Shakespeare headed to winery

Warwick — This summer the Illustrious Theatre Company will present the comedy “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” at the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery, as its annual “Shakespeare in the Orchard” series. Presented on the outdoor stage at the winery, which is a natural amphitheatre surrounded by pear and apple trees, the production each year incorporates the atmosphere of this country orchard into the evening’s performance. Show dates are the last three weekends of July (13 n 29) on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with show times at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays, and 7:30 p.m. on Sundays. One of Shakespeare’s earliest plays, if not his first, “Two Gentlemen” is a lighthearted comedy with something for everyone. The play has to be one of Shakespeare’s funniest and also most accessible, especially to those who are perhaps encountering a live Shakespeare play for the first time. It is a tale of friendship, adventure and romance employing many of Shakespeare’s successful conventions: banished lovers, mistaken identities, a band of outlaws, a stern father and a jealous suitor and probably the funniest clowns in Shakespeare’s repertoire of plays. There is also a cantankerous dog, named Crab. The two gentlemen, Proteus and Valentine, will be played by Gary Ciuffetelli from Goshen and Michael Pignatelli from Oakland, N.J. The roles of Silvia and Julia are portrayed by Aly Docherty of Highland Lakes and Sage Holmes of Warwick. The company’s mission is to make the production affordable to families in spite of the high cost of the outdoor production. With the help of major support from Provident Bank, Orange County Tourism/Orange Arts, and Orange Rockland Utilities, as well as numerous other individual and corporate sponsors, the company is able to offer tickets purchased in advance for only $14 and $12 (students and seniors), and $18 and $16 purchased at the gate. Children 10 and under are admitted free. Tickets purchased in advance are not dated and are good for any one performance, however they are not refundable. Tickets may be purchased at Baby Grand Books, 7 West Street in Warwick; Healthy Thymes Market on Rt. 94 in Vernon, by phone at 258-4858, or on-line at www.wvwinery.com. Seating in the orchard, which is “bring-your-own lawn chair or blanket,” begins about an hour before curtain. Food and beverages are available from the winery’s bistro style menu. The Warwick Valley Winery is located at 114 Little York Road, in the Pine Island section of Warwick. For directions to the winery, visit www.wvwinery.com or www.theillustrioustheatre.org. For additional information about The Two Gentlemen of Verona please call 973-764-4936.