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"The Lion in Winter"
Performed February 16 thru 26, 2006
A
Drama
By James Goldman
Directed by Linda Weir
The Lion in
Winter
by James Goldman, is set in the Middle Ages and deals with the
corruption and greed of the royal family. In 1183 A.D., Henry II, ruler
of England was at war with his family. The clan and some guests have
gathered at one of the king's castles in France.
The hard-edged
King Henry (Rand Smith) is constantly feuding with his cynical
queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine (Val Sanford). It's mostly a battle
to select their favorite son as successor to the throne and to avenge
for a lifetime of betrayals.
This family
feud is unlike most others. For starters, King Henry keeps the
enormously troublesome Queen Eleanor in a prison most of the time. He
lets her out for holidays and family gatherings.
And there's the
pretty French princess Alais (Ashlie Ann Johnson). She's only 23,
but she's been King Henry's girlfriend since she was 16. She's invited
to the family gathering as well. Her brother, Philip, the young and
intelligent King of France (Brian Wiggins) also comes to the
holiday fete, but with a purpose. He either wants Alias' dowry returned
or have her married to one of the king's three sons, whoever will be
successor to the throne.
The three sons
in the middle of this royal war of affection are John (John Murray),
the youngest son, and the king's choice for succession;
Geoffrey (Seth Travaglino), the brilliant middle son whom neither
parent is fond of; and Richard Lionheart (Alan Moheny, Jr), the
oldest son and the Queen's favorite, mostly because he's also the most
power-hungry of the three.
The dynamic relationship
between these famous royals as they fight to determine whether their
son; Richard Lion-Heart, Geoffrey, or John Lackland would best rule
their nation captures audiences over and over. They each want
England to survive undivided, yet every son is ambitions and determined
to rule. The political intrigue is fascinating; the personal
relationships between Henry and his estranged wife, their children and
the French princess Henry has taken as his mistress are enthralling.
A matchless King and Queen, a matchless story, a show you shouldn't
miss.
Meet
the Director
 LINDA WEIR (Director) - Linda is pleased to
be directing her second show here at FWP. Many of you will remember her
directing debut here last year. She directed The Miracle Worker which
was the recipient of five Lary Awards. Linda's other directing credits
include Dracula, Wait Until Dark, Oklahoma, You Can't Take it With You,
The Sound of Music, State Fair, Arsenic & Old Lace and Carousel all at
EOT. She also directed The Rainmaker and Bus Stop at West Coast
Players. As director, Linda says it has been her great honor to work
with this absolutely amazing group of actors who have dedicated
themselves to truth and honesty.
Meet the Cast
 ASHLIE ANN JOHNSON (Alais Capet) - Ashlie is
delighted to be back on the boards at FWP. She was last seen here as
Annie Sullivan in 2004's production of The Miracle Worker (Lary Award).
Ashlie has a B.A. in acting/directing from the University of Northern
Colorado and has studied theatre in Northern England. She thanks her
fiancé for his faith in her ability and family and friends for their
constant encouragement.
 ALAN MOHENY, JR. (Richard Lionheart) - Alan
is happy to be back at FWP, after stage managing last season's The
Miracle Worker. Acting roles include leads in Romantic Comedy (WCP),
Rainmaker (Lary Award) (WCP), Little Shop of Horrors (Lary Award) (EOT),
Hello Dolly (Lary Award) (City Players). A big thanks to Linda, Cathy -
especially, and to Jim Demetrius. Ashlie, I love you.
 JOHN MURRAY (John) - John is a graduate of
Dunedin High School. He recently finished four years in the U. S.
Marine Corps and is thankful to be in this show.
About John's tour in Iraq - Welcome home John!
 VAL SANFORD (Eleanor) - Val is making her
FWP debut but she is definitely no stranger to community theatre. She
has appeared in lead roles in Gypsy (New Port Richey), Hello Dolly (TSPAC),
1776 (TSPAC) and Camelot. While playing Guinevere in Camelot she met
her husband Stu, who was playing Lancelot. She has also appeared in
non-musicals; London Suite (WCP) and California Suite (Lary Award) (EOT).
Val is happy to be sharing the stage with such a talented cast and
wonderful friends while appearing in a role she considers both
challenging and truly rewarding. Enjoy the show, Tom!
 RAND SMITH (Henry II) - Rand studied acting
at Eckerd College and apprenticed at Flat Rock Playhouse in North
Carolina. He's been performing in local community theatre for six years
now, most recently as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady (TSPAC). He has won
eight Lary Awards for his performances in our local community in shows
too numerous to list. You've seen Rand performing at FWP in Mister
Angel, Gaslight, Murder On the Nile and last season's The Miracle
Worker.
 SETH TRAVAGLINO (Geoffrey) - Seth is also
making his FWP debut. He is excited to be sharing the stage with such a
talented cast and thanks Linda for this great opportunity. He has
appeared frequently in local community theatre and his favorite roles
have been in Oklahoma (EOT), State Fair (EOT), Fiddler On the Roof (EOT)
and Guys & Dolls. All his love goes out to his beautiful and talented
wife, Anita - "I miss sharing the stage with you."
 BRIAN WIGGINS (Philip) - Another FWP debut!
Brian is an experienced performer and has appeared locally in many
productions including; Wait Until Dark (EOT), You Can't Take It With You
(EOT), and Damn Yankees. Other favorite shows include All in the
Timing, Assassins, Infidelity, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy. Cette derniere phrase sera oblige a ennuyer ici les gens qui ne
peuvent pas parler francais.
 CATHY WINCHESTER (Stage Manager) - Cathy is
happy to be back at FWP after stage managing last season's Dial "M" For
Murder. Cathy has been working back-stage for many years. Locally, she
has worked with EOT in Largo and PAGES in Safety Harbor. Thanks to
everyone at FWP, especially Ray Kenney, and a special thanks to Linda
Weir...it's been an awesome experience working with you. To a wonderful
cast and crew, my thanks and appreciation for your time, talents, and
friendship. Finally, to Dennis, thank you for coming over to "my side";
I couldn't have done it without you.
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