Theatre Fairfield

Mission Statement

Theatre Fairfield, which performs in the PepsiCo Theatre and the Quick
Center for the Arts, is the production wing of the Theatre Program in the
Department of Visual and Performing Arts. Our mission is to provide a
well-rounded, fully participatory theatre experience for the University
community--both audience members and theatre-makers--using professional
techniques and standards. We intentionally produce pieces that inspire
engagement with contemporary issues and questions relevant to our
students, the campus community, and society at large at this time in history.
All of our productions actively engage students and faculty members
throughout the university and we regularly offer classroom teach-ins,
interactive workshops with students from across the curriculum, pre-show
introductions and talkbacks. In this way, Theatre Fairfield continues the
ancient tradition of using theatre as a teaching tool for audience members,
as well as for actors, directors, designers, technicians, dramaturgs and
producers. We are committed to casting and staffing our production
company with Fairfield students, and we regularly invite professional
guest artists to join us so that we all might benefit from their expertise and
perspectives.

M easure for M easure

By WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

The Company in Order of Appearance

Owen Corey
Vronique B. Poutr
Franco L. Luzzi
Brigid Callahan
Mary Louise Corigliano
Brendan McNamara
Alex Mongillo
Alex Kimble
Tori Schuchmann
Ashley Ruggiero

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Escalus/Barnadine
Angelo
Lucio/Froth/Messenger
First Gentleman/Francisca
Elbow/Mariana
Mistress Overdone /Friar ThomasPeter/Servant/Abhorson
Claudio/Justice/Officer
Provost
Juliet/Pompey
Isabella

The Artistic Team

Theatre Fairfields season includes professionally directed and designed

productions as well as pieces that feature student playwrighting, directing,
designing and acting. In any given four-year period we produce plays from
many historical periods and styles: musicals, comedies, serious plays, period
plays, contemporary works, and original plays. A group of four production
interns, chosen by competitive scholarship, works closely with faculty and
staff in administering Theatre Fairfields season.
We think of Theatre Fairfield as our practical laboratory, where we
experiment and refine concepts we are learning in the classroom. Every
student has the opportunity to be a performer, writer, director, producer,
designer, technician, scholar, and critic during his/her four years at Fairfield
and there is ample opportunity for advanced work in all of these areas.
Students leave Fairfield with a solid foundation in theatre production skills, as
well as a strong understanding of the cultural and intellectual contributions
theatre continues to make in our world. Studying in the Theatre Program
prepares students for any career that requires creativity, communication,
and good business practice. Our graduates include managers, lawyers,
and teachers, as well as theatre professionals working in all aspects of the
industry.

The Duke

Martha Schmoyer LoMonaco

Karl G. Ruling
Hugh G. Hanson
Jan Mason
Brad Roth

Kevin Schneck
Emily Skudrzyk 14
Grace Janiszewski 14
Kevin Schneck
Lynne Porter
Julie Leavitt
Kerri Gawrewluk
Sharp (Aaron Goodstone)
Dr. William Abbott,
Department of History

Director
Scenic & Lighting Designer
Costume Designer
Acting & Vocal Coach
Movement Coach &
Choreographer
Sound Coordinator
Production Dramaturg
Production Photographer
Technical Director
Producer
Costume Shop Manager
Yoga, Breath, & Voice Instructor
Graffiti & Street Art Advisor
British History Lecturer/Advisor

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The Crew
Stage Manager...................................................................Nick Solimini
Assistant Stage Managers......Michelle Rakowsky, Stephanie Sawicki
Sound Board Operator..........................................................Nola Caslin
Light Board Operator......................................................Molly Gregory
Costume Manager.....................................................Grace Janiszewski
Costume Crew......................................Brigid Callahan, Devon Kenney

Brendan McNamara, Jessica Romeo
Danielle Saitta, Aubrey Sierer
Wardrobe Manager...............................................Cristelle Sens-Castet
Wardrobe Crew.......................................Laura McKee, Bethany Russo

Sarah Rybacki, Grace Schiller
Props Head................................................................Elizabeth Sheehan
Props Crew......................................LeighAnn Albanese, Kaitlyn Hunt

Alex Mongillo, Taryn Peterson

Ashley Ruggiero
Paint Charge................................................................Tori Schuchmann
Paint Crew...........................................Mary Corigliano, Iliana Figueroa

Jason Gorski, Vronique Poutr

Juanita Rainey, Farah Themistocle
Master Carpenter...............................................................Owen Corey
Master Electrician..............................................................Franco Luzzi
Electricians..........................Joseph Dowling Alex Kimble, Kyle Whittle
Front of House..................................................................Jenny Dressel
Box Office.....................................................................Kathryn Dennen
There will be one ten-minute intermission.
Flash photography and/or the use of recording devices is not
permitted during the performance.
Theatre Fairfield thanks
The Humanities Institute of the College of Arts and Sciences
for generous funding towards publishing this program.
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Bios:

ARTISTIC TEAM:
Hugh G. Hanson (Costume Designer) has been designing for Theatre Fairfield
since 1995. His last effort was As You Like It, previously having designed Pippin,
Miss Julie, Hair, Tokyo Notes, Henry IV Part One, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rover,
Ota Benga, Blue Window, Childrens Hour, Largo Desolato. His selected credits
include work at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CO): Richard II & III, Macbeth,
Treasure Island, Comedy of Errors; The Shakespeare Theatre (NJ): A Most
Dangerous Woman, Trelawny of the Wells, Hamlet, A Streetcar Named Desire, As You
Like It, Richard II, A Christmas Carol; Portland Stage (ME): Heroes, Color of Flesh,
Center of Gravity.
Julie Leavitt (Costume Shop Manager) has been designing costumes for Theatre
Fairfield since 2003: Dead Mans Cell Phone, The Glass Menagerie, The Importance of
Being Earnest, The Rocky Horror Show, among others. She was previously an Assistant
Professor of English at Westfield State College. She also designs for Shakesperience
Productions in Waterbury, CT, including the currently touring Macbeth. In Chicago, Julie
worked as the Assistant Costume Designer at the Goodman Theatre, and designed for
Organic Theatre Company, Emerald City Childrens Theatre, Pyewackett, and Frump
Tucker Theatre Co.
Dr. Martha Schmoyer LoMonaco (Director) is Professor of Theatre, Resident Theatre
Director and Co-Producer of Theatre Fairfield; she also serves as Director of the
Graduate Program in American Studies at Fairfield University. She is an active theatre
historian, writer, and lecturer and past President of the Theatre Library Association, an
international scholarly organization dedicated to the documentation and preservation
of performing arts collections. Most recently, she directed Tennessee Williams The Glass
Menagerie for Theatre Fairfield and a professional staged reading of Carol Macks The
Visitor at the Quick Center in March 2013.
Jan Mason (Acting and Vocal Coach) has acted, produced and directed theatre in
Boston, New York City, and Washington DC. She is proud to be a member of the theatre
departments at Western Connecticut State University and Housatonic Community
College, as well as here at Fairfield University. Jan received her Bachelors degree from
Emerson College, and her MFA from the University of Virginia. She is pleased to be
working with this fine team.
Lynne Porter (Producer) is Co-Producer and Resident Designer in the Theatre Program.
For Theatre Fairfield, she recently designed Rhinoceros and Stop Kiss. She frequently
designs for the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, where she is an Affiliated Artist of the
Ensemble. Companies she has designed for include the Guerrilla Shakespeare Project,
Connecticut Free Shakespeare, Harrisburg Shakespeare Company, Penobscot Theatre
Company, and the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre. On campus, she also
serves as the Academic Director for Creative Life Residential College. She holds a Master
of Fine Arts degree in scenic design from Indiana University.
Brad Roth (Dance and Movement Coach) began his dance studies in college in Ithaca,
NY, and continued at the Hartford Ballet and in NYC. He holds a BA in Economics
(Cornell University), an MA in Dance and Movement (Wesleyan University) and an MA in
Marriage and Family Therapy (SCSU). He is certified in Laban Movement Analysis from
the Laban/Bartenieff Institute for Movement Studies (LIMS) in New York City. Brad runs
dance programs for children and teens with disabilities. He has collaborated with Dr.
LoMonaco as a movement coach and choreographer previously on Shakespeares As
You Like It and Aristophanes s The Birds.

