fax from the designer: (click for enlargement)
	playbill production photos photos from rehearsal press release cast list photos from cast party

^{Bingo by Edward Bond}

^{“A searing drama about the moral dilemma faced by a dying William Shakespeare”}

^{Directed by Professor Doug Rankin}

^{Designed by Mathias Betyna}

^{Music by Duncan McPherson}

^{Thur.-Sun April 18-21 2002}

^{Imagine a world in which the poor wander from place to place, living on the streets, begging for food and money, being harassed and punished because they lack the means to support themselves. Imagine a world in which the wealthy band together to keep those less fortunate from discovering any avenue to improve their state. Sound familiar? Not only does it describe what's happening now, it describes the 17th-century world of Edward Bond's Bingo. So much for progress. The plot revolves around none other than William Shakespeare, who has retired to his estate in Stratford only to find himself plagued by a system he abhors but finds himself powerless, despite his wealth, to change.*}

^{Crimson Masque's spring production was a challenging piece from an acting and technical viewpoint. Bond recreates the early seventeenth century Warwickshire region with authentic rural dialects. Noted German designer Mathias Betyna created large, interesting settings which take Shakespeare through the last couple years of his life in the various seasons of Stratford. Crimson Masque alumnus Duncan McPherson composed an accompanying score which set the mood for this unusual drama.}

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^{*from The Austin Chronicle, November 10, 2000}

In production at the Cleveland Playhouse and at Yale, Bingo won critical acclaim as it did earlier at the Royal Court. The play deals with the last few days in the life of Shakespeare, and it is eloquently described by the Newsweek critic: "Now in retirement, the greatest of all Western artists sits in his garden at Stratford, sick unto death with the fear that his entire career has been a lie and evasion of social and moral responsibility... a play hewn with great intellectual and emotional force."

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