GAINESVILLE - A wily servant lands two jobs in one day and, highly motivated by hunger, juggles to keep them both in Gainesville Theatre Alliance's next production, <br>
Servant of Two Masters, at Brenau University's Hosch Theatre in the John S. Burd Center for the Performing Arts February 11-23. <br>
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Artistic director Jim Hammond is directing and co-authoring with his playwright/actor/director wife, Gay H. Hammond, a new adaptation of Servant of Two Masters whose goal is to make it "as outrageously funny as the recent production of <br>
Ragtime was powerfully moving."<br>
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Jimmy Ray Ward, of North Carolina 's Flatrock Playhouse, has been challenged by director Hammond to design a set that has all the creative potential and unexpected surprises that a child's activity center might have, plus suggests the magical world invoked by extravaganzas like Cirque de Soleil. <br>
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Although Servant of Two Masters was written by Carlo Goldoni in the 18 th century and grew out of the Italian tradition of commedia dell'arte, the root of much of today's comedy, Hammond says the last thing he wants to create is a "dusty museum piece." <br>
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So, like the rest of the production, costumes created by husband-wife co-designers Stuart and Christine Beaman promise to surprise and delight audiences with their originality and sense of fun.<br>
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Hammond has just chosen his cast, which includes actors familiar to Gainesville Theatre Alliance audiences, such as Michael McCracken as the hungry and hopelessly fraught servant Truffaldino, who is first hired by Beatrice Rasponi (Amanda Rowell), disguised as her brother to collect a dowry from the rich but miserly Mr. Pantalone (Robin Hale). <br>
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Truffaldino's other master turns out to be none other than Beatrice's fiancé, Florindo (Patrick Rose) who is a fugitive from Turin where he has just dueled and killed Beatrice's brother. Other cast members include Boone Hopkins as the romantic buffoon Silvio, James Johnson (Dr. Lombardi), Priscilla Hummel (Clarice), Wynter Cook (Smeraldina), and Briston Chester (Brighella). <br>
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A troupe of clown-like Zanni's include Derrick Ledbetter, Stephanie Ferguson, Tiffany Clown, Seth Cash and Helena Cochrane-Jones. <br>
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Tickets to Servant of Two Masters , which is sponsored by Best Western Lanier Centre, will go on sale January 27 and may be purchased at 770-718-3624 or online at www.gainesvilletheatrealliance.org. Prices are $15 adults, $13 seniors, and $8 full-time students or children. <br>
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Curtain is 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 2:30 p.m. Sundays. There will be a preview Monday, February 10, at <br>
7:30 p.m., for which all seats are $7 general admission.