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ARTISTIC TEAM:
Karl Ruling (Scenic and Lighting Designer) most recently worked with Theatre Fairfield
as the lighting and scenic designer for The Glass Menagerie and As You Like It, the scenic
designer for The Importance of Being Earnest, and the lighting designer for Tokyo Notes.
Other recent Connecticut credits include the lighting designs for Dracula and The Mercy
Seat at Quinnipiac University. Karls Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre is from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Kevin Schneck (Technical Director and Sound Coordinator) is very excited by the
prospect of justifying all that loud punk music he plays in the scene shop as research.
Having been thoroughly immersed in that style of music for many years, he is pleased to
see an actual purpose for what he always regarded as a plethora of useless knowledge.
Listening to this music now with a slightly older ear, as much as he does still love it,
leaves him with a profound desire to thank his mother for letting him be himself and
also apologize to her for him being himself.
Sharp (Aaron Goodstone) (Graffiti and Street Art Advisor) is a professional studio
artist whose work has been shown all over the world. He is featured in the current
exhibition at the Musem of the City of New York, City as Canvas: Graffiti Art from
the Martin Wong Collection, which runs through August 24, 2014.
CAST & CREW:
LeighAnn Albanese (Props Crew) is a senior, double majoring in psychology and theatre. Recent
credits include Gruesome Playground Injuries (Props Master) and Rhinoceros (Boss of Cafe, Fireman /
Props Crew). She would like to thank her family and friends for their love and support. She would also
like to thank her TF family for their love, support, and everything they have taught herits been an
incredible four years.
Brigid Callahan (Lucio) is thrilled to have finally boarded the Theatre Fairfield band-wagon! Brigid is
a sophomore majoring in psychology with a pending minor in studio art. Some past credits include:
Unspoken for Time (Diane Swanson), Hello, Dolly! (Ermengarde), Twelve Angry Men (Juror #11),
and Peter Pan (Peter Pan). Brigid would like to thank Marianne Rose Weber and Alex Kimble for
encouraging her to audition when she doubted herself.
Nola Caslin (Sound Board Operator) is a freshman majoring in English, with a minor in philosophy.
Favorite past credits include: Stop Kiss (Props Crew), Little Shop of Horrors (Hair and Make-Up), Guys
and Dolls (Hair and Make-Up), and Antigone (Props Crew). Nola would like to thank Theatre Fairfield
for welcoming her into their family and making her first year unforgettable.
Owen Corey (Duke Vincentio / Master Carpenter) feels so incredibly excited to be finishing his time
with Theatre Fairfield with Measure for Measure. Previous credits include Rhinoceros (Brenger),
Gruesome Playground Injuries (Doug / Scenic Designer), and Twelfth Night (Orsino). Heartfelt thanks
go to the whole production team and acting company for their incredible work, to his wonderfully
supportive family, and to the Theatre Fairfield faculty, who have given Owen the best college theatre
experience he could ask for.
Mary Louise Corigliano (First Gentleman / Francisca / Elbow / Mariana) is a communication major with
television and theatre minors in her senior year at Fairfield University. She has had various technical
positions for Theatre Fairfield in the past, as well as acted in Rush to Judgement (Erin). Mary has also
appeared in seven productions at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, CT,
including roles such as Alice Sycamore in You Cant Take It With You.
Kathryn Dennen (Box Office) is excited to work with the crew for Theatre Fairfields production of
Measure for Measure. Kathryn is a junior English major with a passion for the arts. Past theatre credits
include Grease! (Dancer), West Side Story (Velma), Theatre Fairfields production of Once Upon a
Mattress (Beatrice, Storybook Princess) and An Enemy of the People (Box Office). She hopes that you
enjoy the show!
Jenny Dressel (Front of House) is very excited to return to Theatre Fairfield after a semester abroad in
London. Previous TF roles include assistant stage manager, sound board operator, and run crew. She
would like to thank her TF family for always being so wonderful.

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CAST & CREW:

Iliana Figueroa (Paint Crew) is a sophomore, majoring in music, with a double minor in theatre and
English creative writing. This is Ilianas first production with Theatre Fairfield and she looks forward
to working on many more. She would like to congratulate everyone on their hard work in making this
play a success.
Jason Gorski (Paint Crew) is a junior majoring in psychology with minors in educational studies and
theatre. He has worked on several plays here at Fairfield such as The Arabian Nights (Costume Crew),
Rhinoceros (Front of House Manager), and Stop Kiss (Box Office). He wishes luck to the rest of his TF
family!
Molly Gregory (Light Board Operator) is a sophomore double-major in theatre and English, and is
excited to be a part of Measure for Measure! Although this is Mollys first time doing tech offstage, she
has been featured on stage many times. Favorite roles include Stop Kiss (Sarah), The Arabian Nights
(Dunyazade and others), and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Hedy La Rue). She
would like to thank her family and friends for their support.
Kaitlyn Hunt (Prop Crew) is a junior studying communication with a minor in marketing. She has
just returned from a semester abroad in Florence, Italy. She is so excited to be working on her first
production with Theatre Fairfield. Past credits include: Anything Goes (Purity), Cats (Dancer), and The
Sound of Music (Frau Schmidt). Break a leg, everyone!
Grace Janiszewski (Costume Manager) is a senior theatre major with a studio art minor. She is so
happy to be a part of this wonderful show. Her past credits include Gruesome Playground Injuries
(Kayleen / Lighting Designer), Rhinoceros (Waitress), Avenue Q (Wardrobe / Puppet Wrangler),
Directors Cut: Rush to Judgment (Director), Safeguard (Afghani Woman), Almost, Maine (Ginette,
Sandrine, Marvalyn). She would like to thank her friends and family for their support; but most
importantly her Kiffy for being the best mom ever.
Alexander Kimble (Provost) is immensely excited to be performing his theatre debut with such a
wonderfully talented cast of individuals. Alexander is a sophomore, majoring in psychology and
minoring in sociology. Alexander is completely new to the beautiful world of the theatre but he is
determined to try to entertain the audience with his characters. Alexander wants to thank everyone in
the production who helped to create such a wonderful show.
Franco L. Luzzi (Angelo) is excited to be working on this TF production. He is a junior with a theatre
major and a film minor. Past credits include: Rhinoceros (Jean), Layla Miserables (Norman), An Enemy
of the People (Aslaksen), Gruesome Playground Injuries (Technical Director), Stop Kiss (Electrician), The
Arabian Nights (Master Electrician), and The Glass Menagerie (Run Crew). Many thanks to Mom, Dad,
Stephano, Annie, Diane, Kyle, and all his friends for all of their support.
Laura McKee (Wardrobe Crew) is a member of Fairfields Glee Club and Chamber Singers. She won the
2013 US Navy Sing-Off and the 2012 Halo Award for Miss Saigon and is a former member of the CT AllState Chorus. She is excited to participate in the crew and wishes the cast best of luck.
Brendan McNamara (Mistress Overdone / Friar Thomas-Peter / Abhorson / Servant / Costume Crew) is
extremely excited to be a part of Measure for Measure. Brendan is a business major, but hopes to also
major in international studies. Favorite past credits include: Stop Kiss (Peter), Oliver! (Fagin), Legally
Blonde: The Musical (Kyle the UPS Guy) and Shrek the Musical (Donkey). Brendan would like to thank all
his friends and family, especially those at BHHS, for all they have done for him. Much love to the cast/
crew!
Alex Mongillo (Claudio / Justice / Officer) is a sophomore film major with a theatre minor. Hes excited
to perform with Theatre Fairfield once again after last being in An Enemy of the People (Crowd).
Favorite past credits include: Guys and Dolls (Benny), Willy Wonka (Mr. Salt), and Pirates of Penzance
(Frederic). Alex would like to thank his family and friends for all their support. Go Stags!
Vronique B. Poutr (Escalus / Barnardine / Paint Crew) is a sophomore theatre major who is greatly
pleased to be a part of such a lovely company. Past Theatre Fairfield credits include: The Arabian Nights
(Sympathy the Learned / Company), Rhinoceros (Wardrobe Head), Stop Kiss (Callie Pax), and most
recently, the fantastic Gruesome Playground Injuries (Run Crew). Thank you to everyone who made this
lovely show possible; we couldnt have done it without you!
Michelle Rakowsky (Assistant Stage Manager) is thrilled to be working on her first Shakespeare
production. She is an art history major, and a theatre minor. Favorite past credits include: Gruesome
Playground Injuries (Costume Manager), Stop Kiss (Costume Crew), and Cinderella (Dandini). Michelle
is grateful to have had the opportunity to work with an amazing cast and crew. She would like to
especially thank the incredible stage manager Nick, for making this show a great experience!

