Mary Stuart Queen of Scots’ Portland Premiere

The Northwest Classical Theatre Company and Cygnet Productions have collaborated for the first time for the Portland premiere of Mary Stuart. The play runs through March 29 at Shoebox Theatre, 2110 SE 10th St. and was written by Peter Oswald and directed by Elizabeth Huffman. The story is based on the original 19th Century classic by Friedrich Schiller.

Photo by Jack Wells
Photo by Jack Wells

Mary Stuart (also known as Mary, Queen of Scots)  escapes to England, after an unsuccessful attempt to regain the throne in the bloody aftermath of her marriage to James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. Hepburn was accused of murdering Mary’s former husband Lord Darnley. Hoping for sanctuary from her cousin Elizabeth, instead Mary is imprisoned, and Elizabeth’s advisors urge her to sign the death warrant. The pen is poised when a request from Mary to meet her in person arrives, offering Elizabeth a possible way out and a chance to meet her famous cousin who threw her power away for love.

Luisa Sermol is Mary, Queen of Scots and Lorraine Bahr Queen Elizabeth I, and both are multi-Drammy Award winners. The original score was composed by world-renowned Oregon musicians Gayle and Philip Neuman (philandgayleneuman.com) and recorded on Renaissance instruments, many of them built by the couple. The score was remixed electronically by Sharath Patel, and the music spans centuries.

Performance times are Thursday – Saturday evenings, 7:30 pm and Sunday Matinees at 2 pm. Reservations strongly recommended. Contact NWCT at www.nwctc.org or call the box office at 971.244.3740.

Mary Stuart Queen of Scots’ Portland Premiere

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