Director’s Note

Welcome to the stage Holland’s Leaguer, which hasn’t been seen on stage for 390 years. Shakerley Marmion was a contemporary of Shakespeare who wrote only three plays that have survived the past 400 years; Holland’s Leaguer, A Fine Companion, and The Antiquary. For our contemporary buffs in the audience Shakerley was a member of the Sons or Tribe of Ben (Jonson) and hence Holland’s Leaguer is written quite similarly in style to Ben Jonson’s writing.

Holland’s Leaguer is a comedy that takes place primarily in a real brothel of the same name. We are following the bashful Capritio, the redeemed playboy Philautus, the tricky Agurtes, Agurtes’ brilliant daughter Millescent, one of her jaunty suiters Miscellanio, and her other suiter the flamboyant Trimalchio. This scene for tonight is the final scene of the show and as such is the resolution of the high-jinks that have ensued throughout the show. The key events prior to this scene are that Trimalchio and Capritio were at the Leaguer when the guards showed up to shut down all the brothels in London (a real event) and think they were arrested, but instead were “arrested” Miscellanio, Agurtes, and Philautus. The other trickery afoot is that Millescent is pretending to be the daughter of a Duke. I chose this play this entire semester to work on due in large part to the female characters playing such a shaping role. Even though this scene is dominated by male dialogue a woman drives action and, in the end, makes decisions for herself. The other reason I chose this play for my final scene is due to the number of wine references, which as a sommelier in training I really enjoyed playing with and emphasizing those terms. Hope the wine buffs enjoy!