Coriolanus • 2021
ISC Rep Season 2021: The Romans
Can a man of righteous and inflexible ideals play the political game to gain the votes and trust of the Citizens? Coriolanus is the story of Caius Marcius, a war hero who singlehandedly took the town of Corioles, but it is his mother Volumnia, one of Shakespeare’s most remarkable women, who wields the most potent power of all, persuasion.
The ISC Ensemble performed two of Shakespeare’s most potent political thrillers during the summer of 2021: Coriolanus and Julius Caesar. The productions were performed in repertory with a tight cast of 11 actors.
Cast
Rhoda Bodzin: Valeria, Volscian, Citizen
Mairi Chanel: Menenius Agrippa, Roman Soldier
Deborah Davis: Junius Brutus, Roman Soldier, Volscian
***Lynn Goodwin: Volumnia, Citizen, Volscian
Meg Hachmann: Cominius, Citizen, Volscian
Ariana Karp: Tullus Aufidius, Citizen
Breshaun Joyner: Virgilia, Citizen, Roman Soldier
Alexander Lane: Sicinius Velutus, Volscian
Geoffrey Pomeroy: Caius Marcius, later Coriolanus
William Potter: Titus Larcius, Volscian Lieutenant, Soldier, Citizen
Clara West: Young Marcius, Roman Soldier, Citizen
***Appeared through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
Production Team
Edward Daranyi: Director
Itai Rosen: Stage Manager
Rylie Philpot: Assistant Stage Manager
Raul Daoud: COVID Safety Manager
Vince Faust: Technical Director & Set Design
Jayden Chavez: Lighting Design
Edward Daranyi, Kate Healy, Ariana Karp, and Katrin Talbot: Costume Team
Liam Mitchell: Fight Choreography
Edward Daranyi and Ariana Karp: Sound Design
Jamie Chavez: Light Board Operator
Gabriel Boston-Friedman, Ian Gonzales, Ashur Pinkerton, and Clementine West: Running Crew
Katrin Talbot: Photography and Videography
Director’s Note • Edward Daranyi
Why this? Why now? Who cares? Isn’t this just dusty and old? Shouldn’t we just move on already?
Well, just take a look at your world, at your community —who in your government is working for you? Last time I checked, in my community there were truly people who represented their constituents, and those that represent themselves, their parties, their own biases, and damned be the people that elected them, or who they represent. As we witness the erosion of the middle class and the widening gulf between those who have and those who are barely scraping by, the growing droughts, wildfires, food insecurity, this seems like a perfect time to examine these works. This is now, not just here, but globally as well. Fascism is not only on the rise; it is well established once again in many countries. This is truly Shakespeare holding the mirror up to nature. Careful we must be, for at some point the people will rise up against the injustices they have been forced to endure for decades. Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it. Let this not be the prelude to another cursed chapter in our history.
The ISC partners with iReadShakespeare and the production of Shakespeare’s play texts designed specifically for Readers, edited by Dr. Robin Williams. For more info about these Readers’ Editions, go to iReadShakespeare.org.