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CAST & CREW

Ashley Ruggiero (Isabella) is a senior theatre major with a minor in English. Previous credits include
An Enemy of the People (Katherine), Once Upon a Mattress (Queen Aggravain), Almost, Maine (Villian,
Hope). Ashley would like to thank her family and friends for their continued support. She would also
like to thank the TF faculty for their incredible guidance and encouragement over the past four years.
Danielle Saitta (Costume Crew) is a freshman economics and communications double major. She is
from Boston, Massachusetts and has been involved with professional theatre most of her life. She has
been a part of Boston Childrens Theater as well as The First Lyric Stage Company of Boston. Danielle
hopes to be a part of every production for the next four years. She wishes the cast well and knows
Measure for Measure will be a huge success.
Stephanie Sawicki (Assistant Stage Manager) is a freshman biology major, following the pre-medical/
pre-dental track. This is Stephanies first production with Theatre Fairfield. She would like to thank all
of those who made this production possible and who showed her how exciting theatre is.
Tori Schuchmann (Pompey / Juliet / Paint Charge) is a sophomore, double majoring in theatre and
English, with a minor in educational studies. Favorite past credits include: Stop Kiss (Mrs. Winsley
/ Nurse), Undress Me, Clarence (She), Once Upon a Mattress (Queen Aggravain), Our Town (Myrtle
Webb), Gruesome Playground Injuries (Co-Producer), and Rhinoceros (Assistant Stage Manager). Tori
would like to thank everyone involved for making Shakespeare timeless.
Cristelle Sens-Castet (Wardrobe Manager) is thrilled to be back home to Theatre Fairfield after a
semester abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France. She is a double major in music and French, with a minor
in theatre. Past show credits include crew positions on An Enemy of the People, Directors Cut, and
Arabian Nights. Break a leg to the cast and crew!
Elizabeth Sheehan (Props Manager) is a freshman, currently double majoring in politics and theatre.
Some of her favorite past credits include: Stop Kiss (Costume Manager), Gruesome Playground Injuries
(Costume Designer), The Odyssey (Costume Designer), Words, Words, Words, and Philip Glass Buys a
Loaf of Bread (Costume, Props, and Scenic Designer). She would like to thank her family, friends, and
Theatre Fairfield, for putting on yet another remarkable show.
Aubrey Sierer (Costume Crew) is thrilled to be involved with her second production with Theatre
Fairfield. Prior to coming to Fairfield University in 2012 she attended the Regional Center for the Arts
in Trumbull, Connecticut where she participated in numerous productions such as The Wedding Singer,
Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sideshow, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Hairspray (Velma
VonTussle), Footloose (Vi Moore), and Ragtime.
Emily Skudrzyk (Dramaturg) is beyond thrilled to be part of this production! She will be graduating
this May with a major in English, and minors in theatre and educational studies. This summer she is
looking forward to joining Fairfield Universitys MA program in secondary education. She thanks her
family, friends, and the Theatre Fairfield faculty and staff for supporting her throughout her theatrical
endeavors during her college years.
Nicholas Solimini (Stage Manager) is ecstatic to be continuing his work with Theatre Fairfield into
his sophomore year. With Theatre Fairfield, he has been involved with An Enemy of the People (Props
Crew) and Directors Cut (Run Crew), as well as performed in The Arabian Nights (Abu al-Hasan)
and Rhinoceros (Old Gentleman / Monsieur Papillon). He thanks Lynne Porter for supporting him
throughout the process as well as his Assistant Stage Managers Michelle Rakowsky and Stephanie
Sawicki.
Kyle Whittle (Electrician) is excited to be working on his third TF production. He is currently a junior
with a sociology major and a politics minor. His past credits include: Rhinoceros (Carpenter) and Stop
Kiss (Electrician).

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A Note from the Dramaturg

Welcome to Theatre Fairfields production of Measure for Measure.

When people ask me, what show are you working on now; and I reply with Im
the production dramaturg for Measure for Measure, more often than not, they respond with
a puzzled look on their face and a follow up question: What does a dramaturg do? There are
way too many ways to answer that question. However, there is a common thread that ties them
all together. Regardless of the production, the dramaturg will learn everything she possibly can
about the world of the play. The specific duties of the dramaturg vary on the production and
on the director. For the sake of clarity, I will focus on what my role as a dramaturg has been
throughout this production process of Measure for Measure.

In the beginning, during the table work process, when the director and actors try
to figure out what the play is all about, I assisted with research (looking up definitions of words/
phrases, finding correct pronunciation, deciphering Shakespeares words, reading into particular
themes) conducive to the play. Once that phase of the rehearsal process concluded, I began
writing, editing, and compiling the program you are holding. This program is to function as a study
guide, intended to be used as a reference resource. Now is a good time for me to introduce what
you can expect to find in this program.

Following this dramaturgical note is Dr. Marti LoMonacos directors note. In her note,
she shares with you why she chose to punk out Measure for Measure. Her unique concept for the
show inevitably connects two messy worlds: the world of Measure for Measure and the world
that we are living in today.

Together, the members of the artistic team made the directors vision of this production
become a reality. In the section titled Meet the Artistic Team, you have the opportunity to do
exactly that. In this fruitful section you hear from Brad Roth (movement) as he explains his unique
way of producing the choreography; you become familiar with the way Karl Ruling (scenic and
lighting design) likes to design Shakespeare productions and how he chose to light the intimate
space that the PepsiCo theatre provides; you are introduced to a true Punk, Kevin Schneck (sound
coordinator), who pulls from his own experiences and knowledge of punk music in order to
select the most fitting songs for this production; you join Hugh Hanson (costume design) as he
reminisces about the process he went through to create the best costume designs; and finally,
you not only engage in an inspiring workshop experience that was lead by graffiti artist, Sharp (a
tag for Aaron Goodstone), here at the PepsiCo theatre on March 16th, but you also learn, from
Sharp, about what it was like to be a NYC graffiti artist in the 1980s.

To help us engage with the history of Measure for Measure, we invited Dr. William
Abbott, an expert on Tudor-Stuart British history, to contribute to this program. In his profound
essay, Dr. Abbott discusses key historical elements that help us unravel the world of Measure for
Measure.

Finally, you will find three sections: Measure for Marriage by Ashley Ruggiero 14, Alec
Bandzes 15, and Katie Premus 15; The Seedy Underbelly of London by Owen Corey 14, Maggie
Greene 15, and Grace Janizsewski 14; and Elizabethan Crime & Punishment by Franco Luzzi 15
and Brendan Freeman 15. The authors of each section were students in Dr. Marti LoMonacos
Theatre Capstone course this past fall, 2013. The cumulative project of the class was to produce a
dramaturgical report on a given aspect of Measure for Measure. As you will see, all three of their
topics are vital to Measure for Measure.

I would like to thank The Humanities Institute of the College of Arts and Sciences for
providing the funding to allow us to provide you with this program. I also want to thank Grace
Janiszewski, 14, for doing an amazing job as our program photographer. I hope that you find this
program to be a useful resource, before, during, and after you experience Measure for Measure.

