Gilbert & Sullivan's
Iolanthe
or, The Peer and the Peri

Feb. 1, 2, 7, 8 & 9, 1985 at 8pm
Feb. 3 & 10, 1985 at 3pm

Directed by Marion Scodari
Music Directed by Nicholas G. Armstrong

Performed at The F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, Rockville, MD

Cast

The Lord Chancellor - William Lutes
                                    Peter Kline (2/9)
Earl of Mount Ararat - Kenneth Krantz
                                   Benjamin Hawley (2/3, 2/10)
Earl Tolloler - Steven Le Blanc
Strephon, an Arcadian shepherd - David Jackson
Private Willis, of the Grenadier Guards - Fred Houghteling
Queen of the Fairies - Martha Fischer
                                   Mary Riendeau (2/9)
Iolanthe, a fairy, Strephon's mother - Pamela Leighton-Bilik
Phyllis, a shepherdess and ward in chancery - Linda Kirk (2/1, 2/2, 2/3)
                                           Anne Lindsay McGuire (2/7, 2/8, 2/9, 2/10)
Celia, Leila, Fleta, Fairies  - Anne Lindsay McGuire, Linda Kirk,
                                            Ida Kosciesza, Shirley Santilhano

Ladies of the chorus, Fairies - Laura Kline, Rosemary Collins,
          Fran Fleming, Laura Hubbard, Edith Livingstone, Penny Luborsky,           Mary Reindeau, Shirley Santilhano, Elin Schilling, Jenny Tapper,           Alison Verdi

A young and often invisible fairy - Dee Carlstrom

Gentlemen of the Chorus, Peers - Bob Carlstrom, Barry Grinnell,
             Caleb Hathaway, Benjamin Hawley, Fred Houghteling,
             Warren Houghteling, Andrew Sheets, Mark Silinsky,
             Al Walderhaug

Production Staff

Producer - Jeffery C. Sugarman
Set Design - Jeffery C. Sugarman
Lighting Design - Christopher Verdi
Costume Design - Laura Hubbard
Choreography - Dee Carlstrom
Assistant to the Director - Dee Carlstrom
Assistants to the Producer - Benjamin Hawley, Lyle Jaffe
Assistant to the Set Designer - Claire M. Strasser
Stage Manager - Gil Thompson
Rehearsal Pianist - Melanie Smith
Costume Construction - Edith Livingstone, Mary Sue Merritt
         Assisted by - Penny Lubarsky, Kym Ginter, Deborah Marone,    
                              Laura Hubbard, Anne L. McGuire, Marion Scodari
Set Construction and Backstage Crew - Steve Fleischman,
                        Antoinette Ayers, Steve Frear, Tom Fuchs, Lyle Jaffe,    
                        Joe Gorman, Tom Jahrling, Nina Hale, Rick Laskowski,
                        A.J. Strasser, Robin Youngerman, Kathy Sullivan, 
                        David Jackson, Ben Hawley, Will Pion, Barry Grinnell,
                        Marc Silinsky, Sabina Weitzman, John Webber,
                        Michael Bell, Nick Armstrong, Peter Feibelman,
                        Usa Garner, Michael Critzer, Dave Perkins,
                        Debbie Delnevo
Lighting Assistant - Ken Marsh
Special Effects - Bob Kosciesza
Make-up Design - Bob Kosciesza
Hair Design - Jon Riley
            Assisted by - Judy Burke, Pamela Grady
Properties - David Jackson
Tickets - Caroline Hummel, Jim Hummel
House Manager - Sue Frampton
            Assisted by - Claudia Hanlon, Rose Madigan
Publicity/Public Relations - Marion Scodari, Linda Kirk, Melanie Smith
Program - Jeffery C. Sugarman, Theresa Boyd, Mary Lodge
Set and Costume Storage - Mr. & Mrs. AI Rupel
Photography - Tom Fuchs

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Synopsis

Act I, An Arcadian Landscape - Evening
The curtain rises on an Arcadian landscape with the fairies tripping on to tell of their sorrow that Iolanthe has been banished by their Queen for marrying a mortal a quarter of a century before . They cannot understand why she chose to live at the bottom of a stream, and successfully entreat the Queen to summon Iolanthe and forgive her. On her arrival, Iolanthe explains that she has wanted to live near her son, Strephon, who now enters to tell his mother and his "aunts" that he is anxious to marry Phyllis, a Ward of Chancery, but is prevented by the Lord Chancellor; the Fairy Queen promises Strephon that if he is ever in need of her help she will give it to him. After Strephon and Phyllis have sung of their love for each other the Peers make their famous entry with "Loudly let the trumpet bray". The Lord Chancellor sends for Phyllis, tells the Peers that he is overcome by her charms and goes on to tell Strephon he still withholds his consent. Strephon in desperation consults his mother, but Phyllis (seeing him with a young woman) assumes he is being unfaithful, in which she is encouraged by the Peers. He thereupon calls on the Fairy Queen for help and the first Act ends with her and the fairies telling the Peers that Strephon will go into Parliament and wreak havoc there.

Act II, Exterior of Westminster Palace, London - Night
Private Willis, on guard at the Palace of Westminster, meditates on the political scene; the two Lords Mountararat and T olloller (both now engaged to Phyllis) argue and almost come to blows over her, when the Lord Chancellor, restless and disturbed, comes in to sing his famous Nightmare song.
Needless to say, Phyllis and Strephon become reconciled and ask Iolanthe to intercede for them with the Lord Chancellor. She agrees, although knowing that if she goes to him and is recognized as his wife, long believed to be dead, she will be condemned to death by the Fairy Queen .

Her death seems inevitable until all the fairies proclaim that they too intend to marry mortals and the Lord Chancellor saves the day by altering the Fairy Law so that every fairy shall die who don't marry a mortal. The Fairy Queen, delighted, proposes to Private Willis, and everyone is happy.