Hudson Shakespeare
Company
Cymbeline
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Jon Ciccarelli
Fight Choreography by Katherine Harte
For the final play of the 2004 Shakespeare Festival, HSC turns to one of the Bard's lesser known shows but a twisted take on the standard fairy tale.With elements that would feel right at home in an adventure romp like the, The Princess Bride, "Cymbeline" weaves a tale of the beautiful princess Imogen and her new husband, Posthumus, parted by circumstances invoked by her wicked step mother and her distant father, the King Cymbeline.  Imogen is plagued by a wicked, but idiotic step brother who wants to marry her, the memory of two kidnapped brothers (in our production sisters) who reappear unexpectedly, people who want to kill her and buffoons who question her chastity.  Disguises, misidentifications, convenient plot twists and comedy abound is this ode to the fairy tale world.  With this play, Shakespeare continued a new type of drama that he had first experimented with in the play Pericles, the Romance.  Though, not a term used in his own time, the Romance came to embody a group of works by Shakespeare and his contemporaries that strove to mesh both comic and tragic elements in their stories, usually with a supernatural twist thrown in for good measure. 

































To view more Cymbeline Production Pictures click here


























Click links below to view Cymbeline Articles and Photo Layouts

"Cymbeline" - Suburban Trends Review Article

"Cymbeline" - West Milford Messenger Review Article

"Cymbeline" - Suburban Trends Preview Article





























Performance Dates
Monday, August 2, 7:00 PM, Shipyard Park Hoboken, NJ
Tuesday, August 3, 7:30 PM, Kenilworth Borough Hall, Kenilworth, NJ
Wednesday, August 4, 7:30 PM, Staib Park, Hackensack, NJ
Thursday, August 5, 7:00 PM, Hamilton Park, Jersey City, NJ
Saturday, August 7, 5:00 PM,  Long Pond Iron Works Park, 
West Milford, NJ
Monday, August 9, 7:00 PM, Pier A Park, Hoboken, NJ
Tuesday, August 10, 7:30 PM, Meadowland Park, South Orange, NJ
Wednesday, August 11, 7:00 PM, Hackensack Cultural Arts Center, Hackensack, NJ
Thursday, August 12, 8:00 PM, Ellsworth Park, Union City, NJ
Saturday, August 14 1:00 PM, Stratford Library Amphitheater,
Stratford, CT
Monday, August 16 7:00 PM, Sinatra Park, Hoboken, NJ
Thursday, August 19 7:00 PM, Van Vorst Park, Jersey City, NJ
Monday, August 23 7:30 PM, Secaucus Amphitheater, Secaucus, NJ





























Cast
Tim Baird     King Cymbeline
Tammy Dalton              Queen/Roman Captain
    /Soothsayer
Laura Malone    Imogen
Cedric Hill   Cloten/Dr. Corneilius
John Trigonis    Posthumous
L. Robert Johnson  Philario/Lucius
Freeman Borden     Iachimo
Tiffany Clementi     First Lord/Guiderius
Hannah Wolfe         Second Lord/Arviragus
Clark Williams  French Lord/Belarius
Chance Parker   Pisanio




























Synopsis
Imogen, the daughter of the British king Cymbeline, goes against her father's wishes and marries a lowborn gentleman, Posthumus, instead of his oafish stepson, Cloten. Cloten is the son of Cymbeline's new Queen, a villainous woman who has made the king her puppet. Cymbeline sends Posthumus into exile in Italy, where he encounters a smooth-tongued Italian named Iachimo. Iachimo argues that all women are naturally unchaste, and he makes a wager with Posthumus that he will be able to seduce Imogen. He goes to the British court and, failing in his initial attempt to convince the princess to sleep with him, resorts to trickery: He hides in a large chest and has it sent to her room; that night he slips out, observes her sleeping, and steals a bracelet that Posthumus once gave to her.



































Cloten, meanwhile, continues to pursue Imogen, but she rebuffs him harshly. He becomes furious and vows revenge, while she worries over the loss of her bracelet. In the meantime, Iachimo has returned to Italy, and, displaying the stolen bracelet and an intimate knowledge of the details of Imogen's bedchamber, convinces Posthumus that he won the bet. Posthumus, furious at being betrayed by his wife, sends a letter to Britain ordering his servant, Pisanio, to murder Imogen. But Pisanio believes in Imogen's innocence, and he convinces her to disguise herself as a boy and go search for her husband, while he reports to Posthumus that he has killed her.




































Imogen, however, soon becomes lost in the wilds of Wales, and she comes upon a cave where Belarius, an unjustly banished nobleman, lives with his two sons, Guiderius and Arviragus. In fact, the two young men are not his sons but Cymbeline's; Belarius has kidnapped them to avenge his banishment, though they themselves are ignorant of their true parentage. They welcome Imogen, who is still dressed as a boy. Meanwhile, Cloten appears, having come in pursuit of Imogen; he fights a duel with Guiderius, who kills him. Imogen, feeling ill, drinks a potion the queen has given her. Although the queen told her it was medicinal, the queen herself believed it to be a poison. However, the draught merely induces a deep sleep that resembles death. Belarius and his adoptive sons come upon Imogen and, heart-broken, lay her body beside that of the slain Cloten. Awaking after they have left the scene, she mistakes the body of Cloten for that of Posthumus, and she sinks into despair. A Roman army has invaded Britain, seeking the restoration of a certain tribute Britain has ceased to pay. (A "tribute" here is a payment given to one nation by another in return for a promise of non-aggression.) The disguised Imogen hires herself out to them as a page.





























