Professional theater of the Great Western Catskills!

Two Gentlemen
of Verona

Set on FSC's porch, which will be renovated in Summer 2020, this soliloquy introduces us to the servant Launce, played by FSC collaborator Chris O'Connor, and his dog Crab, played by Frankie "the wonder dog" O'Connor.

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Proteus' servant Launce, dragging his dog, Crab, and dilly-dallying en route to his master's departing ship, complains that Crab is the surliest dog that ever lived. He laments that his family cried bitterly when he bade them farewell upon his departure for the emperor's court, while the dog has continued neither to speak a word of sorrow nor to shed a tear of sympathy. Launce enacts the entire farewell scene with his shoes and apparel. 

Nay, 'twill be this hour ere I have 

done weeping; all the kind of the Launces 

have this very fault. I have received my proportion, 

like the prodigious son, and am going 

with Sir Proteus to the Imperial's court. I 

think Crab my dog be the sourest-natured 

dog that lives: my mother weeping, my father 

wailing, my sister crying, our maid howling, 

our cat wringing her hands, and all our house 

in a great perplexity, yet did not this cruel-hearted 

cur shed one tear: he is a stone, a 

very pebblestone, and has no more pity in 

him than a dog: why, my grandam, 

having no eyes, look you, wept herself blind 

at my parting. Nay, I'll show you the manner 

of it. This shoe is my father: no, this left shoe 

is my father: no, no, this left shoe is my 

mother: nay, that cannot be so neither: yes, 

it is so, it is so, it hath the worser sole. This 

shoe, with the hole in it, is my mother, and 

this my father; a vengeance on't! there 'tis; 

now, sir, this staff is my sister, for, look you, 

she is as white as a lily and as small as a 

wand: this hat is Nan, our maid: I am the 

dog: no, the dog is himself, and I am the dog 

--Oh! the dog is me, and I am myself; ay, 

so, so. Now come I to my father; Father, 

your blessing: now should not the shoe speak 

a word for weeping: now should I kiss my 

father; well, he weeps on. Now come I to my 

mother: O, that she could speak now like a 

wood woman! Well, I kiss her; why, there 

'tis; here 's my mother's breath up and down. 

Now come I to my sister; mark the moan she 

makes. Now the dog all this while sheds not a 

tear nor speaks a word; but see how I lay 

the dust with my tears.

CHRIS O’CONNOR (Launce) is Artistic Director of Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken, NJ. Last year, Chris directed FSC’s production of Billy Bishop Goes to War. He received a 2017 Award of Excellence from the New Jersey Theatre Alliance. He produces MST's annual 10-minute play festival 7th Inning Stretch and has directed over 20 productions at MST. He has directed at theatres and universities all over America, and his recent work at MST includes I and You, Betrayal, Circle Mirror Transformation, and the world premiere of Long Gone Daddy. As an actor, Chris has performed in such theatres as Maltz Jupiter Theatre, FSC, Seattle's A Contemporary Theatre, The Culture Project, Soho Rep, Center Theatre Group, Gloucester Stage, Provisional Theatre of Los Angeles, The Bathhouse Theatre, Seattle Children's Theatre, and City Theatre in Pittsburgh. He appears in the new indie-thriller Depraved. Chris is Assistant Professor in Theatre Arts at Molloy College/CAP21 and is currently serving as Interim Chair.

FRANKIE O’CONNOR (Crab) is a rescue dog, born in a construction site in Jersey City, NJ. Frankie also appears in originally produced home movies, created by The O’Connor Sisters, such as Of Mice and Dogs and the soon-to-be-released Feeling Savvy. He has no training to speak of. He’s just naturally gifted.

PATRICIA BUCKLEY & LESLIE NOBLE (Producers) have been the Executive Artistic Directors at the Franklin Stage since 2017 where they have produced and presented productions such as Arthur Miller's The Price, A Walk in the Woods, Doubt, Billy Bishop Goes to War and Possessing Harriet. They have hosted a variety of artists from various disciplines in Chapel Hall such as Annie Lewandowski, Stephan Wolfert and Erin Layton.

TOM BERGIN (Video)started his career recording audio for CBS News, specializing in fast-moving, documentary-style journalism. He has since worked on many documentary features, including An Inconvenient Truth and My Architect, as well as projects for Public Policy Productions and Maysles Films. Tom traveled the world to record Not My Life (human slavery) and A Closer Walk (AIDS). He has recorded all of the behind-the-scenes footage for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s forthcoming In the Heights.

SCOTT HOLDREDGE (Production Support) is excited to be back with FSC this summer. He is currently full-time faculty at SUNY Cortland. His most recent work at SUNY Cortland was Scenic Designer on Lysistrata, Head Over Heels and Curious Incident of the Dog in The Nightime. Scott has also worked for Syracuse Opera, Syracuse University, and Unatego High School theaters as their set/lighting designer and technical director. Scott has worked in NYC, LA, and San Diego in theater, corporate events, theme parks, haunted houses and film.

Franklin Stage Company is a free theater that depends on the generosity of our audience—any amount is appreciated!

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