The Lion in Winter | Program

PROGRAM

The play runs approximately 135 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission. The setting is the castle of Chinon, one of many belonging to the Plantagenet family. The time is the present. Events unfold through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

THE FAMILY
HENRY	The Plantagenet CEO	Kevin Hardesty
ELEANOR	His estranged wife	Missy Johnston
RICHARD	The eldest son	Shayne Brakefield
GEOFFREY	The middle son	Tim Hull
JOHN	The youngest son	Tanner Gray
ALAIS	Henry’s mistress	Shelby Vogelpohl
PHILIP	The Capet CEO and Alais’ half-brother	Nick Vannoy

THE CREW
DIRECTOR	Ave Lawyer
STAGE MANAGER	Becca Peniston
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR	Tom Willis
LIGHTING DESIGNER	Tom Willis
COSTUME DESIGNER	Jenny Fitzpatrick
SOUND DESIGNER	Rob Thomas
SET DECORATION	Gay Reading
PROPERTIES DESIGNER	Ave Lawyer
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER	Meredith Crutcher
ASST. STAGE MANAGER	McKenna Dallas
BOX OFFICE	Stephanie H. Peniston
PHOTOGRAPHY	Becca Peniston/Melissa T. Hall
GRAPHICS	Barbara Hinkle
SOCIAL MEDIA	Blue Million

Event catering courtesy Ryan Dawson

The Lion in Winter is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

James Goldman has said that The Lion In Winter, while based on historical events with historical characters is a work of the imagination.
“I read about the things they did, I studied them and then imagined what they felt and thought and said and wanted from their lives. What they were really like, of course, no one will ever know. The truth of things is always underneath. It has to be imagined.”
And imagine we did. Goldman’s words, along with his liberal use of modern language and intentional anachronisms, gave us the green light to approach the play as something more immediate than a period costume drama.
After all, the central conflict – the struggle for power– is as old as time and modern as today’s headlines. Power. How to get it, how to get it back, how to keep it, how to keep it in the family. How do people behave, given the opportunity to grab unconstrained authority, prestige and profit? What will they compromise? Who and what are they willing to sacrifice? How far will they go to get what they want? What does a person have to become to become top dog? The people in our conception inhabit a world constructed from parts of an older one. They impose their own imprint by force and intrigue.

In the light of current events, as billionaires and oligarchs are given free rein to divide up the spoils, shaping the world to their own advantage, The Lion In Winter seems less historic than prophetic.

SPECIAL THANKS first and foremost to Mike Satterly and Marco Logsdon without whom none of this would be possible. And to the artists at Luigart Studios who tolerated our intrusion with equanimity.

Blue Million* Barbara Hinkle*Dave Harl*The Duncan-Doyle axis*Feed + Supply*John Campbell*Melissa T. Hall Art and Photography*Michael Sorg*Paul Isenhour*Premier Reclaimed Wood Products*Rory Harris*Ryan Dawson* Sally Rhoads*Smooth Transitions of Central Kentucky*Susan Thomas*Tanner Gray*Tim Campbell*Tim Hull*Transy Theater*Woodford Theater*Wrigley Media

THE COMPANY

The Lion in Winter is the twelfth production of On The Verge, an informal alliance of seasoned theatre artists intent on creating untraditional experiences of classic and modern plays. While varying wildly in content, approach, and venue, all have showcased the work of singular actors, designers, and technicians whose talent and professionalism we have made it a priority to acknowledge with modest stipends from day one. Everything we have accomplished so far is a tribute to the wealth of artistic talent that exists in this community. And to the audiences who have supported us on every step of our journey. Thank you — and ever onward.

THE VENUE

In its former lives, Luigart Studios has played the roles of hemp factory and jazz nightclub. Today, in the hands of owners Michael Satterly, Marco Logsdon, and Casey Mather it is a warm and welcoming contemporary event space and gallery, with a great vibe, an astonishing collection of furniture and décor and resident artists of the like of Steve Armstrong, Diane Kahlo and John Lackey, to name a few. This collaboration with On The Verge marks Luigart Studios’ first foray into live theater.

WHO’S WHO

Shayne Brakefield (Richard) is a proud graduate of the two-year full-time Meisner program at William Esper Studio in NYC. He also studied improv at Amy Poehler’s Upright Citizens Brigade. A licensed massage therapist, Shayne is a proud graduate of Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences in NYC.

Meredith Crutcher (Fight Choreography) is a multidisciplinary creative artist focusing primarily on theatre and film. She began studying stage combat at the University of Kentucky, gaining certifications in seven weapons, and subsequently becoming a member of the Society of American Fight Directors as an Advanced Actor Combatant. Meredith has choreographed the fights and movement in several local and regional productions and is excited to work with the cast and crew of The Lion in Winter.

McKenna Dallas (Assistant Stage Manager) is a part-time student and tutor at Bluegrass Community & Technical College and an employee of the Standardized Patient Program at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. In the past, she has performed with Actors Guild of Lexington and was Assistant Stage Manager for the On The Verge production of The Cherry Orchard at Ward Hall in 2016.

Tanner Gray (John) Tanner Gray is a local actor, director and educator. He received his BA in Theatre from the University of Kentucky. Tanner has collaborated with many theaters in the area. Previous acting credits include This Is Our Youth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice, and The Cherry Orchard.