Posthumus and Iachimo are traveling with the Roman army, but Posthumus switches to the garb of a British peasant and fights valiantly for Britain. Indeed, in his combat he actively seeks death: He believes his servant to have carried out his orders and killed Imogen, and he regrets his actions. The Romans are defeated, thanks to the intervention of Belarius, Guiderius, and Arviragus, and Posthumus, still trying to punish himself, switches back to Roman garb and allows himself to be taken prisoner. That night, the god Jupiter promises the spirits of Posthumus's dead ancestors that he will care for their descendant. The next day, Cymbeline calls the prisoners before him, and the confusion is sorted out. Posthumus and Imogen are reunited, and they forgive a contrite Iachimo, who confesses his deception. The identity of Guiderius and Arviragus is revealed, Belarius is forgiven, and the Queen dies, leaving the king free of her evil influence. As a final gesture, Cymbeline frees the Roman prisoners and even agrees to resume paying the tribute.


















































































To view more Cymbeline Production Pictures click here

To see other 2004 Show Pages:
Shakespeare's Valentine's
Run for Your Wife
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Coriolanus,
Lysistrata
Cymbeline
Gruesome, Gory and Grotesque Tale of Edgar Allan Poe
Othello

To view other Past Seasons click here
Two courtiers (Hannah Wolfe, left and Tiffany Clementi) of King Cymbeline's court set up the play's story of the orphaned Posthumous Leonatus and his recent marriage to the king's daughter Imogen. Enraged, Cymbeline banishes Posthumous. Pier A Park, Hoboken, NJ
Posthumous (John Trigonis) bids farewell and exchanges a ring with his wife Imogen (Laura Malone) upon being banished to Rome. Sinatra Park, Hoboken, NJ
The ever watchful wicked queen (Tammy Dalton-Brown), Imogen's stepmother, intervenes in a conversation between Imogen and her trusted servant Pisanio (Chance Parker). The queen seeks to get rid of Pisanio and place her idiot son Cloten on the throne. Long Pond Iron Works State Park, West Milford, NJ
The oafish son of the Queen (Cedric Hill) overhears one of his attendants (Tiffany Climenti) making fun of him and the attendant does serious damage control to throw him off. Stratford Library Amphitheater, Stratford, CT
Posthumous (John Trigonis) arrives in Rome at the home of friend where he meets the slimy Iachimo. Trying to win Posthumous' expensive ring and have some fun, Iachimo (Freeman Borden) wagers that he can bed Posthumous virtuous wife. Posthumous, confident in his wife, accepts the easy wager. Van Vorst Park, Jersey City, NJ
Unable to seduce his way into Imogen's bedroom, Iachimo (Freeman Borden) hides himself in a trunk and when Imogen is asleep steals a bracelet from her as "proof" that he has done the deed. Upon seeing the bracelet, Posthumous disowns Imogen and writes to her servant Pisanio to kill her. Kenilworth Borough Hall, Kenilworth, NJ
King Cymbeline (Tim Baird) is informed by the Roman ambassador that he must pay tribute to Rome or risk an invasion. Above, the Queen (Tammy Dalton-Brown) and her son Cloten (Cedric Hill) advise against it. The Roman army mounts for invasion. Pier A Park, Hoboken, NJ
In the forest of Milford Haven, the wrongfully banished Lord Belarius (Clark Williams) has lived with the king's two other children Arviragus (Hannah Wolfe, left) and Guiderius (Tiffany Clementi).  Belarius has raised them as his own but stole the children in infancy to get revenge on the king. Long Pond Iron Works State Park, West Milford, NJ
Imogen after learning that Posthumous has thought her unfaithful decides to seek him in Rome to plead her innocence. Pisanio arranges passage for her but she dresses as a boy to escape. Above, Imogen gets lost in Milford Haven but is found by her long lost siblings Arviragus (Hannah Wolfe, left) and Guiderius (Tiffany Climenti). Shipyard Park, Hoboken, NJ
Cloten (Cedric Hill), having learned of the Imogen's whereabouts and dressing in Posthumous clothes, goes after her but runs into Belarius' family instead.  Here he is challenged to a fight by Guiderius (Tiffany Clementi), but must posture before fighting. Guiderius chops off his head where Cloten is then found by Imogen and thought to be Posthumous. Feeling ill she takes medicines given by her wicked step-mother via Pisanio and is found dead. Long Pond Iron Works State Park, West Milford, NJ
In the final scene of the play loose ends are tied up as Imogen is found to be alive, Iachimo confesses to have made up the story of her infidelity, Belarius reveals the true identity of his children as the kings, Cymbeline makes peace with Rome, Posthumous returns home and is given a blessing of his marriage by the gods and he and Immogen live happily ever after. Shipyard Park, Hoboken, NJ
Hudson Shakespeare
Company
[HOME]   [UPCOMING SHOWS]   [PERFORMANCE VENUES]   [DONATE/BUY TICKETS]  [AUDITION INFORMATION]

[PAST SHOW PAGES]   [PAST ARTICLES]   [COMPANY PROGRAMS]   [ABOUT US]
   
Friend us on Facbook


Follow Us on Twitter


    Become one of our LinkedIN associates


Please Donate to Our Company. Your Generous Support Helps Us to Continue of Mission of Brining Accessible, Fun and Thrilling Shakespeare, Classical Theatre and Modern Theatre