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-Emily Skudrzyk 14, Production Dramaturg

Directors Note
Why Measure for Measure and Why Punk?
Measure for Measure is famously branded as one of Shakespeares problem plays. Although
structurally a comedy, this play refuses to provide a happily-ever-after resolution of any sort and
instead, leaves us with more questions at its conclusion than answers. Unlike Shakespeares more
popular comedies, Twelfth Night and As You Like It, both of which I have directed for Theatre Fairfield
in seasons past, Measure For Measure stubbornly refuses to be a classic comedy, where all loose
ends are resolved, characters marry their true mates, and celebration ensues. Instead, weand the
charactersare left feeling queasy, vaguely unsatisfied, and unsure of our response.
The world of Measure for Measure, not unlike our own, is messy. This is a tale of lust, power, and
corruption set in 17th-century Vienna that reflects the lust, power, and corruption of our 21st-century
world all too accurately. Questions of ethics, morality, and justice abound in this play as weak,
power-hungry men force their will on society and particularly on women, who have no legal means of
defense. Shakespeare asks what is good governance and how to effect it as he provides examples of
unjust, corrupt, and incompetent rulers. He asks us to consider how human beings are inconsistent,
fraught with mixed motives and conflicting desires, and how vice and virtue can be co-present in
unexpected places. He asks us to consider the quality of mercy and of humanitarian action. He asks
us, in short, to contemplate the big questions of life, death, justice, and forgiveness; precisely the
questions that we, at a Jesuit university, engage in daily.
The play is about a Duke who is incapable and unwilling to be a strong leader. In order to clean up
his city, he puts a moralistic tyrant, Angelo, temporarily in charge, directing him to enforce laws that
were long neglected. Angelo chooses to clamp down on illicit sex and prostitution, which manages
to enrage both high and low factions of society, putting brothels out of business and condemning a
young nobleman, Claudio, to death for impregnating his fianc. The stealthy Duke, instead of leaving
the city as he had announced, assumes the disguise of a Friar, and, like a master puppeteer, proceeds
to manipulate events from behind-the-scenes.The Duke creates a play within the play, employing
other characters as principal actors in his unfolding drama to unmask the hypocritical Angelo, who
has blackmailed Isabella, a nun, for sex in exchange for her brother Claudios life, and to discover a
temperate means of reclaiming his city. In the final act, the Dukes plan messily unfolds as he pardons
some and condemns others, forces marriages, and even tries to coerce Isabella to be his wife,
forgetting her declaration to convent life. The play ends with few characters finding satisfaction and
no promise that anything in this corrupt town has actually changed.
Why Punk?
I was inspired towards a punk version of Measure for Measure when I visited the Punk: Chaos to
Couture exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last summer. I was struck by the similarities
between New York of the 1970s and 1980s and the world of the play. New York in the 1970s was
broke, degraded, and in the midst of political turmoil; the President of the United States ostensibly
told the bankrupt city of New York to drop dead. The people in chargelike those in the play
were incompetent, ineffectual, and corrupt. Young peopleespecially artistsdisillusioned by the
failures of the Sixties and refusing to accede to the wishes of conservative, consumer-driven culture,
proclaimed their anger and discontent creatively through their outlandish, metal-strewn clothing,
raucous music, and defiant graffiti and street art. The way in which this down-in-the-mouth, DIY culture
was co-opted by high fashion, was fascinating to me because it is so inherently theatrical. I thought
how fun it would be to bring the play closer to our own time by evoking the punk culture that young
people still connect with in the 21st centurythe clothing, the music, and art splashed all over the
wallsas a means of engaging in the questions of ethics, morality, and justice that remain paramount,
both in society and on campus.
What are the take aways from this production?
We want you, our audience, to engage with the complexities and issues of this play with gusto while
enjoying the delicious theatricality of the punk universe we create. If you walk away with more
questions than answers, thats a good thing. We want to stimulate, provoke, and entertain you; we
even hope to inspire you to find daring and creative solutions to the problems you confront every day.
May you leave the theatre with your toes tapping to the great music and your minds awhirl with ways
to make the world a better place, measure for measure.

page
10

-Martha Schmoyer LoMonaco, Director

Plot Summary: BEFORE INTERMISSION

The Duke of Vienna has been an ineffectual leader and the city is in chaos. He appoints
his deputy, Lord Angelo, to temporarily take his place and to re-enforce strict laws that have been
neglected for years, while the Duke mysteriously leaves town. Claudio, a nobleman, is the first victim
of Angelos harsh rule. He is arrested and paraded through town in handcuffs on his way to prison,
where he will await his execution. His crime? Getting his fianc, Juliet, pregnant out of wedlock. He
and Juliet are bound by a true contract; the only thing keeping them from being married is the lack of a
dowry from Juliets family. Claudio resents that Angelo is using him unfairly as a public sacrifice to the
newly-enforced laws.

Angelo is also cracking down on the demimonde, forcing the prostitutes, pimps, and
tapsters out-of-business and to relocate to another side of town. Some of the plays liveliest scenes
occur when the law encounters these colorful lowlife characters, and we see just how bad things have
become in Vienna.

The Duke disguises himself as a Friar so he can return to Vienna without Angelo or anyone
else knowing. His plan is to keep a close watch on Angelo and how he governs. The Duke goes to Friar
Thomas-Peter, who gives him the proper garments and advice on how to be a Friar. From this point,
until the Duke returns in Act 5, the Duke assumes the role of Friar Lodowick; only Friar Thomas-Peter
knows the truth.

Claudio convinces his friend, Lucioa born gentleman who passes time with the bawds
of Viennato deliver a message to Claudios sister, Isabella, who is a young nun about to enter the
convent. He believes that Isabella has the right skills and charm to convince Angelo to change his
mind. After two long meetings, Angelo agrees to revoke Claudios sentence if Isabella has sex with
him. Isabella goes to see Claudio in prison immediately to tell him of Angelos horrendous offer. She
makes it clear that she would rather die than give up her chastity. At first, Claudio understands. But,
when he starts thinking about how awful dying would be, he insists that Isabella agree to Angelos
command.

Friar Lodowick (the disguised Duke) has been eavesdropping the whole time. He interrupts,
takes Isabella aside, and tells her that Angelo was just testing her; Claudio would have been executed
regardless of what Isabella decided to do. Friar Lodowick devises a complicated plan to save Claudio
and asks Isabella to help, which she agrees to do.

Lucio appears to ask Friar Lodowick if he has any news about the Duke. Not knowing that
Friar Lodowick is the Duke, Lucio condemns him for leaving and putting Angelo in charge. Lucio does
not hold back. He claims that the Duke would not be so harsh towards the crime of lechery because
the Duke also liked the sport. To make matters worse, Lucio maliciously calls the Duke a drunk and a
degenerate. Lodowick also meets Angelos second-in-command, the respectable councillor Escalus,
who makes it clear that he disagrees with Angelos decision to execute Claudio. The act concludes with
the Duke alone on stage, telling us of his plan to trap the hypocritical Angelo in his deceit.

Plot Summary: AFTER INTERMISSION-

The act opens with Friar Lodowick engaging Mariana, Angelos former fianc, in his and
Isabellas plan to unmask Angelo, which involves a bed-trick where Mariana, instead of Isabella, meets
Angelo for the sexual liaison. She agrees, and the Friar/Dukes plan is in motion. Then the Provost
(Claudios jailer), who the Friar has involved in his plan, arranges to have another prisoner executed
instead of Claudio, and to have hisrather than Claudios headsent to Angelo as proof of the deed.
Angelo has reneged on his agreement and has ordered Claudios execution despite the fact that
Isabella (he supposes) has had sex with him. Isabella arrives at the prison and Friar Lodowick tells her
that Claudio has already been executed. She is distraught but the Friar/Duke assures her that she will
receive justice. He tells her that the Duke is coming tomorrow and arranges for her, Mariana, and Friar
Thomas-Peter to accuse Angelo of his villainy in front of the Duke. The Dukes return will be a public
affair.

