Power play
Red Octopus Theatre Company brings ‘Coriolanus’ to the stage
Photos by Chris Graamans
Ambition, power and betrayal will explode on to the stage of the Newport Performing Arts Center this Friday, Oct. 20, as Red Octopus Theatre Company presents “Coriolanus.”
Raising questions about outspoken leaders, the power of the common man, and the dangers of political polarization, Shakespeare’s powerful story of political intrigue is as resonant today as it was when it was written in the early 1600s.
“The script initially caught my attention after I read an opinion piece comparing the title character to one of our 2020 political candidates,” Director Milo Graamans said. “Both were celebrities-turned-politicians who were divisive largely because they weren't adept at speaking diplomatically. However, the similarities end there. And while it is Shakespeare's most political play, it is also a play about war, family, betrayal, and so much more.”
Graamans abridged Shakespeare’s original text to streamline the size of the cast and running time, while also trimming away the on-stage violence to place the focus on the play’s political themes.
“This production presents Coriolanus as a political tragedy,” he said, “rather than a tale of brutality and violence.”
Red Octopus Theatre Company board member Darcy Lawrence said the resulting production is set in the modern day, with the common Roman citizen indistinguishable from the audience.
“Milo has crafted this production to be an emblematic and immersive experience,” she said. "As they enter the theatre, audiences will be walking directly into a town hall meeting, where poor and hungry Roman citizens — dressed in modern plainclothes — are on the verge of rebellion. In fact, for most of the first half of the play, there is no fourth wall at all.”
Jeffrey D. Wilson plays the title role of Caius Martius Coriolanus, a soldier who, after a series of military victories, decides to seek political office.
“Coriolanus is first and foremost a soldier who cares about his honor and pleasing the people who matter to him — the nobility and his mother,” Graamans said. “And yet he never is able to control his temper until it is much too late.”
The cast features a wealth of local talent, including Barbara Berge as Coriolanus’ mother, Volumnia; Nikki Paige as friend and fellow soldier Menenius; Frannie Germeshausen and Morgan Locklear as the conniving tribunes Sicinius and Brutus; Ram Papish as Tullus Aufidius, leader of the Volscians; Brian Haggerty as Cominius; Steven Kacsmar as Titus Lartius; Skhye N. Morrison as Coriolanus’ wife, Virgilia; Meghan Cahill as Valeria; Rhya Xing as Young Martius; Cody Larsen as Lieutenant; Linda Haggerty as Adrian; and Sean Orton and River Benson as Conspirators.
“Coriolanus” runs through November 5 with performances at 7 pm every Friday and Saturday, and 2 pm matinées on Sundays. All performances take place in the intimate David Ogden Steirs Theatre at the Newport Performing Arts Center, 777 W Olive Street.
Tickets, $18 to $22, can be purchased in person at the Newport Performing Arts Center box office; by calling 541-265-ARTS; or online at www.octopusonstage.com/coriolanus.
Use the code “EARLYBIRD” at checkout for a $2-per-ticket discount on tickets for the Friday and Saturday, Oct. 20 and 21, performances.
On Thursday, Nov. 2, all tickets are just $15 when purchased at the door with a donation of two or more food items for Lincoln County Food Share. No glass containers please.