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By Eli Lynn
Directed by Damon Bonetti 
PAC is delighted to officially announce our return to live theatre with an offering for the 2021 Philadelphia Fringe Festival!
Royalty clashes with royalty in a duel of dominance as a group of actors take on the Great Speeches from the Great Plays. Over the course of the 45-minute show, actors engage in an epic monologue battle, performing famous speeches from classical plays and competing to win the audience’s vote of supremacy. Our heroes will battle it out upon a bocce ball court stage, resorting to flattery, bribery, secret weapons, and actual weapons. The PAC returns to the Fringe with a crafty satire on how ultimate power ultimately corrupts. TICKETS ARE FREE!
Registration is required to help coordinate social distancing. The show runs approximately 55 minutes without an intermission. COVID-19 safety protocols will be in effect at the show. For more information on the steps we're taking to keep everyone safe, CLICK HERE. |
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DESIGN/PRODUCTION TEAM:
Director: Damon Bonetti Playwright / Fight Director: Eli Lynn Stage Manager: Hunter Smith |
FEATURING:
Joseph Ahmed Cassandra Alexander Brittany Onukwugha Gabriel Elmore |
In the spring of '21, one of our new associates, Cassie Alexander, and I were chatting about What Would We Do when theatre came back to safe, live performance. We were standing outside our office space on 10th St and Cassie said, "How great would it be to do something in this beautiful park." I mentioned that we knew the folks at Friends of Bardascino Park and we had talked to them about doing a sword-fighting show before the pandemic. This conversation continued as we brainstormed about how we could include language from the work that we love combined with involving the audience in a verbal smackdown using the bocce ball court as a stage! We took this idea to PAC and our other new associate, Eli Lynn, ran with it. Within a short time, they came back with this slick little satire of QvK. This is the PAC's 10th show in the Fringe Festival - 10th!!!! - Fringe has been a big part of what we do. We are thrilled to return to you. We'll see you (safely) at the park - meet you at the bocce ball court!"
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Brittany Onukwugha - (Emcee)
(she/her) Brittany is an alumna of Rutgers University - Camden's Theater Program with concentrations in Acting and Musical Theater.Some of her favorite acting credits include Hamlet (Hamlet), Top Girls (Marlene), Avenue Q (Gary Coleman), and Frankenstein (The Old Woman). She has been dancing for 20 years and has enjoyed working on productions such as The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Associate Choreographer) and Evelyn Shaffer and the Chance of a Lifetime (Choreographer). Brittany has worked with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Opera Philadelphia, Shakespeare in Clark Park, Revolution Shakespeare and is excited to make her Philadelphia Artists Collective debut! |
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Joseph Ahmed - (Actor 1)
(he/they) Joseph is a Philadelphia-based theater artist whose work expands into dance, circus, and interactive performance. Their solo theater/circus performance Half Magic is currently under development as part of PAPA's Mini-Residency program and was presented as a special exhibition in the first annual Mixed Asian Media Fest. With Daniel Park and Arianna Gass, he is a co-founder of the interactive performance company Obvious Agency. They are a company member of Tribe of Fools, where they were part of the Barrymore-nominated ensemble of Fishtown: A Hipster Noir (2017). As an actor, director, and more, he has collaborated with Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists, First Person Arts, ON THE ROCKS, Almanac Dance Circus Theatre, Power Street Theatre, Asian Arts Initiative, Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, and Team Sunshine Performance Corporation. They hold a BFA in Theater Arts from Boston University. Connect at www.josephahmed.com. |
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Cassandra Alexander - (Actor 2)
(she/her) Cassandra is a Philadelphia-based actor, teaching artist, theatre maker, and arts administrator. She holds degrees in Theatre & Drama and Arts Management from Indiana University, although her love of classical theatre blossomed while studying abroad at Shakespeare's Globe in London. Favorite acting credits include Benvolio (Romeo and Juliet with Delaware Shakespeare’s Community Tour), Horatio (Hamlet: Redux with Revolution Shakespeare), Woman (Talk to Me Like the Rain with A Way Home Productions), and Puck (A Midsummer Night’s Dream with The Word Players). She also works as the Development Officer/Artistic Assistant at Delaware Shakespeare. |
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Gabriel Elmore - (Actor 3)
(he/him) What a brilliant opportunity to return to live theatre in Philly! Originally from Prineville, OR, he has just finished his MFA at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he currently resides. He is currently learning swing dancing, wood carving, and gluten-free baking, though he is absolutely horrible at all three. With a strong passion for classical work and its ability to address the sociopolitical problems that face our world today, Gabriel spends a good deal of his free time expanding upon and exploring the intricacies of lesser known Elizabethan drama. His ongoing project, the Classical Audition Workshop, examines potential monologues from Shakespeare’s contemporaries that can be used by actors in an audition setting. His most recent work includes Count Orsino in Twelfth Night, Dr. Thomas Stockman in An Enemy of the People, Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Corin from the World Premiere of SOMEWHERE, by Marisela Treviño Orta. |
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Hunter Smith - (Stage Manager)