In the final scene, the Duke returns to set straight everything that went wrong in his
absence. He puts Angelo on trial, while his accusers present their evidence. During the trial, the Duke
leaves to change into the disguise of Friar Lodowick. When he returns as the Friar, he presents himself
as an outsider who has watched the corruption rise in Vienna. Lucio claims that Friar Lodowick was
slandering the Duke and Escalus commands that the Friar be arrested and taken to prison. As the
provost takes him away, Lucio pulls the Friars hood off to reveal his true identity as the Duke. The
Duke proceeds to punish the evildoers and reward those who have served well in his absence. He also
forces some uneasy marriages, including one between himself and Isabella. Although Isabella has no
further lines, she makes her intentionsand her futureclear in the last moments
page 11
of the play.

Meet the Artistic Team

BRAD ROTH (movement): chaos vs. order

Setting the play in the punk era allows the chaos of the
mosh pit to reinforce, or represent, the chaos of anarchy.
Can Angelo restore order? Can he get the moshers to
waltz?
THE CHAOS WITHIN
MOSH PITS
Mosh pits seem to
represent ultimate chaos;
yet, even they have rules
(i.e. help the fallen, no
groping, no personal
vendettas, etc.) and
structure (i.e. the "wall
of watchers" defines the
space & propels outwardbound dancers back into
the pit). Here, a little
order allows for more
chaos. Visually, I find it
satisfying to see the order
of the boundary wall in
contrast to the chaos in
the pit itself.

KARL RULING (set & lighting design): simple and intimate

I like doing Shakespeare's plays a lot, particularly
the comedies and histories. Shakespeare's
plays are great wooly tales offering a rich mix of
characters, situations, and things to think about.
Everyone has some great, magical passages-and some funny lines, too. Some day I will
quote Coriolanus--"Hear you this Triton of the
minnows?"--at a meeting when someone talks too
long.
I try to keep my designs for Shakespeare's plays
simple. The plays were written for production
with minimal scenic technology, with the actors
showing the audience via the dialog and action
where the scene is set, the time of day, the weather, and so on. The plays are dependent
on good acting rather than scenic effects, so my job as a designer is to help the actors, and,
to a large extent, stay out of their way. Any bit of scenery or special effect I add that slows
down the flow of the action is a loss, so I try to keep things simple.
The PepsiCo Theatre is a very intimate space, which, while it poses technical challenges
(the ceiling is way-low!), actually simplifies my job as a lighting designer. The light should
have direction and texture for visual interest, but I dont have to worry about modeling to
help visibility, as I might in a large theatre, because the actors are so close to the audience.
So, my job becomes mainly one of supporting the clues that are in the dialog as to the
environment (the light in city streets should not feel the same as the light in a prison) and
directing the audiences attention toward the part of the stage where the actors are. It
helps to have the lights shift just before actors enter for a new scene, so the audience is
watching the actors come into the playing space, rather than looking around to see who
is speaking. This is not big-time effects lighting, but it is lighting that helps the flow of the
story and that supports the actors performances.

KEVIN SCHNECK (sound coordinator): the roots of punk music

The actors have searched for

gestures that represent the
inner life of the character: a hand
touching the forehead, a sweep of
the arm, a momentary pause while
walking, etc.

page 12

We can develop these gestures

by making them bigger, changing
levels to sitting or lying down,
trying them in different body
parts, and so on. These are
choreographic tools for abstracting
movement while still retaining
some essential shape or quality.
These movements then become
a secondary vocabulary for the
play, reinforcing or commenting on
the action.

The process for selecting specific titles for Measure

for Measure first started with understanding the
roots and motivation behind punk music. Punk was
just another manifestation of the music of rebellion
and revolution much the same as reggae was to
Jamaica or early rock and roll rebelled against the
conservative attitudes of the 1950's. Punk was a
backlash to the overproduced corporate arena rock
and the voice of a disenfranchised youth who no
longer bought into the "everything will be alright"
lifestyle. It was the outlet for angry youths living
in rapidly decaying urban environments who had
something to say. Musical ability was an after
thought, and true punks wore their nihilism like
cologne.

With an understanding and appreciation of what

motivated punk music, I now needed to thread
those emotions and ideas into the action of the
play. The constant struggle that exists for me when
working with music is: do I want the lyrics to tell the
story? Or do I want the music to? I think when making selections you need to determine
what will best tell the story while still holding true to the production concept.
I am particularly fond of the punk movement because I was/am one of them, and I am well
versed in the themes and messages contained in the music. I think my involvement and
familiarity with this music was an asset, because many of the artists are not well known and
never had much commercial success. Many of them only survived by word-of-mouth and
the passing on of bootleg cassettes. I enjoyed being able to shine a light on these hidden
gems, and to be able to expose the students to some of my early music influences.

page 13

Meet the Artistic Team

HUGH HANSON (costume design): how punk came to be PUNK

Marti (the director) visited the chaos to couture exhibit;
I didn't. I don't enjoy the limited space the costume
institute has to display garments and that their display
cases allow you to see only one side of a garment.
Invariably the thing I find most interesting to discover
in person with a historic garment is hidden from view.
But Marti did brave the crowds and saw the exhibition
and she immediately found parallels to the characters
in Measure for Measure identified by Shakespeare as
fantastics, clowns and dissolutes. When she mentioned
using the punk world of New York City in the late
seventies/early eighties, I bought the book (Chaos to
Couture) from the Met show plus gathered lots of other
punk research.

When we sat down to discuss the costumes for the show,

we only knew this counter-culture expression would be
a stepping off point but we did not yet know to where.
As we discussed the world of the play and each of the characters, it became clear
to us that where we saw this heading was inspired by the 80s punk scene but
not literally there, e.g. we didnt see the Duke as parallel to Reagan, Isabella the
religious right. We knew that if we put Angelo in a classic 80s power suit, the
audience would see Gordon Gekko and the Wall Street world doesnt resonate
with Shakespeares vision of a dissolute Vienna. So we rolled up our sleeves and
began to imagine . . . .
First we removed the
conservative characters from
a time period reference. They
wear suits with long coats,
almost victorian in length but
modern in cut.
The clean lines clearly hit the
conservative note.
To remove a step further from
the collective reference of the
audience, we are inventing our
own neckwear. Where you
would expect a tie, there is an
accessory made from tie fabric
but used in unexpected ways
to disassociate it from any
specific time period.

page 14

While you would expect punks in short

leather jackets, in our production they
wear long coats, that have had sleeves
removed or replaced, seams replaced
with grommets and lacing, graffiti art,
chains and safety pins. Lots and lots
and lots of safety pins. They are taking
the clothing of the people in power and
messing it up, to mess with them.

For the gregarious characters, we

are using the types of deconstruction
and ornamentation that is typical of
punks but using the silhouette of their
conservative counterparts.

