The Gamester - 2008
The Gamester
Opens February 22
The Gamester is a show like no other we have produced in my 15-odd years at the RTG. Full of theatrical fun and comic elements, the play works on many different levels. Each character is pursuing an obsessive interest like love, gambling or money. Some slapstick, some farce, some disguises, outlandish costumes and wigs, bizarre music, some very silly rhyming lines, some elevated wit – are all used to make the Gamester one madcap show. You should also know that it is quite bawdy. That is a nice way of saying that it’s naughty but loads of fun. When I mention that to people, I’m never sure if it is a warning, or a marketing plus to get them to see the show. You will have to decide for yourself.
I hope you will roll the dice and come to the show. You don’t often get a chance to see a play like this in Racine.
One sure thing that you would NOT be taking a chance on is joining us as season tickets holders next season. We announce the RTG’s ‘08-’09 season with a great deal of excitement. It contains some old favorites that we’ve done before, as well as brand-new shows, full of promise and adventure.
We always select our season with you, our audience, in mind, hoping to please you, entertain you, and give you great theatre. Our goal is to make you laugh, maybe once in a while make you cry, and always give you something to brighten your day.
Take a look at the description of our next season on page three, and please join us for season 71.
We like to say we are lighting up lives at all stages, and next season is sure to provide bright moments of laughter and entertainment.
From the Managing/Artistic Director - Doug Instenes
One of the most unique plays performed on the Guild’s stage, The Gamester by Freyda Thomas opens February 22 and runs four weekends through March 16. This is a theatrical experience you won’t want to miss.
The playwright has taken a French farce of the 17th century as her inspiration to write The Gamester. Her characters, though drawn from history, are very vital and contemporary. Her dialogue, though created in rhyme, is very understandable, funny and has a modern feel. The Gamester is going to be a theatrical treat for audiences.
The plot revolves around Valere, a young handsome man who is addicted to gambling. He is in love with the beautiful Angelique, who will only agree to marry him if he gives up his games of chance. Valere has a servant, Hector, who loyally sticks by his master through thick and thin, mostly thin as the play begins, since Valere has lost all of his money. Valere’s father, Thomas, also wants his son to give up gambling, and he is going to cut off any money that will support the habit.
Complications, necessary for any good farce, come with some additional characters. Madame Securite is an experienced widow who will lend money to young men in return for “certain favors.” Madame Preferee is an older woman, a companion to Angelique and looking out for her best interests. Angelique has an older sister, Madame Argante, who is also in love with Valere and would love to steal him from her sister.
And every French farce needs a fop, in this case, the awkward Marquis de Fauxpas, who is in love with Madame Argante. She tells him on more than one occasion that “her sheath does not seek his sword.” Then to top it off we have Dorante, an old balding man with bad breath and a mean cough, who wants to marry Angelique. Dorante waits in the wings to see if Valere will fail, so he can snap up the young girl.
After declarations of love, Valere agrees to stay away from the gaming tables for the sake of Angelique. But he is drawn back to his old habits, and Angelique finds out, since she has gone to the gambling hall disguised as a man.
Much banter abounds, as various suitors pursue the objects of their desire, and we wait to see if true love triumphs. Freyda Thomas has created a unique niche as a contemporary playwright who re-creates a comic style of the past. The wit of the dialogue blends with the farcical action, as we follow the plot through its twists and turns.
The Gamester appeared on regional stages, beginning in 2001 in Illinois. Thomas herself notes that it works in many incarnations, either with elaborate sets and costumes or without.
Critics have been enthusiastic: “The action is filled with pratfalls and amusing stage business, in a visual and aural delight. The Gamester is a real winner!”
“A charming evening of bawdy, fast-moving delight.”
Any seat at the RTG will be a winning ticket for The Gamester, playing from February 22 through March 16. Call the Racine Theatre Guild box office at 262-633-4218 for more information or to reserve tickets. You’ll enjoy this comedy, with its modern adaptation of a hilarious French farce.
THE GAMESTER
by Freyda Thomas
CAST
Hector ........................ Tom Spraker
Valere ........................ Ryan H. Nelson
Angelique ................. Veronica Wudi
Mme. Securite ........... Dawn Van Ess
Marquis ........................... Bob Benson
Mme. Argante ............ Nicole Gorski
Mme. Preferee .......... Chris Heilgeist
Thomas .............................. Brian Deal
Dorante...................... Joseph Vignieri
Betty ........................ Angela Apmann
Croupier ......... Jonathan R. Martinez
CREW
Director ....................... Doug Instenes
Scenic Design ....... Sarah Hunt-Frank
PSM ........................... Sharon Johnson
Stage Mgr. .................... Marge Henze
ASM ............................ Sharon Molina
Costume Design/Wigs .. Bob Benson
Wardrobe ...................... Lori Barbeau
Props ....................... Spencer Carlson, Kelli & Jeff Kauzlarich
Makeup ......................... Cindy David
Light Design ....... Kevin Edmonston
Light Tech. ................. Donna Nielsen
Sound Design .................. Janet Petrik
Sound Tech. ............... Sandy Bradley
Sponsored by ............. Sharon’s Cleaning Service