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BY DYLAN THOMAS

Ran: May 24
through June 29 2003

At once comic in caricature and surprising in subtlety, under milk wood exposes the dirty knees of over 50 characters in the salty fishing town of Llareggub, Wales. Originally a “play for voices”, Dylan Thomas’ poem is a vivid mix of cynicism and lyricism, providing intuitive entry into a small, sad, strange and familiar town.

Dylan Thomas died shortly after the first public performance of under milk wood. One can muse about the connection between his untimely death and the unsettling end of the play. Nothing is neat and pre-packaged in its conclusion – rather the audience is given freedom to keep imagining the lives of the many townspeople and to perhaps fashion an altogether different ending. It is precisely this off-kilter vibration that colored Thomas’ own turbulent life.

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under milk wood illustrates a typical day in the coastal Welsh town on Llareggub, from the pre-dawn nightmares of Captain Cat, who hears the hungry souls of his drowned sailors begging for contact with life on Earth –– to the dusk-tinged song of Polly Garter, nursing her babies and her memories of lovers past. We are warmed by the burning and nascent love of Mog Edwards, the draper, and Myfanwy Price, the dressmaker. We are frozen by the scheming of Mr. Pugh (who has hopes to poison his wife), and secretly wish that Bessie Bighead would find true love.

Director Gina Pulice makes her first foray onto Shotgun’s mainstage, having spent the last few years developing and directing for Shotgun Theatre Lab. Pulice’s take on under milk wood pays homage to its essence as a radio play. Her direction places its focus on the unmasking of theatrical device, which the radio play is constantly at liberty to do. This production marks the second Shotgun collaboration between Pulice and Movement Director Amy Sass, who first worked together on Jungle Book. Company member Marilyn Stanley will Assistant Direct. Company Artistic Associate Brent Rosenbaum, last seen in Albee’s The Play About the Baby, takes part in the eight-person ensemble, along with Gwen Larsen, Sean Tarrant, Rami Margron (last seen in Thessaly Lerner’s The Canadian Play for Shotgun Theatre Lab), Jeffrey Hoffman, Desiray McFall, Gary Dailey and Lisa Patten.

Oakland Tribune : Chad Jones

Berkeley Daily Planet : Betsy M. Hunton

SF Guardian : Robert Avila

SF Gate : Anna Mantzaris

East Bay Express : Lisa Drostova

Director: Gina Pulice
Assistant Director: Marilyn Stanley

PUBLICITY STILLS

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CAST
Brent Rosenbaum
Gwen Larsen
Sean Tarrant
Rami Margron
Jeffrey Hoffman
Desiray McFall
Gary Dailey
Lisa Patten

CREW
Jeremy Katz | Set and Light Design
Aaron Krasner | Musician
Marilyn Stanley | Stage Manager
Liz Lisle | Production Manager



PREVIEWS
May 22 & 23


OPENED
May 24


RAN
Through June 29

PERFORMED AT
Eighth Street Studio
2525 8th Street, Berkeley