PRODUCTION NOTES

Set in a bar in New Orleans on Mardi Gras night, with text and characters borrowed from Shakespeare, the fun begins as the regulars arrive at their favorite watering hole, The Shakespeare Cafe.  

 

Overseeing the preparations and music is the owner and chanteuse Ursula and her lovesick bartender Pym. The joint is packed and Rosalind, Beatrice, Orlando, Benedict, Will, and Julia and even Falstaff are gearing up for a full-tilt costume party later that night, hoping to get laid, fall in love or stay in love but all hell breaks loose as misunderstandings, brawls and unfortunate disguises threaten to derail the festivities.

 

Originally created with ICAP theatre in Los Angeles, Bon Temp was first performed with no music for Theatertage Festival in Hanau Germany.  The next iteration of a play with music sung by Ursula only was for The Fertile Ground Festival at Post 5 theatre in Portland Oregon. In 2018, The Bremer Shakespeare Company in Bremen Germany commissioned the play now with the adding four additional songs for that production.

 

Now the project has developed into a full musical version with, rap, dixie-land, blues, rock , cajun and zydeco created by English composer Anderson Qunta. It is currently being developed in Pittsburgh for full musical production.

 

 

PORTLAND CAST

 

Orlando

Khristopher Mahoney-Watson

 

Rosalind

Chantal DeGroat

 

Ursula

Ithica Tell

 

Pym

Yoheii Sato

 

Julia

Kristen Fleming

 

Will

Ben Buckley

 

Benedick

Nathan Dunkin

 

Beatrice

Nicole Accuardi

PORTLAND PRODUCTION TEAM

 

Director

Elizabeth Huffman

 

Set Design

Rachel Finn

 

Lighting Design

Cassie Skauge

 

Costume Design

Elizabeth Huffman

 

Original Music

Anderson Quinta

 

Promo Video

Andy Chandler

 

Artwork/Projection

Tyler Peterson

 

Production Stage Manager Nathan Brauner