International City Theatre presents Into the Breeches! Written by George Brant. Directed by Brian Shnipper. Produced by caryn desai [sic].
As WWII is raging overseas, Long Beach’s Oberon Playhouse has decided to cancel the 1942 season’s opener, Shakespeare’s Henry IV and Henry V, also known as the Henriad. Since the men are fighting in the front, there are no male actors to play the parts. However, Maggie (Meghan Andrews), the director’s wife, is confident that her and a group of inexperienced female performers can save the day. Singing to the tune of “Amapola”, the ladies of Long Beach come together to prepare a show that will be either a fantastic success or a humiliating failure (with tomatoes included).
Coming up with a plan to convince Board President Ellsworth Snow (Nicholas Hormann) of the feasibility of the show, Maggie recruits newcomers Grace (Emilie Doering), June (Brooke Olivia Gatto), costumer Ida Green (Sydney A. Mason), Snow’s wife, Winifred (Holly Jeanne), and stage manager Stuart Lasker (Lee James). Maggie then pairs them up with the experienced diva Celeste Fielding (Leslie Stevens), who is eager to play Prince Hal. But due to a disagreement with Maggie, Celeste brings out her diva attitude and quits, putting the whole project at risk.
When Snow finds out that Ida, who is Black, and Stuart, who is gay, will be performing, he becomes extremely anxious about the possibility of a backlash from the conservative sectors. He finally accepts Maggie’s plan with one condition: Celeste must come back to the show!
Playwright George Brant relies on the women’s anguish and worries about their husband’s fate to tell a story of hope and liberation during a time when women’s expectations were limited to staying home as obedient housewives. The ladies experience a paradoxical feeling of constant worry, but at the same time, they also undergo a period of self-realization. The possibility of portraying the central roles in Shakespeare’s plays, gives a new meaning to their lives. Director Brian Shnipper uses those emotions as a metaphor of the establishment of a modern liberal order in which women entered the workforce in droves in the 1940s. With a creative scenic design, appealing costumes, and compelling performances from his actors, Shnipper stages a lighthearted play that captures the beginning of a new era in American history.
Into the Breeches! features drama, conflict, and humor in a visually appealing and enjoyable production that brings memories of a crucial time which changed the course of history for America and the rest of the world.
Into the Breeches!
International City Theatre
Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center
330 East Seaside Way
Long Beach, CA 90802
Performances: June 9 – June 25
• Thursdays at 8 p.m.: June 22
• Fridays at 8 p.m.: June 9 (Opening Night), June 23
• Saturdays at 8 p.m.: June 24
• Sundays at 2 p.m.: June 25
Tickets: ictlongbeach.org
Written by George Brant. Directed by Brian Shnipper. Starring Meghan Andrews, Emilie Doering, Brooke Olivia Gatto, Nicholas Hormann, Lee James, Holly Jeanne, Sydney A. Mason, and Leslie Stevens. Produced by caryn desai [sic]. Presented by International City Theatre. Creative team: Set designer Tim Mueller, lighting designer Donna Ruzika, costume designer Kim DeShazo, sound designer Dave Mickey and prop designer Patty Briles. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA.
