Theatre--Performance (Cast Interviews)

This is Part 1 of a series of interviews with the cast of Acting Unlimited's THE COMPLETE WOMEN OF SHAKESPEARE,which opens June 8th at Theatre 810.

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH : PATRICIA DRURY SIDMAN

1. Who do you play in The Complete Women of William Shakespeare?
          I play Dorothy, Anne Hathaway's maid, in The Second Best Bed.

2. What is your role in Second Best Bed and When Shakespeare’s Ladies Meet?
          In addition to Dorothy, I also play Mistress Ford, one of the Merry Wives of Windsor who wanders in to the setting of When Shakespeare's Ladies Meet.

3.  Favourite Scene to play? Favourite Line?
          My favorite scene is the opening scene when all the town's nosy neighbors flutter in and make themselves at home in Anne Hathaway's kitchen, much to the annnoyance of the territorial and protective Dorothy. Dorothy is offended and, being naturally sarcastic anyway, she makes a crack about all the “busybodies and gossips” When one of the neighbors haughtily asks to whom is she referring, Dorothy replies with my favorite line and a hostile stare: “Guess.”

4. Through your character's eyes, what are Second Best Bed and When Shakespeare’s Ladies Meet about?
          Second Best Bed is about the love my dear mistress and friend, Anne, has for her recently deceased husband, Will Shakespeare, and the obnoxious neighbors who try to disabuse her of it. Ah, but Will has arranged for a twist no one anticipated. Hah!

5.  What do you hope audiences take away from these two shows?
          I hope audiences have a great time laughing at these characters (or at least at those silly geese, the neighbors) and realize or remember that Shakespeare always had something up his sleeve to delight his audiences. I hope too that they come away realizing that old Will would have been nothing without all his women – in his life or in his head!