Melissa T. Hall (Photography) is an award-winning fine art photographer based in Lexington, Kentucky. Feeling something was missing after starting a career in computer science, she returned to school in Florida to study studio art and photography. Melissa’s work combines conceptual photography with encaustic processes and oil paint, has been exhibited nationally, and can be found in private and institutional collections.

Kevin Hardesty (Henry), a veteran actor of regional stages, has worked professionally in theatre, film, and television, most recently co-starring in the new feature film Not to Forget with Lou Gossett Jr. and Olympia Dukakis. Theatre credits include the title roles of Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo, and leading roles in The Taming of the Shrew, Julius Caesar, The Comedy of Errors, As You Like It, The Crucible, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Of Mice and Men, The Glass Menagerie, and A Streetcar Named Desire. Film/TV credits include co-starring roles in Heathers, Happy Together, 100 Proof, and The Cavanaughs.

Erica House (Language Consultant) has been teaching and tutoring French for over 25 years. She currently teaches 5 levels of French language and culture to adults and 1 level to children at the Carnegie Center in Lexington and leads an annual retreat to France or other francophone countries. www.carnegiecenterlex.org

Timothy Hull (Geoffrey) has performed with many area companies as well as in New York City and San Francisco. Tim has an MFA in Acting from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, and has served as adjunct Theatre faculty at the University of Kentucky and Transylvania University

Missy Johnston (Eleanor) holds an MFA in Playwriting and Design from Trinity University. Favorite recent roles include Frauline Schneider in Cabaret (UKDTD), Ranevskaya in The Cherry Orchard (On The Verge), Maude in Harold and Maude (Balagula Theatre), and Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit (Woodford Theatre). She is the founding member of The Bats, a cabaret act for rowdy women, and recently retired as the Resident Costume Designer at Transylvania University.

Ave Lawyer (Director), a founding member of On The Verge, has conceived and directed the company’s twelve productions to date. Arcadia, Proof, Hamlet, Joe Egg, The Merchant of Venice, Reckless, Galileo, Vietnam 101, and Arsenic and Old Lace top the list of shows she has directed for regional theater companies and universities.

Jenny Fitzpatrick (Costumer) is a teaching artist, dancer, choreographer and director. She has been dedicated to performing arts and young artist education for fifteen years. While owning and operating her own performance-based dance school, Blackbird Dance Theatre (2014-2024), Jenny wrote and produced several original dance theatre works, mentored hundreds of young students in the classroom, and ran a small business dedicated to providing creativity and inclusion to her community. Now having closed the doors to her studio, Jenny aspires to continue making an impact on her community by making use of her skills in costume design, choreography and performance art.

Rob Thomas (Composer and Sound Designer) has previously been heard with On The Verge during Legacy of Light, The Cherry Orchard, and A Doll’s House. Rob has also collaborated with AthensWest, Balagula Theatre, Message Theatre, Morehead State University, Second Act (Maysville, KY), Studio Players, Tate’s Creek Middle School, Transylvania University, Upstairs at Midnight, and Woodford Theatre.

Becca Peniston (Stage Manager), is currently a Gifted and Talented Elementary Teacher in Woodford County. She spends much of her time outside work stage managing for On The Verge and Blackbird Dance Theatre in Lexington. Some favorite credits include Titus and Flight of the Inner Bird (Stage Manager/Blackbird), and Legacy of Light and Uncle Vanya (Stage Manager/On The Verge).

Stephanie H. Peniston (Box Office), a founding member of On The Verge, has performed in its productions of Much Ado, and Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Other acting credits in the Lexington theatre community include Pride & Prejudice, Arcadia, Moon Over Buffalo, The Diviners, Bus Stop, Crimes of the Heart, Proof, and Joe Egg.

Gay Reading (Design and Site Consultant) received his MFA in theatre design from Case-Western Reserve. He is delighted to work once again with On The Verge in a capacity that combines his interests in theatre, material culture, and historic preservation. He and his partner own Greentree Antiques.

Nick Vannoy (Philip) is excited to be to be working with On the Verge for the first time! Recent performances include Head Over Heels at Voices Amplified, Murder on the Orient Express, Shakespeare in Love, and The Three Musketeers at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. Peter and the Starcatcher at Cincinnati Playhouse, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, The Repertory Theatre of St Louis, and locally at the Woodford Theatre. Other local credits include Marie Antoinette with Project SEE, Dracula, A Christmas Carol, and The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at Actors Theatre of Louisville. He was an Acting Apprentice at Actors Theatre of Louisville and attended Northern Kentucky University.

Shelby Marie Vogelpohl (Alais) was last seen with On The Verge playing the role of Sonya in the 2021 production of Uncle Vanya. She has worked both on and off stage with local theatre companies, as well as two seasons as a Master Carpenter and Welder with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Shelby would like to thank Ave for her encouragement, her family for not forgetting her as she disappears into another show, and Alex, for more than could possibly fit within a sentence.

Tom Willis (Technical Director/Lighting Designer) is a lighting and scenic designer in Central Kentucky. Memorable designs include Blackbird Dance Theatre’s Robando, On The Verge’s A Doll’s House, and A Doll’s House, Part 2, Athens West Theatre Company’s 33 Variations and To Kill a Mockingbird, Transylvania University Theater’s Silent Sky, Looking for Lilith’s world premiere of LUZ, and UK Opera Theatre’s Silent Night. He holds a BA in Drama from the University of Kentucky, College of Fine Arts. Willisdesigns.net.