Edward II
Edward IIWritten by Christopher Marlowe | Directed by David R. Gammons February 22 – March 19, 2017 | Free Open Rehearsal Saturday, February 11 | Post-show conversations following Sunday matinees Venue: Charlestown Working Theater | Charlestown | Venue information Approximate performance time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, which includes a 15-minute intermission Please Note: This production contains nudity and strong sexual content, and is not recommended for patrons under the age of 18 without adult approval.
“My father is deceased; come, Gaveston, and share the kingdom with thy dearest friend.” The great-grandfather of Richard II, Edward II showered favor on his treasured friend, Gaveston, leading to bitter resentment from the nobles with fatal consequences. “Can kingly lions fawn on creeping ants?”
Marlowe uses the tumultuous history of 14th century England to share one man’s struggle between self identity
In the wake of Edward I’s death, his son Edward has taken the throne as Edward II. His radical ideas around affairs of state, lack of military acumen, and loyalty to his ambitious lover Piers Gaveston pit him against powerful nobles and his calculating queen. These conflicts lead to Gaveston’s exile and murder, new and shifting romantic loyalties on all sides, and revenge and retribution that ultimately seal Edward’s fate.
Says director David R. Gammons, “Edward II was kept off the stage for more than 200 years, in large part because of the cultural ambivalence of its social matter and the spectre of male sexuality as a threat to the civilized order of society and power. It depicts a gay relationship in the 14th century, written in the 16th century, in a way that most stories and lives were not openly portrayed until the late 20th century.”
More to Explore:
Cast Include:
Designers Include:
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States ** Member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829
Media Partner for Edward II |