Welcome to our Digital Program!
Enjoy the Show!
A Note From the Director
Ahoy, and welcome to Yorick Ensemble! Thank you for joining us at our debut performance! First, let me introduce you to our company. The idea came from a place of opportunity; anyone with a camera can make a film, why isn’t there something like that for theatre? So, inspired by independent filmmakers like John Cassavetes, I set out to create a space where local theatre artists can explore in a non-traditional way. To boil plays and musicals down to their essence, to make the text sing, and to focus on the people that make the magic happen. Bucking a traditional season model, we choose our projects one at a time, allowing us to keep our selection of titles fresh and relevant.
The Pirates of Penzance, it may surprise you to hear, was a natural first choice for such a company. I believe that sometimes innovation requires one to toss everything they know out the window and start from scratch. To redefine a classical text that so many people know so well, and to flip it on its head. Gone are the lavish sets and giant orchestra. Instead, we have nine actors, a piano, five weeks of rehearsal, and an antique steamer trunk. We have tossed Gilbert and Sullivan into a blender and this is what came out; apologies to the G&S purists out there. Our hope is by peeling away all of those things that are traditionally associated with Gilbert and Sullivan, the humor and heart in this marvelous text will come to the forefront, and that you walk away thinking about the very nature of tradition. Why do we observe such traditions? How did they come to be? Are they even necessary?
Since I was eight years old I’ve been raised in the theatre, and I love it so much I would do it for free. Unfortunately, the very nature of theatre requires financial support. One of Yorick’s core beliefs is that every member of the team deserves to be paid for their valuable time. If you like tonight’s show and would like to see more from Yorick Ensemble in the future, I encourage you to make a donation of any size. On this site you will find links to make one-time (or any time) donations through PayPal, or a recurring monthly donation (with rewards!) through Patreon.
Thanks again for coming out, and I hope you enjoy tonight’s performance. None of this would be possible without your support.