Last updated August 28, 2010   

The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler

By Jeff Whitty

Directed by John Elliott

Performances July 9, 10, 16, 17, 18 (m), 22, 23, 24, 2010

What happens to fictional characters who linger on "past their expiration date"? Oregon-bred playwright Jeff Whitty imagines a parallel literary universe where Medea, Tosca, Little Orphan Annie and other literary archetypes cannot die until they are finally forgotten by the public.

Sick of killing herself over and over, Hedda Gabler embarks on a wild and perilous quest with her servant, Mammy, to return to the imaginative Furnace of their creation and rewrite their lives. A hit of the 2008 Oregon Shakespeare Festival season.

What the reviewers said:

" .. a valentine to dramatic literature, the creative process and the power of the imagination. But it's also a gleefully delirious, wildly imaginative ride that owes as much to The Simpsons and The Wizard of Oz as it does to Ibsen and Sophocles." - OC Weekly

" ... wacky and poignant, a one-liner that becomes a thoughtful theater piece." —Hollywood Reporter.

Cast of characters

• Hedda Gabler - Melissa Brown
• Tesman, and various characters and voices - Pat Purdue
• Mammy, and Shamari Robinson - Kia Linton
• Patrick, Jar Jar Binks, Chainsaw Killer, a Jesus, and various voices - Tim Kelley
• Steven, Musical Jesus, and a winged serpent, and various characters and voices - Tyler Santos
• Eilert Lovborg, three Judge Bracks, Suffering Jesus, and various voices - David Neiman
• Medea, "Thea Elvestead," and various voices - Moïna Snyder
• Jesus the Carpenter, three "George Tesman"'s, and various voices - Rus Roberts
• Woman in Pink, Diane Johnson, and Black Jesus - Bernie Feyerherm
• Cassandra, Tosca, a "Hedda Gabler," Dorothy Gale, and various voices - Megan Lutsock
• Flossie, Little Orphan Annie, and various voices - Shirley Lincicum
• Dying Junkie - Cynthia Harvey
• Masha, Lotion Lady, and various characters and voices - Dawn Draper
• Another Hedda, and Dying Woman - Deb Upington
• A Jesus or two - Scott Harvey
• Several other characters & voices - Rachel Johnson

Chorus Members - Shirley Lincicum, Bernie Feyerherm, Tim Kelley, and Tyler Santos, Megan Lutsock, and Dawn Draper

For more information, visit the production Web site John Elliott has set up, or contact the director.

Director

John's previous ACT successes have included Play Ball (aka Chicago), Wonder of the World, Hedda Gabler, The Underpants, Charley's Aunt and The Lion in Winter. He lives in Albany with his wife, Patty, and their two daughters.

Web links

• Production Web site
• Whitless, playwright Jeff Whitty's Web site
• Jeff Whitty talks about The Further Adventures ... (video)