AUGUST 2025 “NIGHTS of VILLEINY: Shakespeare Revue’d!”
On August 1st, 2025 a coterie of VILLEINS journeyed to the SHAKESPEARE GARDEN in Fredericksburg, VA to perform for the board of the local English Speaking Union and other invited guests.
The evening was organized by Fay Cunningham and Tom Clark in honor of the late Fred Franklin, beloved educator at Stafford High School. The event began with cocktails and catering then concluded with an hour of Shakespeare.
FEATURING
the following
SCENES & VILLEINS
* * *
AS YOU LIKE IT (I.2, I.3)
Hope King as Rosalind
Audrey Scialla as Celia
Ben Atkinson as Touchstone
Guy Aiken as Duke Frederick
JULIUS CAESAR (II.1)
Audrey Scialla as Portia
Benedict Burgess as Brutus
TWELFTH NIGHT (I.3)
Guy Aiken as Sir Toby Belch
Catherine Gilbert as Maria
John Rabasa as Sir Andrew Aguecheek
MEASURE for MEASURE (II.4)
Benedict Burgess as Angelo
Catherine Gilbert as Isabella
Ben Atkinson as Servant
THE TEMPEST (IV.1 monologue)
Ben Atkinson as Prospero
The audience had wonderful things to say afterword and co-organizer Tom Clark (who had not yet seen the VILLEINS perform) responded by saying, “I expected community theater. I didn’t know we were getting professionals.”
This event marks the first journey beyond the borders of our semi-namesake city of Charlottesville, and the first time that Arch-Villein Ben Atkinson’s original vision of a roving band of players came fully to life.
While there was no playbill printed, Fay Cunningham asked Atkinson to write a “Director’s Note” for the evening, which we’ve included below:
I take a truly indescribable amount of joy in working with the Villeins. Watching it click, seeing so many of these performers go from “reading” Shakespeare to thinking, breathing, struggling, and laughing as the characters that Shakespeare imagined. To witness their eyes light up when they have an epiphany, or experience the thrill of discovering a nuance in the text which unlocks a whole new dimension that suddenly seems so obvious in retrospect… These are moments that I both relish and treasure. In my role as “Arch-Villein” (creator, producer), I have, so far, directed most of our work. But it is always a collaboration. I bring what knowledge, comprehension, and vision I have; and do everything I can to provide an accessible and emotionally vital context as a starting point. Then the actors fold in their unique instincts, talents, curiosity, and literally everything else — mind, body, and soul — to their roles. The result is just thrilling. It’s like watching my dreams come true, only better, because I get to share them with my friends. I am beyond grateful to have their faith and trust and cooperation, because it means I have the privilege of a frequent, front-row seat to their extraordinary work. And then to get to share it with you, the audience, is the greatest thing in the world.
~Ben Atkinson, Arch-Villein, Aug. 3, 2025
The evening was such a success and the performances are so rich that we decided on-the-spot, that day, to bring the same lineup back the Charlottesville, later this month.
On AUGUST 26th, 2025 from 7:30-8:30 PM at The Stage at WTJU in Charlottesville. Tickets are on sale now!
And here are a few “movie posters” we created (using screen-grabs from our dress rehearsal video) that we’re putting out on social media. Follow us on Instagram to see even more behind-the-scenes shots and clips coming soon!
