Fly-By-Night Productions presents
William Shakespeare’s
VENUS & ADONIS
Adapted for stage by Sunil Malapati
History
Venus and Adonis was Shakespeare’s first published work in 1593 and his most famous work during his lifetime, being reprinted 15 times in the first 50 years! Dedicated to the Earl of Southampton, possibly the ‘fair youth’ of his sonnets, Shakespeare took a tale from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and added his own inventions. In addition to making Adonis the unwilling object of Venus’ desire, he added a subplot of horses in heat. He used six-line stanzas of iambic pentameter with a ABABCC rhyme scheme and employed it so effectively it is now called the ‘Venus and Adonis meter”.
This adaptation keeps the sextet structure and rhyme scheme intact while clarifying action for the stage.
Director’s notes
When one person is obsessed with another person, how far will they go to possess their obsession? What if it is Goddess obsessed with a human? Venus is the goddess of Love and wants Adonis, but her wooing is still very much within the conventions of societal expectations. A woman pursuing a boy still has comic undertones that a man pursuing a girl simply does not. Shakespeare uses this scenario to delve deeper into gender dynamics and sexual harassment posing ethical dilemmas for which there are no easy answers. The timeless tale from Greek mythology speaks urgently to our times where powerful people act like Gods with no ethical boundaries.
For all that, this is a tale filled with much joy. Set in verdant nature, full of horse hijinks and tales of purblind hares, the poetry is lush and the similies sublime. In our adaptation, the feminine energy is enhanced by having two nymphs narrate the story. So, attune your ears to verse and enjoy the tale of Venus and Adonis…
Trigger Warning: SA
CAST & CREW BIOS
Brenna Burgart (Daphne) is a psychology professor at Clarke University, and she is excited to bring Daphne to life in Venus and Adonis! She has been involved in theater since middle school, which includes graduating from Clarke’s theater program in 2017. She has been mostly behind the scenes the last few years until this past Spring for her role as a docent in the Diary of Anne Frank. Prior to this her most recent role on stage included supportive roles in Gwen and Gwen and Almost Maine at Clarke University. Aside from the stage, she has worked on several shows as a crew member, including as the stage manager for The Addams Family at the Grand Opera House. Brenna also serves as faculty advisor for the Clarke Cast and Crew, the student theater organization at Clarke. Outside of work and the theater, Brenna spends time with her two community organizations, the Dubuque Jaycees and Mental Health America while doting on her dog Kakashi.
Jessica Demaria (Venus) is honored to be joining the cast of Venus and Adonis. Very new to performing Shakespeare, this has been a new and exciting challenge for her. Jessica is active both on and off stage at several local theater companies and serves as secretary on the board for the newly formed Driftless Guild. She would like to thank her husband, Nathan, for his unyielding love and support and pinky-promises she'll see him more next year. She'd also like to thank Sunil for bringing this poem to the stage and then bringing her along for the ride to Green Bay Fringe Fest! Enjoy the show!
Brianna Richey (Aura) is so excited to begin with Fly-By-Night Productions! Coming from Lawrenceville, Illinois, Bri is no stranger to the stage in Dubuque, having taken part in shows like Assassins and Something Rotten with UD and Footloose with The Grand Opera House. this unique play has captivated Bri and taken her imagination to new heights, and she hopes this play and character enthrall you all the same!
Asher Soppe (Adonis) has been doing theater all throughout his life. He started when he was 9 years old and is still loving it at 22. Asher is currently enrolled and the University of Dubuque for a theater major and a music minor. Asher has been in The Addams Family as Uncle Fester, Into the Woods as The Baker, and recently, he did his first ever Shakespeare play as Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He is very excited for his next foray into Shakespeare and he hopes you appreciate the hard work that's gone in to making this production.
Sunil Malapati (Director, Adapter) is a confirmed Bardophile having seen every single Shakespeare play on stage! He oversees the ambitious Dubuque Shakespeare Project (https://shakespeare.carnegiestout.org/) covering the entire canon. Sunil is the Artistic Director of Fly-By-Night Productions and has directed, acted and worked backstage in multiple capacities. Sunil received a 2023 City of Dubuque NEA-ARPA grant to adapt ‘Shakespeare’s Shrew through Brecht’. Information about Sunil’s work and adaptations can be found at https://www.sunilpolymath.com/
Doug Donald (Tech Director) received his degree in theatre from Truman University and his MFA in Directing for Theatre from the University of Iowa. After working professionally for a number of area theatres as a director and actor (Old Creamery Theatre, Timberlake Playhouse, Five Flags Theatre and The Ice House Theatre – among others) he and his wife, Lenore, formed Fly-By-Night Productions in 1983, with Doug serving as Artistic Director for its first 18 years. From 2000-2018 he served as Director of Theatre at Loras College. He has over 250 theatre credits as a director, actor and designer. He toured for 2 years as production stage manager for Jack Daniels, and was involved with the filming of Field of Dreams. He currently serves on Dubuque’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission.
Terry Eckhart (Puppets) loves all aspects of theater and has worked with FBNP for forty years. Terry enjoyed making props for this production and not memorizing Shakespeare, having played the role of Daphne in a staged reading!