Dinner in Derby benefits Valley Shakespeare Festival

Revelers at fundraiser for Shelton troupe. / Contributed photo

DERBY - Valley Shakespeare Festival’s “All Hallows Eve” fundraiser last week at the Twisted Vine Restaurant was a hugely successful event.
Sixty-plus revelers were welcomed to the Halloween-themed dinner theater, arriving attired in all manner of costumes from insects to pixies, spies, superheroes, cartoon characters, historical figures, vampires and, of course, witches (it was, after all, a Shakespearean party!) 

A buffet dinner was generously provided by Mike Picone’s Twisted Vine Restaurant, followed by coffee and a Valley Shakespeare Festival cake. 

Guests were entertained by many members of the cast who performed in the company’s summer production of "The Comedy of Errors."
 Kristen Kingsley of Shelton, Amy Strachan of Monroe and Sarah Ann Masse of Trumbull, playing the three witches, opened with a reading of Act I, Scene I of "MacBeth."
They were joined by Shelton native Tom Simonetti, Nick Afka Thomas of Trumbull, and New Yorkers Adam Kezele and Jessica Breda, for a rousing rendition of “Magic To Do” from the Tony award-winning musical "Pippin."
Nick and Adam took a serious turn and wowed the crowd with a moving reading of Act III Scene III of "Hamlet" in which Hamlet comes upon his uncle, the king, in prayer confessing the murder of Hamlet’s father.
Jessica was up next, and lightened the mood with a delightful reading of the tongue-twister “Jabberwocky” from Lewis Carroll’s "Through the Looking Glass."
Kristen, Jessica and Sarah then returned with a deeply affecting performance of Act V Scene I of MacBeth in which Lady MacBeth is observed sleepwalking while uttering the famous line “Out damned spot.”
It featured Sarah as the tormented Lady MacBeth, Kristen as the doctor and Jessica as the gentlewoman.
Shifting gears again, Tom and Amy came on and brought down the house with a spirited performance of the satirical number “A Little Priest” from Sondheim’s "Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street." Nick concluded the evening’s entertainment with a heartening reading of Prospero’s Epilogue of "The Tempest."

The evening waning, the cast took a moment to confer about to whom to award the grand prize of the costume contest, two tickets to a performance of Westport Country Playhouse’s 2014 Season. 

Margaret Watkins was chosen for her original and inventive wardrobe creation, “Steampunk Rock Girl,” a style of clothing, and an artistic style as well, of the late '80s inspired by works by H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and the industrialization of Western Civilization on culture during the 19th century.


Restaurant to donate to troupe
Folks who wish to continue to enjoy and support free theater in the Valley are encouraged to return to the Twisted Vine during November and December. That's when 10 percent of all food and beverage costs incurred by diners who mention Valley Shakespeare Festival will be donated back to the Company by the restaurant.

If you’d like to see more free theater in the Valley, support Valley Shakespeare Festival and “Dine at the Vine!”
 

Cast members include, from left, Valley Shakespeare Festival founder and Shelton native Tom Simonetti, Kristen Kingsley, Sarah Ann Masse, Nick Afka Thomas, Amy Strachan, Jess Breda and Adam Kezele. / Contributed photo

This post is a slightly edited press release from Cheryl O'Brien of Shelton. 


I'm sorry I had to miss this event ~ it looks like a fun time was had by all!