of the show due to the ultraviolence needed to establish the world and the main character.
When I watched this movie, I was a young teen. My parents were worried about me watching it as they had seen it in theaters back in the ‘70s when it came out and also knew by this time in my life I had personally faced an abusive attack myself. What I found so fascinating is that nothing I saw in the movie as far as violence was all that exciting. It was not shown, or it was cut away. My parents were so worried about my reaction to it and then in the moment I thought, well, I’ve seen worse on Game of Thrones or The Vampire Diaries. That was 16-year-old Angelica.
I had to revisit it before I had auditions and watching it at this stage of my life I was still not phased by the violence. But the artistic way in which it was bluntly pushed over and over. The sex that was very in your face constantly in the design and the highly corrupt political plot. Watching The Droogs go from a vicious street gang to cops was a stark commentary that my younger self didn’t catch. Really grappling with the idea that Alex is such a horrible person but the government isn’t really curing him — he still wants to do these awful things, he just now can’t. Is that moral? Should I care? The complex mental struggle of the rights of criminals. Do I believe people can change? Should people be forced to change? If they do change, does it wipe clean everything they’ve done? All those people he hurt. They are no better in the second half. They know he can’t fight back and they are just as bad as him if not worse. This is what I was grappling with constantly throughout the process.
Alex is no hero. Not in the normal sense, not in the honorable sense. He is a device to really push a challenging school of thought. This story pushes so many of those complex issues and nothing is black and white. The world is more complex than that and to think any other way is to be a helpless child.
Throughout working on this piece I have often thought of my father. Les used to work on my shows alongside me, he gave me my first role as an actor and inspired me to believe I could not only be a director but take on shows that were not typical, not average and not simple, easy, or happy. He loved science fiction and I wish more than anything he was here alongside me to work on this show, not because I need help or don’t know what to do. Because I know how lit up his eyes would be to see a book he read when he was younger come to life. To see the process of the design and actors collaborating together and how proud he would be to sit next to my mother again like they did all those years ago in the movie theater seeing A Clockwork Orange. Though my father is no longer with us I firmly believe he has been here throughout each step. Wednesday of tech I saw one singular house light dim and come on, a few times then settle. Another one would just not fade out with the others until tech hit house lights again, just one. I know he wouldn’t miss this show and for that. Though it may seem odd, I dedicate this piece to Les, my father, for his years of artistic inspiration and incredible knowledge. He knows exactly how much he empowered me to create unique, political, and controversial art and for that I cannot thank him enough.
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