(he/him) Hunter is a Stage Manager, Props Master, and all around theater lover who is from Medford Lakes, New Jersey. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Theater (concentrations in Stage Management and Light Design) from Rutgers University - Camden in December 2019 with honors in Athenaeum and Omega Delta Kappa. Hunter’s most recent positions since graduating come from Playersclub of Swarthmore (Props Master), Opera Maine (Costume Assistant), Live Virtual Play Readings (Director), Strides Collective (Board Member), The Walnut Street Theater (Development Apprentice), Woodstock Playhouse (Production Stage Manager), Opera Philadelphia (Costume Shop Assistant), and Wilma Theater (Marketing Intern). He also is currently working full time as the Activities Director of Four Seasons Campground in Pilesgrove, New Jersey! |
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Damon Bonetti - (Director, Good friend of the Musician)
(he/him) Damon is a Philadelphia actor, director, teacher and musician. As an actor for the PAC, he played Duke Ferdinand in The Duchess of Malfi, Gustav in Creditors, Parolles in All’s Well That Ends Well and split roles with Co-Founder Dan Hodge as The Villain and The Fool in Maria Marten. He has directed for the PAC The White Devil by John Webster, He Who Gets Slapped by Leonid Andreyev in a partnership with the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, Blood Wedding by Federico Garcia Lorca in a co-production with the Mandell Professionals in Residence Project at Drexel University, The Sea Plays by Eugene O’Neill aboard the Tall Ship Gazela for the 2013 FringeArts Festival, Changes of Heart by Pierre de Marivaux, adapted a two-man version of A Christmas Carol, and has appeared in or directed many PAC readings. Damon earned a BA in Theatre cum laude from DeSales University and an MFA in Acting from Florida State University / Asolo Conservatory. |
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Perry (Woodchuck) Ibanez - (Musician, Good friend of the Director)
(he/him) Perry is a noted Tri-State Shred Master from somewhere in New Jersey. He played in a number of influential late 80s/90s bands including Dephcon, Coda, High Voltage, The Chosen, Catch-22, and Vital Signs. He is the lead guitarist for crap southern rock band Jawbone Junction. |
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Eli Lynn - (Playwright, Fight Director)
(they/them) Eli (they/them) is a Barrymore-nominated fight director in the greater Philly area. They have studied stage combat for over a decade and are a recognized Advanced Actor Combatant with 5 international stage combat organizations, as well as assistant to Broadway Fight Masters Ian Rose and J. David Brimmer. Recent FD credits: Midsummer Night's Dream (PA Shakespeare Festival), Shakespeare In Love (People’s Light), Man of God (InterAct), An Iliad, Indecent (Arden Theatre), The Sea Voyage, ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore (Barrymore Nomination) (PAC), Tinker’s Wife, Oliver (Quintessence Theatre Group), Moby Dick (Hedgerow). They are also a certified Intimacy Director with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators and an actor in the greater Philly area. Love always to Vanessa. Soli Deo Gloria. |
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Rutgers University - Camden
Joshua Marquez Friends of Bardascino Park Josh Dowiak CUP and Doug Thomas |
Sonya Aronowitz
Mary Ann Baldwin Stephen Harkins Jeff Barrett |
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Foundations
Chicago Community Foundation The June and Steve Wolfson Family Foundation The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance MKM Foundation Roy Cockrum Foundation The William Penn Foundation The Wyncote Foundation Individual Donors $5000 and up Brendan & Carolyn Bovaird $1000 to $4999 Becky Bradbeer Jane & Eric Luce Mariella G. & A. Robert Esposito David and Gayle Smith $500 -$999 Barrie & Georgia Ashby Carol Cook Janean Clare Allitia DiBernardo Elizabeth Fillo and Chris Coucill Ann Garner Heather Helinsky Sarah Paulos Clifford Pearlman and Lynn Marks Paige Willan & Laura Birchler Lisa Yanak & Angela Mullen Pamela & Gresham Riley |
$100-$499
Monique Allie Harry Bambrick Beverly Anderson & Carmen Williams David Ballard & Lynn Jones Gregory Batker & Suet Lim Jay & Nancy Berkowitz Lou Bluver Eugene and Diana Bonetti Jim & Cindy Burkeitt John & Kathy Burmaster Matthew Campbell Judith Clarke & Dean Harrison Fern & John Culhane Jessica Doheny Franklin Evans Arnold &Vicki Murphy-Kendall Kathleen Foster $ Steve Hatzai & Linda Newstead Robert & Esther Hornik Jo Ann Jenkins Teresa Kozin Anne Lesch & Laura Adams 6 William Loeb Bradley Mott Glynnis Nadel Gweni Naglak Eileen OBrien & Samuel G. Hopkins Ettienne Phipps & Barbara Rice Wilotta Pitak Steven Peitzman Clair and Lud Pisapia Harriet Power & Bob Headly Carla Puppin & Lawrence Lindsay Laurie Selitto Stacy & Steve Skinner Andrew Stone Robin Struck Kathleen Tatar Reuben Wade Regina & Philip Wagner Ed and Ann Wagner RJ Wallner Doris Williams Eleanor Wilner & Robert Weinberg |
Up to $99
Frances & Michael Baylson Patty Brotman & Jim Mullahy Oleg Brovender Courtney Bundens Monika Burke Seth & Rachel Chalmer Timothy Carey Robert & Joanne Clothier Jessica Cohen Daniel Coren Mike Dees Michael Drzik Bryant Edwards David Finger Michael Fekete Foley Funeral Home Judith Foys Mariah Ghant Susan Giddings Peggy & Douglas Gordon Michael Hairston Tom Helmer Archibald Hewes Frances Hoenigswald Frederick Jackes & Judith Adamson Merilyn Jackson Annette Kaplafka Ellen Kaye Mary Ellen LaRosa Felicia Leicht & Steve Hungerford Ruth Levikoff Ilene Lieberman Margaret Lonzetta Howard Magen Steven Marino & Carol Hertzoff Paul Mazzochetti Lize Miesenzahl Lize Meisenzahl Mary Ann Murphy Joseph Navitsky James & Josephine O’Brien John Patouhas Sue and Mort Paterson Kristen Phaneuf Peter Schmitz Andrea Selitto Lois Shestack Kimmie Starts Charles & Kathleen Sutphen Michael Toner Oreli Uzdavinis Russell Walsh Charles & Vesna Warburton Carly Watson Jaclyn Weintraub Robert Weiss |
