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Parson’s Nose Theater (PNT) kicks off the second half of its 2018/2019 season with Carlo Goldoni’s 1750 classic retelling of a 16th Century improvised comedy, The Servant of Two Masters. Spreading a thick layer of Italian farce, Artistic Director Lance Davis has created his own improvisation of the hapless servant Truffaldino who reluctantly defies the Biblical caveat “No man can serve two masters,” in order to buy a sandwich.
Silvio loves Clarice, but her father, Pantalone, has promised her to Federigo Rasponi, who is really Beatrice Aretusi, disguised as a man, searching for the tango teacher Florindo so they can run off and open a dance studio in Brooklyn.
“It’s complicated,” says Davis, “It’s also the classic foundation for every madcap farce from ‘Bringing Up Baby’ to ‘Seinfeld.’”
Tickets for The Servant of Two Masters range from $20 to $35 and are available online at parsonsnose.org or by calling the Box Office at (626) 403-7667. Parsons Nose Theater is located at 95 North Marengo Ave. (Enter on HOLLY), Pasadena, CA 91101.
Run time: Approximately 80 minutes (less if they pick up their cues) + intermission
Pay What You Will
A “Pay What You Will” Preview performance is available on Friday, February 8 at 8:00 pm.
ABOUT CARLO GOLDONI
Carlo Goldoni was born in Venezia in 1707. His father was a doctor. He was introduced to theater by his grandfather. He used his Greek and Latin education to study classic comedies. His inspiration was the Italian improvised street theater, the “commedia dell arte” (comedy of professionals), which also inspired his personal hero, the great French comic playwright Jean Baptiste Poquelin (Moliere) of the previous century, who also forsook his law career to follow the theater. Goldoni is quoted as replying to a compliment for one of his comedies with “Good. But not yet Moliere.”
Goldoni’s “Servant of Two Masters”, written in Venetian dialect and based on a familiar plot and characters of the “commedia”, has been adapted often, most recently as The National Theater of Great Britain’s Tony Award winning “One Man,Two Guvnors” in 2012.
ABOUT PARSON’S NOSE THEATER
Located in Pasadena’s historic Marston/Van Pelt chapel near City Hall, Parson’s Nose Theater performs condensed classic adaptations that present the language, characters, plot and spirit of the world’s greatest writers – not only Shakespeare, but Molière, Goldoni, Goldsmith, Boucicault – the most revered writers of Western Literature.
Since April 2000, co-founders Lance Davis and Mary Chalon have introduced condensed, professional comedies to the delight of over 70,000 Angelenos. PNT is the only company in America devoted to this new way of experiencing the classics.
PNT productions are intelligent and fun, reaching out to adults, seniors, teens, and bright youngsters. Performances are condensed to a 90 minutes-or-less format, including an intermission featuring refreshments and the famous, home-baked “Pat Bell” cookies.
Cast
Truffaldino…………………Lance Davis
Beatrice……………………Marisa Chandler
Pantalone………………….Paul Perri
Lombardi………………….James Calvert
Florindo…………………..John Rafter Lee
Smeraldina……………….Jill Rogosheske
Clarice…………………….Heather Taylor
Silvio………………………Stuart Orloff
Brighella………………….John Harnagel
Performances:
Friday, Feb 8 at 8:00 pm (Pay What You Will) Friday, Mar 1 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, Feb 9 at 8:00 pm Saturday, Mar 2 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, Feb 10 at 3:00 pm Sunday, Mar 3 at 3:00 pm
Friday, Feb 15 at 8:00 pm Friday, Mar 8 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, Feb 16 at 8:00 pm Saturday, Mar 9 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, Feb 17 at 3:00 pm Sunday, Mar 10 at 3:00 pm
Friday, Feb 22 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, Feb 23 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, Feb 24 at 3:00 pm
