Fall 1997: Princess Ida
Notes
I was recently asked, why do Princess Ida today? As a satire on the issue of women's education, is it not politically incorrect, and horribly dated as well?
Princess Ida is not truly a satire of women's education. The operetta was based on an epic poem by Tennyson, and is first and foremost a spoof of that poem. Within the show, the satire is free-floating and good-natured. Everyone gets mocked in Princess Ida: women, men, royalty, Darwin, the military. Arac's songs are parodies of Handel, and the character of King Gama is based on Gilbert himself.
The few moments in the show which are not meant to be funny belong to Ida herself. With all the zaniness around her, Ida is treated quite seriously. Her songs are beautiful, operatic, inspiring, and moving. She is an admirable person — but she is an extremist. She believes that women cannot achieve their true potential unless they separate completely from men. This issue is at the heart of Princess Ida and of Tennyson's poem: not the question of women's education, but the problem of balance in relationships between the sexes. How do married couples manage two careers? How much does each partner have to give up to stay connected to the other? These are the questions raised for our generation by Ida's story. Unfortunately, Princess Ida won't answer these questions — but will provide a pleasant, tuneful space of time for meditating on them.
-- Jean Gordon Ryon
Director: Jean Gordon Ryon
Assistant Director: Bob Weeks
Music Director: Janice M. Rich
Producers: Jad Jordan, Amanda Lobaugh
Cast
- King Hildebrand
- Ted Benedict
- Hilarion, Hildebrand's son
- Brian Clickner
- Cyril, Hilarion's friend
- Gordon V. Penniston
- Florian, Hilarion's friend
- Jonathan Mobley
- King Gama
- Jim Caffrey
- Arac, Gama's son
- Tracy Burdick
- Guron, Gama's son
- Stephen Gullo
- Scynthius, Gama's son
- Jad Jordan
- Princess Ida, Gama's daughter
- Kathy Perconti
- Lady Blanche, Professor of Abstract Science
- Pamela Good
- Lady Psyche, Professor of Humanities
- Lynette Blake
- Melissa, Lady Blanche's daughter
- Sarajane Fondiller
- Sacharissa, a student at Castle Adamant
- Tracy Paradis
- Chloe, a student at Castle Adamant
- Amanda Lobaugh
- Ada, a student at Castle Adamant
- Beth Holliday
Chorus
Terry Badger, Terry Benedict, Cynthia Brone, Rhonda Callard, Karen P. Conway, Lilah Crews-Pless, Barb DiGiulio, Peter Dunbar, Mike Fedyk, Shannon Fedyk, Julia Ferreira, Nancy Galletto, Isabele Henry, Beverly Hess, David Holliday, Jordu Kelly-Sutliff, Dan Mark, Patti Anne Montrois, Kathy Moore, Deborah A. Moriarty, David Odgers, Paula Ranney, Barbara Savage, Laurel Schneiderman, Debra Schulman, Sean Taylor, Bob Weeks
Orchestra
Rehearsal Pianist: Robert Blake
Crew
- House Manager
- Byron Wilmot
- Props
- Bodie McCaffrey
- Set Construction
- Tracy Burdick, Jim Caffrey
- Costume Managers
- Sarah Freeman, Brian Smith
- Lighting Designer
- Michele Denber
- Program Design
- Alex Carlo