MAN OF LA MANCHA is set in the late 1500s, when Miguel de Cervantes is thrown into prison by the Spanish Inquisition. Having failed as a soldier and as a playwright, Cervantes was working as a tax collector—until he made the mistake of foreclosing on a church. Now Cervantes and his manservant face a group of fellow prisoners, who stage a mock trial before the inmate known as “The Governor.” Faced with the loss of all his possessions, including a tattered manuscript, Cervantes proposes that his defense will take the form of a play. He begins to spin the tale of Alonso Quijana, “a country squire…no longer young…bony, hollow faced…eyes that burn with the fire of inner vision.” Quijana, having read too many tales of heroic knights in the age of chivalry, declares he will become a knight- errant—Don Quixote de la Mancha—traveling the countryside righting all wrongs. Cervantes’s manservant takes on the role of Don Quixote’s faithful companion, Sancho Panza.
Quixote battles a “giant”—in reality, one of the many windmills that dot the landscape of the plains of La Mancha. He is defeated, retreating to a “castle”—really a roadside inn. The inn is populated by rough mule drivers (muleteers); the kitchen serving-wench, Aldonza, scorns their advances, making no secret of her low beginning and harsh life. (“I was spawned in a ditch by a mother who left me there….”)
Quixote sees the boisterous muleteers as fellow knights and believes the hard-edged Aldonza to be a beautiful noble lady, whom he calls “Dulcinea” (meaning “sweetness”). Aldonza is confused by this; no one has ever treated her with kindness.
Cervantes now takes the story to Quijana’s home, where his niece Antonia and her fiancé, Dr. Carrasco, along with the housekeeper and Quijana’s friend Padre Perez, worry about Quijana’s increasingly erratic behavior. Although they each declare they are “only thinking of him,” it’s clear that they are determined to put a stop to Quijana’s antics and bring him home.
While Quixote admires “Dulcinea” from afar, Aldonza confronts Sancho: she asks why he follows a madman like Quixote. Sancho replies that he simply likes Quixote; Aldonza, alone, wonders what Quixote could possibly see in a woman like her. Meanwhile, the muleteers jeer at Aldonza and her eccentric admirer.
A wandering barber arrives at the inn. Quixote believes the barber’s brass shaving basin to be a magical golden helmet that makes its wearer invulnerable and demands that the barber give it to him. Dr. Carrasco and the Padre witness this. Carrasco is certain that Quijana/Quixote is mad, while the Padre is not so sure.
The Innkeeper, whom Quixote believes to be the “Lord of the Castle,” agrees to dub Quixote a knight once he has spent a night holding vigil. As he meditates alone, Aldonza interrupts him. She cannot understand—why does he do these things? He replies that it is necessary to follow the quest—every knight’s mission.
When the lead muleteer abuses Aldonza, Quixote leaps to her defense, leading to a fight between Quixote (aided by Sancho
Pictured: Geoff Elliott, Kasey Mahaffy. Photo by Craig Schwartz.
and Aldonza) and the gang of muledrivers. Quixote is victorious and is dubbed a knight by the Innkeeper. Meanwhile, Quixote is unaware that the angry muleteers have abducted Aldonza in revenge.
Setting out on the road once more, Quixote and Sancho are attacked by thieves, who take everything they have. When they return to the inn, they find Aldonza, who has been beaten bloody by the muleteers. She expresses her frustration and rage at ever having believed in Quixote’s dreams.
The Knight of the Mirrors, whom Quixote sees as his mortal enemy, the Enchanter, enters and challenges Quixote to a duel. As they battle, Quixote is struck by his reflection in the Knight’s mirrored shield—he sees himself for the broken old man that he truly is. The Knight reveals himself to be Dr. Carrasco.
The guards interrupt the story to inform Cervantes that he will soon be taken to face the Inquisitors. He asks for enough time to conclude his story.
Alonso Quijana, no longer Don Quixote, lays in his bed at home, surrounded by his family. His spirit has been broken; he is dying. Fighting her way through his family, Aldonza comes to Quijana’s side. He does not recognize her and does not know her name. She pleads with him, saying that he once called her “Dulcinea,” and he begins to remember. She reminds him of the words of his quest—“to dream the impossible dream.” Quixote dies as the Padre prays over him, and Aldonza declares that she is now Dulcinea.
Cervantes’s story is finished: the prisoners give him his manuscript, as the guards return to remove him from the cell and bring him before the officials of the Inquisition. As Cervantes is lead out of the prison, the inmates join together, singing Quixote’s song of his impossible dream. ♦
Just a small taste of this amazing and beautiful story.
An Evening With Will ~ Shakespeare That Is!!
On March 14 and 15 a very special event will take place. The Beacon Players and Spack Onstage will share the stage at both Beacon High School and at Spackenkill High School.
Each group will select 3 scenes from different plays from William Shakespeare to perform, and one scene will be performed by a combined group from both schools, on Friday 3/14 the show will be performed at Spackenkill H.S. and on Saturday 3/15. We will not charge for admission but will set up Donation Boxes wherever possibile.
GUYS & DOLLS
Hailed as the perfect musical comedy, this award-winning classic gambles with luck and love under the bright lights of Broadway.
Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, Guys and Dollsran for 1,200 performances when it opened on Broadway in 1950. It received nearly unanimous positive reviews from critics and won a bevy of awards, including Tony Awards, Drama Desks and Oliviers. Frequently revived, the show has been done with numerous all-star casts, including productions/concerts featuring Ewan McGregor, Jane Krakowski, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Jessica Biel.
Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, Guys and Dolls is an oddball romantic comedy. Gambler, Nathan Detroit, tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck; meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, Adelaide, laments that they’ve been engaged for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler, Sky Masterson, for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing the straight-laced missionary, Sarah Brown, as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.
Frank Loesser’s brassy, immortal score makes Guys and Dolls a crowd pleaser. The large cast features both a variety of ensemble and star roles. With a great collection of production resources from MTI, this highly producible show is a treat for audiences and performers of any age.