Isabella would belong to an order of

even more uptight nuns, than your
average group of nuns; particularly strict
sexually. Based on historical research,
the chastity belt is actually quite
beautiful and is still used in a fettish way.
It works for the basis of the show, and it
brings that "kinky twist."

page 15

AARON GOODSTONE (graffiti & street art advisor): graffiti

Graffiti as art NOT vandalism
I think in general, art, in the perspective of so
called graffiti art, is always subjective. When
the movement was happening, it was just
something you were experiencing, and living.
Becoming a writer was part of the transition
that was happening within the area that I
lived in. The gang culture that existed in New
York City in the 70s was something I grew
up in as an adolescent. I had to negotiate
the streets and at one point the people who
were involved in gang culture, some of them,
didnt want to continue to do things that were
kind of violent in nature so they started to
do things that were more constructive. They
started to dance, rhyme, DJ, and writing was the fourth element of hip-hop. Prior
to thinking or wanting or having a desire to write it was just something that I saw
everyday in the community that I lived in.
I havent been in the streets for decades. Today Im a studio artist; I make visual
art in the same context as other people that exhibit it in galleries.
Whats in a tag name?
For the most part a tag name is based on a pseudonym. Most importantly, you
dont want anybody to know that its actually you. You know youre committing
a crime, you want to leave as little evidence as possible; so the fact that Aaron
Goodstone is my real name, I didnt write that.
Typically you want a name thats 5 letters or less. You want letters that have
certain inalienable qualities, which makes them easier to paint. Some letters are
very difficult to do, just by default; like a Z or a Q are not that easy.
In the beginning of most peoples writing careers they change their name
periodically because they havent found the one that applies to them. Sometimes
names are given to people by other people, sometimes theyre chosen. I had a
couple of names before this name and they were all sort of too long or they just
didnt have a good combination of letters. One day I was looking at my TV set and
I thought, SHARP: ok thats a good name to use because it doesnt have a lot of
letters.
Making graffiti
In the 1950s it started with simply writing your tag name, in one basic color.
By the 70s and 80s it was more than letters; it was a signature exploding with
colorful expressions. On March 16, 2014 Sharp and his friend Checker lead the
company in a graffiti workshop. They began with a presentation of the trains
and subways that they, and other artists like them, tagged in the 1970s and 80s.
During the graffiti workshop, each member of the company was either given a
tag name or created one for themselves. We first experimented with different
lettering while we got used to using special markers. Once we mastered our
signature on paper, we put it in the set! The graffiti you see on the set was
created by the company based on various techniques we learned from Sharp and
Checker!
Terminology:
The term to be a writer or writing in the context that we use it is really from
the people who founded this movement. Calling themselves a writer is how
they referred to one another.
Graffiti art is terminology that came from people outside of the culture.
Terminologies like street art, graffiti art, graffiti artist or any number of
any verbal explanations, are all terms which, for the most part, are created by the
media and then later on adopted by people within the movement; the media is
very powerful and when the media starts to label certain behaviors, often people
begin to use those labels.

page 16

page 17

THE REHEARSAL ROOM

LEFT director marti lomonaco

RIGHT ashley ruggiero 14

michelle rakowsky 17

LEFT owen corey 14

RIGHT alex mongillo 16

alex kimble 16

page 18

LEFT vronique poutr 16

CENTER tori schuchmann 16
RIGHT mary corigliano 14

acting coach jan mason

franco luzzi 15

LEFT tori schuchmann 16

CENTER mary corigliano 14
RIGHT brigid callahan 16

LEFT brendan mcnamara 17

RIGHT tori schuchmann 16

LEFT ashley ruggiero 14

RIGHT franco luzzi 15
page 19

Shakespeares England

Measure for Measure appeared at a time of great uncertainty in
England: political, social, economic, and religious. In 1603, only a year
before the play opened, the 45-year reign of Queen Elizabeth had come
to an end, marking the end of the Tudor dynasty and beginning the reign
of the Stuarts, which would last until 1714. James VI, King of Scots, had
come south to take over the English throne and rule as James I of England.
No one knew what sort of a monarch he would make, and in particular
how he would get along with the English parliament. Owing to the long
war with Spain that had begun in 1588, the royal treasury was exhausted
and Queen Elizabeth had had to call ever more frequent parliaments to
ask for funds. As the lords and gentlemen that made up the two Houses
of Parliament had sat oftener and for greater lengths of time than ever
before, they had come to assume that future monarchs would include
them in the regular functioning of government. The new king had no
such intentions, and had begun to lecture the English upper classes on his
divine right to rule.

It is not surprising, therefore, to see in Measure for Measure the
exploration of what makes a good ruler. In 1604 King James had visited
the Royal Exchange in disguise, even as our Duke of Vienna would disguise
himself as Friar Lodowick, and in his Basilikon Doron James had called
upon his subjects to Remember that among the differences that I put
betwixt the formes of the gouernment of a good King, and an vsurping
Tyran; I shew how a Tyran would enter like a Saint while he found himselfe
fast vnder-foot, and then would suffer his vnrulie affections to burst foorth
. . . (Graham Parry, The Golden Age restord, New York 1981, p. 261n.26).

Also uncertain was the religious situation. After the tumults of
the English Reformation under Henry VIII, his Protestant son Edward
VI, and his Catholic daughter Mary (known to Protestants as Bloody
Mary), Elizabeth had shrewdly created a church that was Protestant in
its doctrine but which retained many elements of the old Roman Catholic
liturgy. Most English people, even those who had previously adhered
to Roman Catholicism, went along with this mildly Protestant church
settlement; the new Anglican (or Episcopalian) minister looked and
acted much like the old Catholic priest, and the new, beautifully-written
English Book of Common Prayer resembled the sonorous Latin of the old
Catholic mass. Only two groups were unhappy: those who could not give
up their allegiance to Roman Catholicism, and those Protestant ministers
who had, during Marys reign, fled to Geneva and sat at the feet of John
Calvin, imbibing his doctrine of predestination and marveling at the strict
moral discipline that he had imposed upon Genevan society.

The English Roman Catholics steadily dwindled in number over the
course of Elizabeths reign, increasingly hounded as potential traitors who
would welcome a Spanish conquest of England. By the 1590s the threat
posed by English Catholics had largely evaporated, to a point at which
Shakespeare could portray friars and nuns in a favorable light, as he does
with Measure for Measures Isabella. Not so the English Calvinists, who, in
seeking to push Elizabeths Church in a more radically Protestant direction
by simplifying the liturgy and imposing strict moral discipline in every
parish, earned themselves the sobriquet puritans. The puritan, in seeing
the Bible as absolute law and in constantly examining the state of his soul
to convince himself that he was one of those predestined to salvation,
wanted to create not simply the perfect church but the perfect society,
where all virtues were enforced and even the smallest of vices punished.
Shakespeare would treat the puritans uncompromising nature with
some generosity in King Lears daughter Cordelia, but in Twelfth Nights
Malvolio and Measure for Measures Angelo, the puritan was portrayed
as a hypocritical ideologue and killjoy, which is how many Elizabethan
Englishmen saw him.

page
20

But the puritans had a big future ahead of them, largely because,
in seeking to educate people in biblical truths and to create a more moral
society, they were addressing serious social problems. To our modern
sensibilities the England of Elizabeth and James I was an ugly place, where
pain from chronic illnesses like gout, toothache, hernia, infections, and
skin diseases was unrelenting, and where the brutal infliction of pain by
law courts was consequently an accepted part of life. Husbands beat
their wives, parents beat their children, cripples were seen as objects of
mockery, animals were routinely tortured for amusement, and the upper
classes, sitting atop a seething mass of hungry people (an estimated
one-quarter of all Elizabethans were vagrants), sought to cow the lower
classes into obedience via the whipping post and the gallows. Murder,
robbery, rioting, drunkenness, adultery, and other crimes were rampant.
London, lying athwart the Thames River, manifested all of these ills, but,
owing to legal peculiarities, governmental effectiveness (and hence law
and order) was far weaker south of the Thames than north of it. This was
particularly true in the district of Southwark, where Shakespeares Globe
Theatre was built in 1599. Overcrowded, tenement-ridden Southwark was
noted for its violence; rebels against the government could plot there
in relative safety, and it was the red-light district of London. It was, not
surprisingly, also its entertainment capital.

In Southwark, where Measure for Measure opened in 1604, the
social issues explored by the play were evident to all. Well-meaning rulers
could make foolish mistakes. Sexual license and sexual predation were
commonplace. The puritans desire for a more moral society, laudable
in itself, was undercut by their obsessive rigidity, which led to hypocrisy
and corruption. It is not surprising, therefore, that Measure for Measure,
technically a comedy, does not happily tie up all of its loose ends. That
is, perhaps, a testament to Shakespeares persistent desire to make his
fellow Englishmen see themselves more clearly.
-William Abbott, Fairfield University Department of History

page 21

Measure for Marriage

The Importance of Marriage

Alec Bandzes 15, Katie Premus 15, Ashley Ruggiero 14

Why Marriage?

