The Merry Month of May Festival at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre

MoonBeam.Net Productions presents The Merry Month of May theatre festival at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre from the 30 Apr - 27 May 2006.

The highlight of the Festival will be Jason Shilling Kendall's farce The Dentist or Be Careful What You Put In Your Mouth. Four classic Shakespeare comedies will also be performed as well as a musical revue featuring composer Donna Stearns' original music to many of Shakespeare's bawdy and soulful lyrics.

The Merry Month of May Line-Up:

• The Dentist or Be Careful What You Put In Your Mouth
  Playwrite: Jason Shilling Kendall
  Director: Blake Bradford
  Cast: Evan Alboum, Joel Bischoff, John Carey, Barbara Charlene, Amanda Garry, Emma Gordon, Melissa Macleod Herion, Wyatt Kuether, Maggie Lauren, Jared R. Lopatin and Steven Ungar.
  Synopsis: Pantalone, of aged years and extreme wealth, has decided to take the lovely (and much younger) Isabella as his new bride, despite the fact that she is in love with his son Oratio, and he with her. It's up to Pantalone's crafty servant Pedrolino to save the day. Pedrolino concocts a scheme to make Pantalone believe he has the worst breath in history, figuring that while Pantalone goes to seek the help of a dentist, the young lovers will have time to run away together.
  Dates: 4 - 27 May
  
  
• A Midsummer Night's Dream
  Playwrite: William Shakespeare
  Director: Lon Blais
  Cast: Jason Adamo, Lon Blais, Ashton Crosby, Robert Dioguardi, Chella Ferrow, Erica Francis, Emily Gerstell, Martin Keiser, Judith Kilzer, Stephen A. Long, Brett Maughan, Dusty McKeelan, Pagan, Paul Pakler, Sarah Silk, Matthew R. Staley, Michael Vaccaro and Christina Lynn Vinsick.
  Synopsis: Young lovers defy authority and flee the court, only to find themselves caught in a web of illusion and magic in the Athenian woods.
  Dates: 30 Apr - 3 May
  
  
• Much Ado About Nothing
  Playwrite: William Shakespeare
  Director: Jerry Marco
  Cast: Jessica Angleskhan, Taras Berezowsky, Sabrina Colie, Andrea Cosley, Kevin Davis, Kathryn Gerhardt, Paul Hufker, Marisa Marquez, Norman Maxwell, Miriam Morales, Mateo Moreno, Justin Ness, Krista Peterson, Rob Tode, Eveline Tseng, Tammy Tunyavongs, Paul Weissman and Rawle Williams.
  Synopsis: Beatrice, independent and forthright and Benedick, a self-confessed 'woman-hater', pass their time constantly goading and scorning each other. When they are thrown together to defend a friend's and family's honour, their true feelings begin to be revealed.
  Dates: 7 May - 10 May
  
  
• All's Well That Ends Well
  Playwrite: William Shakespeare adapted by Stephen Wargo
  Director: Stephen Wargo
  Cast: Collin Biddle, Hank Davies, Carol Hickey, Richard Fromm, Chris Kateff, Melissa Menzie, Matt Mullin, Alex Pappas, Michael Poignand, Elizabeth Ruelas and Navida Stein.
  Synopsis: Helena, a doctor's daughter and now ward of the Countess' court, saves the life of the King using one of her fathers secret prescriptions. Her reward - to take any man to be her husband. She chooses Bertram, the Countess' son. Appalled at having to marry a commoner, he declares he will never be hers until she obtains the ring he wears and is pregnant with his child, all of which is seemingly impossible...
  Dates: 14 - 17 May
  
  
• Twelfth Night
  Playwrite:William Shakespeare
  Director: James Alexander Bond
  Cast: Michael Bernstein, Erin Caldwell, Gavin Hoffman, Marc Improta, Shashanah Newman, Adam Raynen, Christopher James Reed, Charles J. Roby , Eric Sherr, Brandon Wardell and Elizabeth G. Wilson.
  Synopsis: Identical twins are shipwrecked and separated on distant shores. Fearing the other to be dead, each embarks on a new life in a strange land.
  Dates: 21 - 24 May
  
  
  
• Donna's Late Night Cabaret
  Musical Review: by Donna Stearns
  Director: Donna Stearns
  Cast: Laura Mae Baker, Joshua David Bishop, Amber Bogdewiecz, Kyle Cheng, Aundre Chin, Megan Cooper, Esmeralda, Hannah Fairchild, Annemieke Farrow, Floryn Glass, Clara Barton Green, Joseph Hamel, Melanie Hopkins, Dawn Jones, Ashley Rebecca King, Jared R. Lopatin, Juliet Markowitz, Jennica McCleary, Aurora Nessly, Yvette Newsome, Brendan Rothman-Hicks, Jaki Silver, JessAnn Smith, Renee Threatte and Debra Wassum.
  Synopsis: A racy pop-broadway-jazz cabaret revue of Shakespeare-influenced songs written by songwriter Donna Stearns
  Dates: 5 - 26 May