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The Folger Spotlight

Folger ENCORES: ‘Nell Gwynn’ produced by Folger Theatre (2019)

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Folger ENCORES, red theater seats fading into darkness
Folger ENCORES, red theater seats fading into darkness

Folger Public Programs is pleased to present ENCORES, a weekly online series highlighting past performances and recalling the rich history of programming on the historic Folger stage. As many arts and cultural institutions remain closed during this time, these ENCORES provide a way to connect and revisit the breadth of Folger offerings with a wider audience.

ENCORES presents

Folger Theatre
Nell Gwynn by Jessica Swale
Directed by Robert Richmond, Folger Theatre, 2019
Read the Dramaturg’s Notes for this production

Performed by

  • Alison Luff, Nell Gwynn

With

  • Regina Aquino, Lady Castlemaine & Louise de Keroualle
  • Caitlin Cisco, Rose Gwynn
  • Kevin Collins, Musician
  • Christopher Dinolfo, Edward Kynaston
  • Catherine Flye, Nancy & Ma Gwynn
  • R. J. Foster, King Charles II
  • Quinn Franzen, Charles Hart
  • Michael Glenn, John Dryden
  • Nigel Gore, Thomas Killigrew
  • Jeff Keogh, Lord Arlington
  • Alex Michell, Ned Spigget
  • Zoe Speas, Queen Catherine, Musician

And

  • Scenic Design by Tony Cisek
  • Costume Design by Mariah Anzaldo Hale
  • Lighting Design by Andrew F. Griffin
  • Sound Design by Matt Otto
  • Original Music by Kim Sherman

For a musical playlist inspired by the play, visit this post from the Folger Spotlight.

Read the introduction by cast member R. J. Foster:

Hello and welcome to Folger ENCORES! I am R.J. Foster and I was King Charles II in the Folger Theatre production of Nell Gwynn.

The Folger has launched ENCORES, a series that brings plays, music and spoken word from the Folger archives directly to you.

You are going to see a scene from Jessica Swale’s play, directed by Robert Richmond, that incorporates great music from composer Kim Sherman and is delivered with panache by the amazing Alison Luff (who won a Helen Hayes Award for this performance). We hope that you will enjoy watching this bit of Nell Gwynn.

If you would like to know more about Folger Theatre please visit folger.edu. There, you will find information about this production and so many other great performances. We hope you will join us for these weekly episodes of ENCORES, highlighting all that the Folger has to offer. Thank you for tuning in.

Encores LogoCheck back each Friday for a new “from the archives” performance, introduced by some of our favorite artists, showcasing the best of Folger Theatre, Folger Consort, O.B. Hardison Poetry, and lectures.

Folger Theatre

Folger Theatre is the vibrant center piece of the Folger’s public programs. With a focus on Shakespeare, Folger Theatre produces plays reflecting the breadth of the library’s peerless collection. In this unique setting, with collaborations between artists and experts, Folger Theatre produces innovative stagings that have been commended as “breathtakingly original...strikingly contemporary” (The Washington Post). Led since 1991 by Artistic Producer Janet Alexander Griffin, Folger Theatre has received 135 nominations and 23 Helen Hayes Awards for excellence in acting, direction, design, and production. During the recent seasons Folger Theatre has received the Outstanding Resident Play Award for its productions of Measure for Measure in 2007, Hamlet in 2011 and The Taming of the Shrew in 2013. Other highlights from Folger Theatre’s producing history include these Helen Hayes Award recipients or nominees for outstanding production: Romeo and Juliet (2013), Orestes: A Tragic Romp (2010), Henry VIII (2010), Arcadia (2009), Macbeth (2008), The Two Gentlemen of Verona (2006), Melissa Arctic (2006), She Stoops to Conquer (2002), Shakespeare’s R & J (2001), Much Ado About Nothing (1998), and Romeo and Juliet (1997). — View all posts by Folger Theatre