Why marry?
While most people in our modern world wield the right to choose their
husband or wife based on love and compatibility, the foundation and
grounds for marriage in 17th century England had far different motivation. Social, political and economic advancement were major catalysts for
marriage during the time that Shakespeare was writing. It was generally
understood that the children of the aristocracy would marry the man or
woman selected by their family. This marriage was seen as a means to
secure advantages or alliances.

The bond of matrimony is a driving force throughout Measure for Measure.

In his intricately crafted story, Shakespeare emphasizes the complexities
and ambiguities of Elizabethan marriage customs and laws. Only by
understanding what constituted a lawful marriage in this 1600 Elizabethan
society can we, as an audience, begin to grasp the main conflict of the play
and Shakespeares commentary on London in 1604.

Battle of the Churches

Though England in 1604 was
officially associated with the
Church of England, the city of
Vienna in Measure for Measure
practices in the Catholic Church.
This period was a very turbulent
time for religion in England, and
Catholics were being violently
persecuted. Shakespeare, the son
of a devout Catholic, was very
familiar with the religion and often
set his plays in foreign counties as
a means to turn a lens on London
and England as a whole. By setting
Measure for Measure in Vienna,
Shakespeare is able to reflect on
his own society vis--vis
the wealth of history, tradition,
and moral standards attributed to
the Catholic Church.
The Wedding Day: At the
actual ceremony, the town
would attend without
invitation, and gifts were
only occasionally given to
the bride and groom. There
would be a bridal procession
from the family house to
the church for the somber
ceremony. Afterwards the
newly married couple and the
wedding guests would return
to the familys house for a
specially planned wedding
feast to celebrate the
couples unity and a long and
happy life.

page 22

Elizabethan Marriage Contracts

Three major components of a lawful
marriage at this time included:
The Wedding Contract:
a physical contract, signed on the
day of the wedding, which defined
the terms of the dowry, jointure, and
other financial issues.
The Dowry:
an amount of money, goods, and
property that was given to the groom
along with the bride upon marriage.
The Jointure:
an agreement from the grooms
family to ensure the amount of
money, goods, and property to the
bride upon the grooms death.

Rich vs. Poor

There was a significant difference in leniency over marriage law and
protocol for the lower class as opposed to the upper aristocracy. It was
typical for children of the aristocracy and middle to lower class to receive
an education away from home. During this time, many young people
created their own marriage bonds without the supervision of their parents
or guardians. Generally though, marriage was viewed as a means for social
advancement and a contract that determined the allocation of money
and property. Women were equipped with a dowry, which consisted of
money, goods or property. The dowry was also referred to as the womans
marriage portion. After the marriage contract, the woman and her dowry
became the husbands property.

This quote reveals the importance of a womans dowry:

She should this Angelo have married; was
affianced to her by oath, and the nuptial appointed:
between which time of the contract and limit of the
solemnity, her brother Frederick was wrecked at sea,
having in that perished vessel the dowry of his sister.
But mark how heavily this befell to the poor
gentlewoman: there she lost a noble and renowned
brother, in his love toward her ever most kind
and natural: with him,the portion and sinew of
her fortune, her marriage-dowry; with both, her
combinate husband, this well-seeming Angelo.
(Measure for Measure III.i.228-238)

page 23

More on the Importance of Marriage

Dowry
A womans dowry played a tremendous
role in her marriage. Shakespeare touches
on this through the actions of Angelo,
after he rejects his engagement to
Mariana following the loss of her dowry.
Furthermore, it provides a greater depth of
understanding regarding Isabella opting to
enter the nunnery. She is destined for the
church partially by choice, but likely due
to her familys inability to provide sizeable
dowry. While many convents required a dowry for
women entering the church, the Poor Clares require
nothing.
Mariana and Isabella are reflective of the
What About Isabellas Dowry?
situations of many women at the time.
While Isabella is destined for
They are only as valuable as their dowry,
the nunnery, a dowry may still
and therefore are subject to the will of
have been necessary under her their family and the men around them.
circumstances. Depending on
the area and wealth of a given
convent, a dowry was required for a young woman to enter the ranks.
Isabella is preparing to join the Poor Clares, an order of nuns that to this
day, take vows of obedience, poverty, chastity, and enclosure. Its no
surprise that Isabella was attracted to the strict moral standards and
order characteristic of the Poor Clares.
How Does Marriage Fit into Measure for Measure?

While marriage is the close relation to two individuals, it also
represents the relation between the couple and the rest of society,
specifically the overarching state. The core issue involved with
establishing that link revolves around how society recognizes a marriage
in the first place. Take for instance Claudio and Julietthe whole problem
of Measure for Measure is the fact that Angelo doesnt qualify their
marriage as legitimate. It is a case of public acceptance and traditional
ceremony versus the rules and regulations of the state.

The two werent clerically sanctioned, nor had any witnesses
present when they tied the knot. Angelo uses written law to fuel the
punishment he gives for this act of fornication. The thing is though,
unsanctioned marriages were very frequent and almost always went
unpunished. As informal as Claudio and Juliets marriage was, it was still a
mutually binding commitment that the community would have assumed
was valid. It wasnt as if they were outright refusing to comply with any
sort of regulation; they were just waiting to publicly announce their
betrothal until Juliets family had produced a dowry.

In contrast to the more lenient Duke, Angelo presents a harsher
rule to the people of Vienna, with absolute justice leaving little room for
forgiveness of understanding. His desire to force clandestine marriages
to comply with the law leads to an outrageous punishment. Behind the
world of Vienna, presented in the text, Angelos beliefs represent the
shift in Shakespeares time between traditionally recognized marriages
through consummation, to more legal standards of matrimony.

While the Duke would have let Claudios disregard for proper
paperwork slide, Angelo wasnt going to give up the law so easily. Clearly,
this discrepancy of the interpretation of marriage stems from different
backgrounds and even priorities between the two characters. The Duke
believes intent and consummation to be enough, while Angelo demands
them to follow the official process to the letter. If Measure for Measure is
to be a reflection of Shakespeares London, its clear that the recognition
of marriage was a hot societal topic at the time.

page 24

The Seedy Underbelly of London

Maggie Greene 15, Owen Corey 14, Grace Janiszewski 14

The Seedy Underbelly of London

Shakespeares Measure for Measure is intimately concerned with the world
of prostitution houses, pimps, and venereal diseases: in other words,
the seedy underbelly of the city of Vienna. Throughout the play, we see
frequent references to the life lead by the people that populate this
shadowy world, and we are introduced to the characters that dwell there.
What exactly, then, is Shakespeare reacting to? To answer this we must
delve deep into the underbelly of London, and see just how closely it is
related to Shakespeares life.
A great place
to start is by
understanding
Londons
geography. The
city was divided by
the Thames River
making a north
and south side.
The south bank
was the home
of the taverns,
pubs, bearbaiting,
brothels, gambling,
and theatre; in
short, where all
the fun was had.
Shakespeares
Globe theatre was
at the heart of
this south bank.
Theatregoers would
be surrounded by
pimps, prostitutes,
gamblers,
runaways,
cutpurses, and
other undesirables.

page 25

Prostitution and the Church

Another important issue to look at is the Churchs fight against
prostitution. By fully understanding this we can begin to see parallels
with Measure for Measure in Angelos violent pursuit of a prostitutionfree society. The Churchs fight against prostitution stems from early
17th century beliefs. The only acceptable reason for sexual intercourse,
from the Churchs perspective, was reproduction. The idea of sex purely
for pleasure spits in the face of the Church teachings, hence the furious
reaction against the world of prostitution in London.

