Hanna Madler Performs in 'Two Gentlemen of Verona'

2017 Mar 9

A talented cast and crew of Eastern Connecticut State University students recently performed in "Two Gentlemen of Verona," the second Main Stage production of the 2016-17 academic year. The Shakespearean musical included Hanna Madler '16 of South Windsor, who was the character Sylvia as well as a member of the fashion show design crew. Madler majors in Accounting and Theatre.

The play was an adaptation of Shakespeare's early comedy about young people exploring love, friendship and the temptations of city life. It ran from Feb. 23 to March 5 and was the first Eastern production to feature a live band of musicians in the pit of the new Proscenium Theatre. The show's intermission featured a fashion show, showcasing the creations by students in Eastern's costume-fashion design minor.

"This is the most difficult part I've played in my college career," said Madler. "Sylvia has a fun and engaging energy, however being a lead role who only has a few spoken lines required a new set of acting skills.

"It's been amazing to be a part of the opening season of the new Proscenium Theatre," added Madler, "especially having performed in our previous theatre (Harry Hope Theater) in Shafer Hall."

Originally produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival, "Two Gentlemen of Verona" was adapted by award-winning playwright John Guare. It received rave reviews after its December 1971 opening and won the Tony Award for Best Musical of 1972.

"'Two Gentlemen of Verona' was the third Broadway production I ever saw. I was 10 years old," said Theatre Professor David Pellegrini, director of the play at Eastern. "It endured in my mind as a show I would like to direct. My father fostered my early love of theatre, and I remember vividly our discussion on the way home about how the Shakespearean verse and allusions were modernized so ingeniously in this show.

"I could not have wished for a more hardworking and talented cast and imaginative collaborators," said Pelligrini. "They all worked at the top of their games, especially our student designers who inhabited the space with stunning scenic, lighting and media concepts."

"Two Gentlemen of Verona" was presented by Eastern's Theatre Program and Drama Society.