Gilbert & Sullivan's
Patience
or, Bunthorne's Bride

Jan. 22-24 & Jan. 29-31, 1982

Directed by Marion Scodari
Music Directed by Jim Perdue

Performed at Paint Branch High School.

Cast

Patience - Deborah Miller
                Elizabeth Nye (Jan. 24 and 31)
Colonel Calverley - Michael Consoli
Major Murgatroyd - Craig Channell
Lt. The Duke of Constable - Al Rupel
Reginald Bunthorne - John Perine
Archibald Grosvenor - Ray Hornblower
Mr. Bunthorne's Solicitor - Al Santilhano
The Lady Angela - Helene Freedman
The Lady Saphir - Emily Gruss
The Lady Ella - Elizabeth Nye
                       Anne Lipe (Jan. 24 and 31)
The Lady Jane - Rosalie Santilhano

Rapturous Maidens - Laura Cline, Fran Fleming, Sandy Gilbert,
    Susan Hirtz, Sybil Kitts, Syril Lessans, Anne Lipe, Edith Livingstone,     Penny Lubarsky, Sue Merritt, Pamela Owen , Shirley Santilhano,

Officers of the Dragoon Guards - Ray Dujack, David Ehrhart,
    Tom Fuchs, Cay Hathaway, Jim Hummel, John King, Sam Lubarsky,     Andrew Sheets, Rob Vogel, Mark Weinstein, Steve Winnett

Production Staff

Producer - Susan Frampton
Choreographer - Marion Scodari
Assistant Producer - David Ehrhart
Technical Director - Don Johnston
Rehearsal Accompanists - Frances Hraster , Beth King
Stage Manager - Mike Lewis
Orchestra Manager - Arthur Walter
Set Design - Robert Raczyinski, Mike Lewis
Set Construction - Robert Raczyinski, Mike Lewis, Al Rupel,
                            Ed Eggleston, Lyle Jaffe, Tom Fuchs, John King
Lighting Design - Don Johnston
Lighting Crew - Don Johnston, Gil Thompson,
                         and the Paint Branch High School lighting crew
Properties - Sandra Eggleston
Costumes
            Aesthetic - Laurie Hubbard
            Military - Sue Merritt
            Helmets - Marion Scodari, Jim Hummel
Costume Construction - Jackie Rupel, Sue Merritt, Caroline Hummel,
                               Sandra Eggleston, Lynn Slinkard, Penny Lubarsky,                                Roberta Smit, Edith Livingstone, Marion Scodari
Makeup - Christine Zornig, Deborah Miller, Syril Lessans,
                Sandra Eggleston
Wigs - Christine Zornig
Publicity - Ruth Burdette, Jim Hummel, Jim Perdue, Marion Scodari,
                Susan Frampton, Lloyd de Vries
Publicity Photographs - Elsa Nessler, Susan Frampton
Program -  Steve Behrens, Susan Frampton
Tickets -  Jim Hummel, Caroline Hummel
House - Caroline Hummel, Helen DuPont
Callboy - Kevin Lewis

Acknowledgements - Bill Weaver (Weaver's Violin Shop, Bethesda); Hortensia Fonseca (Maryland Youth Ballet); Roberta Smit (for providing costume and set storage and construction space); Kalmus Music Company (for orchestra parts); Interlocking Curriculum School (for platforms); Green Acres School and Takoma Park Junior High School
(for rehearsal space); Wooden Shoe Bakery; Carl Khuen, of Liberty Farm, Dickerson, and W. C. Poole, Glen Ellen Farm, Dickerson (for publicity photos); Don Johnston, Dorothy Gallo, and the music and drama departments of Paint Branch High School; The music department of Seneca Valley High School

Production Note

Patience is a satire on the flurry of aestheticism a century Jl.r ago that nowadays is associated with the era of Art Nouveau, In that context, names such as Burne-Jones, Oscar Wilde and Whistler come to mind. The libretto of Patience depicts the fashion of London life at that time. The aesthetic set, for instance, would appear somewhat beyond the bounds of reality. They might be seen carrying a drooping flower, looking very forlorn and dressed in extravagant clothes of faded colors. To quote a circular issued by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte in 1881: "In satirizing the excesses of these (so-called) aesthetes, the authors of Patience have not desired to cast ridicule on the true aesthetic spirit, but only to attack the unmanly oddities which masquerade in its likeness. In doing so, they have succeeded in producing one of the prettiest and most diverting musical pleasantries of the day, "

It is interesting to know that when Gilbert first started work on the plot, Bunthorne and Grosvenor were not described as poets, but as clerics. It was felt, however, that such a satire might well cause offense, so Gilbert changed the vocation of his principals.

Patience has always been a great success. The first performance given at the Opera Comique in London on April 23, 188l, had no fewer than eight encores. The success of Patience and the inadequate capacity of the Opera Comique for the large audiences the opera was drawing persuaded Carte to go ahead and build the now-famous Savoy Theatre. That in itself was an historical event because the Savoy was the first theater in London to be l it entirely by electricity.

Synopsis

Scene: The Grounds of Castle Bunthorne

Act I
The act opens with a chorus of love-sick maidens extolling the charms of their beloved poet , Reginald Bunthorne. Their hopes are dashed, however, when the formidable Lady Jane informs them that Bunthorne is in love with the simple dairymaid Patience. Moments later, Patience herself appears and informs them that the 35th Dragoon Guards have returned to the village. But the maidens, who were all engaged to the Guards just 12 months ago, are no longer interested. They leave to serenade Bunthorne. The Dragoons are dismayed. At last alone with Patience, Bunthorne confides to her that his aestheticism is merely a pose to attract admiration, and pledges to alter his ways because he loves her. Patience rejects Bunthorne, who promptly puts himself up to be raffled, whereupon Patience--proving her unselfishness--agrees to marry him. The maidens, in despair, almost return ·to their former loves, the Dragoons, but when they see Grosvenor, another aesthete, they fly to him, leaving a very jealous Bunthorne and many disgruntled Dragoons .

Act II
The curtain rises with Lady Jane reproaching the maidens for their desertion of Bunthorne, to whom she alone had remained faithful. Meanwhile, Grosvenor is getting bored with the attentiveness of the maidens; he, too, is in love with Patience. The Dragoons decide that they also must adopt aestheticism to win back their former loves, and their efforts meet with some success. Bunthorne, in cahoots with Lady Jane, persuades Grosvenor to abandon his poetic pose. Patience then quickly accepts Grosvenor's offer of marriage. The Dragoons revert to their military selves, and the maidens return to them. Lady Jane offers herself in marriage to Bunthorne, but the Duke of Dunstable selects her as his bride, leaving Bunthorne in aesthetic solitude.