Stewed Prunes
Within a brothel environment, stewed prunes would most definitely be on
the table. The character Pompey references a hunger for stewed prunes,
insinuating that it represents a desire to visit a brothel. Prunes were
recommended as part of a diet for those suffering from venereal disease
which sounds quite funny today but made sense in the Elizabethan mind.
The massive presence of prostitution and venereal diseases maintained in
London allowed Shakespeare to populate his play with all kinds of innuendos.
It also provides a fascinating point of access to the lower and upper classes
in Measure for Measure. The reaction from the Church against the world of
prostitution provides a window into the world of authority attempting to
control a rampant plague of prostitution.

page 26

More About Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Now let us talk about young Master Rashvenereal diseasesa
significant part of the world of prostitution that is often joked about in
the play. The diseases were painful and conspicuous, and hiding one was
impossible. Shakespeares characters deal with venereal diseases with
humor, but they actually presented serious issues in his time.
They were one
of the most
frequent reasons
given for hospital
visits during
the 16th and
17th centuries
in London. Poor
people could
not afford a
private doctor,
which meant
that in order to
get treatment
they would
have to suffer
through a public
questioning and examination
of their condition. Patients with
venereal disease were also
forced into separate wards for
treatment. Women were treated
worse than men. Men were
typically allowed to enter the
hospital more frequently, faced
less disapproval, and generally
were financially supported.
Women with venereal disease
faced far more stigmatization
as they were suspected of
prostitution. Often, hospital
care would be unavailable to a
woman.

page 27

Elizabethan Crime & Punishment

Brendan Freeman 15 and Franco Luzzi 15
A majority of Measure for Measure takes place in prison. The Duke, who
decides to dress up as a Friar and observe the city, leaves Lord Angelo in
charge of Vienna. Angelo is extremely corrupt and is on a mission to eliminate
Vienna of sexual promiscuity. Claudio was arrested for having sex outside of
marriage because of his failure to have the proper documents required for
legal marriage. In fact the section, Measure for Marriage points out that
the lack of a dowry was a valid reason for a marriage to not be considered
completely final. Under the rule of Angelo, this is taken as a very serious crime,
as indicated by his punishment.
In Elizabethan England, the degree of the crime is directly proportional to
the degree of punishment received. For example, capital crimes like felony,
manslaughter, robbery, murder, rape, and piracy were punished by being
publicly hung to death. Those who did lesser crimes or misdemeanors like
trespassing were subject to fines, whipping, or imprisonment. Therefore,
prisoners like Claudio and Barnadine performed crimes that were on the same
scale as murder and rapewhich is surprising because the enforcement of
these laws by Angelo came so suddenly.
The Life and Death
of Griffen Flood
Informer, 1623
The more grave the
crime committed,
the more terrible
the punishment.
This image is taken
from a slightly later
period than 1604,
which is when the
play takes place.
It portrays Griffen
Flood, a con man who scammed many people out of their money. He failed to plead
guilty for stabbing a constable and a vintneras a result, his punishment is to be pressed
to death underneath a box of stones. He is tied down so that he cannot run away. Each
stone is added one-by-one, ensuring the agony of the death. At the end of the play, Lucio
complains:
Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing
to death, whipping and hanging.

page 28

Angelos Unjust Rule

Interestingly, many characters throughout Measure for Measure recognize
the tyranny of Angelos ruleindicating that the citizens agree that the
laws are not entirely fair. When Claudios sister, Isabella, goes to talk to
Angelo to plead for her brothers life she says,
How would you be,
If he, which is the top of judgment, should
But judge you as you are?
Even citizens who work for Angelo question his rule, including a servant
and the provost. The servant hopes that Angelo will come to his senses,
insisting that,
[Angelos] hearing of a cause; he will come straight.
Before the Provost goes to talk to Angelo, he points out that many citizens
have committed similar crimes to Claudiohe questions why Claudio must
die for it all of a sudden.
maybe [Angelo] will relent. Alas,
He hath but as offended in a dream!
All sects, all ages smack of his viceand [Claudio]
To die fort!
At the end of Measure for Measure, even Angelo even realizes that he has
been unjust all along. It was not until the Duke finally reveals himself that
Angelo begins to feel sorry for what he has done.
I am sorry that such sorrow I procure,
And so deep sticks it in my penitent heart
That I crave death more willingly than mercy
Tis my deserving, and I do entreat it
Public Mockery
Claudio is first presented in act I,
scene ii, as being marched through
the town on his way to prison,
by special decree from Angelo.
This act of public humiliation was
common practice. Furthermore,
executions were public events
Claudio and Barnadine are most
certainly to be publicly executed.
For the government, this was
meant as a lessonthe executed
were used as an example to show
others what would happen if they
were to commit an equal or similar
crime.
The heads of the executed were
put on public display around the
city to remind citizens of the law.
Prison was such a common part
of Elizabethan England; it was not
uncommon to go to prison for a
couple of days and to be released
soon after. Therefore, anything
the government could do to deter
citizens from crime was needed.

page 29

The Case of Barnadine

Barnadine, a drunkard, is a prisoner
who is sentenced to be executed on
the same day as Claudio. The Duke,
whilst still playing dress-up as a friar,
comes up with a plan to substitute
Barnadines head for Claudios so
that Angelo will believe that Claudio
had been killed. However, Barnadine
refuses to cooperate, saying:
You rogue, I have been drinking
all night. I am not fitted for
[execution]
He insists that he is too drunk to die
and returns to his cell to sleep. The
19th century literary critic William
Hazlitt said that, Barnadine is a fine
antithesis to the morality and the
hypocrisy of the other characters in
the play.
Prison Populations
Upon entering prison, Claudio would
find himself among a variety of
prisoners. For example, Barnadine, a
drunk of a much lower socioeconmic
class, is set to be executed the same
day as Claudio. However, it would not be uncommon for there to be a
range of people from political prisoners to whores in the same prison
despite the fact that these types of people are not mentioned in Measure
for Measure. These various prison populations would also receive different
accommodations based on the amount of money they had. Rich prisoners
could purchase private rooms with meal service and visitation rights,
whereas the poor were left to sleep on the floor and eat any scraps they
could find.
Claudio, who is the son of a nobleman, clearly has some liberties in the
play. The Duke/Friar and Claudios sister, Isabella, are able to freely visit
him to discuss plans for his salvation. These liberties seem to indicate
that the prison experience for Claudio was not too bad. However, this
does not mean
that Claudio
is a favored
prisoner. For
instance, Angelo
states that the
Duke most
likely would not
have sentenced
Claudio to death
for this crime,

but it is what the
law says.

page 30

Angelo: The law

hath not been
dead, though it
hath slept.

2014-2015 Theatre Fairfield Season

Dancing at Lughnasa
by Brian Friel
This play does exactly what theater was born to do, carrying both
its characters and audience aloft on those waves of distant music
and ecstatic release that, in defiance of all language and logic, let us
dance and dream just before night must fall. NY Times.
Directors Cut
An extravaganza of student-directed and designed 10-minute plays.
Come experience our students creative energy.
Avenue Q
Music & Lyrics by Robert Lopez &Jeff Marx, Book by Jeff Whitty
Based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
A gut-bustingly hilarious modern musical focusing on a group of
unique 20-somethings making their way in the big city, seeking their
purpose in life. Although the show addresses humorous adult issues,
it is similar to a beloved childrens show; a place where puppets
are friends, Monsters are good and life lessons are learned.--Music
Theatre International
page 31

Theatre Faculty & Staff

Dr. Martha Schmoyer LoMonaco
Julie Leavitt
Lynne Porter
Kevin Scheck
Jan Mason
Brad Roth

Theatre Production Interns

Owen Corey 14--Technical Intern

Grace Janiszewski 14--Business Intern
Ashley Ruggiero 14--Audience Relations Intern
Tori Schuchmann 16--Marketing Intern

Check out Theatre Fairfields Blog!

http://blog.fairfield.edu/theatrefairfield/
Stay updated with Upcoming Productions,
Special Events, Student Life, Production Photos, and Ticket Info!

Special Thanks

The Humanities Institute of the College of Arts and Sciences

The Quick Center for the Arts: Kyle Russell
The English Department faculty engaging with the play
and our student workshops:
Cinthia Gannett, Brian Hoover, Steve Otfinski, Judson Scruton,
Betsy Bowen, Rebecca Dimyan, Colin Halloran,
Brittany Hill, Shannon Kelley, William Weber
Caitlin Hughes
The Department of Public Safety
Shakespeare on the Sound: Claire Kelly
Daniel Mason

page 32