by Bill Cain
directed by Amy Rummenie
June 9 – 24, 2018
Gremlin Theatre
The devilish gunpowder plot has failed! Long live King James! When Shagspeare is commissioned to write the “true historie” of the event, his investigation reveals that the official version is a cover-up – but for what? Should Shag keep digging – and perhaps lose his head? Or take the money and lie? A timely, high-stakes political thriller… with witches.
Cast
Shag – Damon C. Mentzer
Cecil & others – Peter Simmons
Sharpe & others – Mitch Ross
Armin & others – Edwin Strout
Richard & others – John Heimbuch
Judith – Eva Gemlo
Production Team
Director – Amy Rummenie
Costumes – A. Emily Heaney
Lighting – Tony Stoeri
Sound & Composer – Thomas Speltz
Set – Steve Kath
Props – Bobbie Smith
Stage Manager – Topaz Cooks
Violence Consultant – Annie Enneking
Accent Coach – Keely Wolter
Asst. Stage Manager – Kalena Johnson
Asst. Lighting Designer – Keelia Wood
Backstage Crew – Taegan Mueller
Reviews
“Since 2004, Walking Shadow Theatre Company has been the area’s premier provider of historical drama: Hatchet Lady, Carrie Nation, Angel Of Destruction (19th century U.S.); Marie Antoinette (18th century France); Gross Indecency, The Three Trials Of Oscar Wilde (19th century England); Drakul (18th century – I think – Transylvania). To name but a few. These plays are not just exercises in cutesy nostalgia; to their credit, WSTC takes this historical material seriously, and treats the plays as genuine dramatic explorations. In this way, they do us a real service.”
– John Olive, HowWasTheShow?
“In this production by Walking Shadow Theatre Company, director Amy Rummenie and an excellent ensemble attack this dense, intricate and heady piece of speculation with gusto, tempering complex philosophical arguments with broad comedy. While “Equivocation” comes in at a little over three hours, Rummenie’s brisk and modulated pacing keeps the action engaging throughout. The six actors take on a multiplicity of characters as conversations elide into rehearsals and dialogues into soliloquies… With scarcely a false step, this richly textured and skillfully realized production takes a 400-year-old political context and makes it feel like breaking news.”
– Lisa Brock, Star Tribune
“I’ll be honest: I hate the word timely. I think that it’s been overused in the last two years – every new TV show is timely and relevant to our political situation in the U.S. That being said, there’s no word more pertinent than “timely” to describe how it feels to watch Equivocation written by Bill Cain at Walking Shadow Theatre Company. It’s obvious from the first piece of dialogue that this is about a political puppet master, trying to cover up the truth of a nearly catastrophic event and a man who tries desperately to figure out the truth…
The first thing I will say about this production is that it is bewitching – it’s difficult to look away (even at some of the most violent moments). And yet, it’s the quiet fortitude of the actors that gives it life. It is rare to find a production whose strength is the silences and the scenes between only one or two characters, but this is it. Amy Rummenie knows how to keep an audience engaged through every word, and it shows. The production is nearly 3 hours long, however, and there were times I wished Bill Cain, the playwright, had been slightly less loquacious in some scenes. It would have left more quiet time to settle the darkest moments.”
– Laura Schmidt
“Walking Shadow gives you a vivid glimpse of what it might have been like to watch the Bard’s artistry as it happens.”
– Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press
“Give director Amy Rummenie plenty of credit, as she molds this material into a sharp thriller.”
– Ed Huyck