Edward II

Written by Christopher Marlowe  |  Directed by David R. Gammons

February 22 – March 19, 2017  |  Free Open Rehearsal Saturday, February 11  | Post-show conversations following Sunday matinees

Venue: Charlestown Working Theater | Charlestown  |  Venue information

Approximate performance time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, which includes a 15-minute intermission

Please Note: This production contains nudity and strong sexual content, and is not recommended for patrons under the age of 18 without adult approval.

BUY TICKETS

Maurice Emmanuel Parent as King Edward II. Photo by Nile Scott Shots.

Eddie Shields as Gaveston. Photo by Nile Scott Shots.

Jennie Israel as Queen Isabella. Photo by Nile Scott Shots.

Alex Pollock as Mortimer, and Nigel Gore as Lancaster. Photo by Nile Scott Shots.

Stewart Evan Smith as Spencer. Photo by Nile Scott Shots.

Nile Hawver as Kent. Photo by Nile Scott Shots.

David J. Castillo as Prince Edward III. Photo by Nile Scott Shots.

“My father is deceased; come, Gaveston, and share the kingdom with thy dearest friend.” The great-grandfather of Richard II, Edward II showered favor on his treasured friend, Gaveston, leading to bitter resentment from the nobles with fatal consequences. “Can kingly lions fawn on creeping ants?”

Marlowe uses the tumultuous history of 14th century England to share one man’s struggle between self identity
and the demands of his court and kingdom, presented in a taut new version that pares the work to eight
characters to suit the intimate space of the CWT and the intensity of his script.

In the wake of Edward I’s death, his son Edward has taken the throne as Edward II. His radical ideas around affairs of state, lack of military acumen, and loyalty to his ambitious lover Piers Gaveston pit him against powerful nobles and his calculating queen. These conflicts lead to Gaveston’s exile and murder, new and shifting romantic loyalties on all sides, and revenge and retribution that ultimately seal Edward’s fate.

Says director David R. Gammons, “Edward II was kept off the stage for more than 200 years, in large part because of the cultural ambivalence of its social matter and the spectre of male sexuality as a threat to the civilized order of society and power. It depicts a gay relationship in the 14th century, written in the 16th century, in a way that most stories and lives were not openly portrayed until the late 20th century.”

More to Explore:

• The story
• Murder, intrigue, historical context: Director’s note
• Scenes from Open Rehearsal
• Spotify playlist
• About Christopher Marlowe and his mysterious life
• At the Charlestown Working Theater, a king who can’t be himself — The Boston Globe
• Family tree – where Edward II fits into the bloodline of famous kings and queens

Cast Include:

	David J. Castillo – Prince Edward III
	Nigel Gore* – Earl of Lancaster
	Nile Hawver* – Earl of Kent
	Jennie Israel* – Queen Isabella
	Maurice Emmanuel Parent* – King Edward II
	Alex Pollock* – Lord Mortimer
	Eddie Shields* – Pierce Gaveston
	Stewart Evan Smith – Spencer

Designers Include:

• Set Designer – Sara Brown
• Lighting Designer – Jeff Adelberg**
• Costume Designer – Rachel Padula-Shufelt
• Sound Designer – Dave Wilson**
• Violence Designer – Omar Robinson
• Props Master – Elizabeth Rocha
• Stage Manager – L. Arkansas Light*
• Production Manager – Deb Sullivan

* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

** Member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829

Media Partner for Edward II