Join the Dean's Men for our fall quarter virtual mainstage, featuring two unique collections of Shakespearean monologues! The event will be live-streamed on the Dean's Men YouTube Channel! This will be the culmination of the hard work our Dean's Men directors, actors, and production staff have been putting in all quarter.

Wifely Duties, directed by Ryan Murphy

In this series of monologues, director Ryan Murphy wants to explore what Shakespeare thinks of as the role of a spouse. The monologues will take place in a dream during lockdown, and the audience will occupy the mind of a couple dealing with their doubts on marriage.

Summaries

“Paris and Troilus, you have both said well” from Troilus and Cressida was originally delivered by Hector to his brothers Paris and Troilus to explain his position on the Trojan war. It describes why it was wrong for Paris to spirit off Helen, another man’s wife, and yet, in the monologue’s final moments, Hector urges a rededication to the resulting war, whatever its origin. What do we do with a wayward wife?

“And I, forsooth, in love!” from Love’s Labour Lost was originally delivered by Biron, a man who had agreed with his companions to swear off women for three years so they could focus on their studies, yet who nevertheless finds himself enamored with the witty Rosaline. The monologue contains his lovestruck concerns about love and his beloved. What are vows before love?

“They shall go forward, Kate” from The Taming of the Shrew was originally delivered by Petruchio to his fiancée Kate and a crowd, giving orders and assurances about their upcoming marriage. He further describes Kate as his property, and, for that reason, subject to his protection. What does this patriarchal attitude about marriage suggest about the reciprocity of its demands?

“Was the hope drunk/wherein you dressed yourself” from Macbeth was originally not a monologue, but a dialogue between Lady Macbeth and her husband. In it, Lady Macbeth exhorts her husband to more vigorously pursue kingship, mocking him as a coward and unmanly. Do husbands owe their wives power, and what should wives do to make sure they get it?

“Say ‘a day’ without the ‘ever.’” from As You Like It was originally delivered by Rosalind as part of her exchange of wedding vows with her new husband Orlando. It’s a reminder, following his declaration of undying love, that the honeymoon period will end, her less endearing features will emerge, and they will still be married. If not feeling, whence come the obligations of marriage?

“Sir, I desire you do me right and justice” from Henry VIII was originally delivered by Katherine, then Queen of England, to King Henry VIII between hearing of his plans to have their marriage annulled and the plan’s eventual execution. In it, she pleads her case, explaining the ways in which she has been a good wife, the legality of their marriage, and the durability of wedlock. What should end a marriage?

Cast

Lily McHugh (Wife) is a first-year at the college, and thrilled to be in her first post high school theater production.

Harry Franklin (Husband) is a first-year who’s thrilled to be participating in his first UT/Dean’s Men production! When not performing, he enjoys juggling, jogging, and joggling (a combination of the previous two).

Jessica Aaron (Holy Matrimoly) is a first-year considering a major in Law, Letters and Society or English. In her free time she loves wearing crazy socks, creating and playing mystery games, tap dancing, and reading science fiction. She is super excited to be breaking into the college theater world in her first show with The Dean’s Men!

Production Staff

Ryan Murphy (Director) is a fourth-year Philosophy major. He enjoys quiet reading, primary colors, yet-unpunished hubris, fruit juice, and other kindergarten essentials. He acted in last year’s winter production of Antony and Cleopatra.

Jonathan Badonsky (Stage Manager) is a second-year English and Classics major. His previous UT credits include Julius Caesar (ASM) and Antony and Cleopatra (ALD).

Anna Katz (Video Editor) is a cinema and media studies and history major in the college.

Monologues from the Histories, directed by Ruthie Dworin

Director Ruthie Dworin is exploring kings, history, power, and how a monarchy weighs heavy on kings themselves and those around them. These monologues feature fun, rich language and are beautifully applicable beyond 13th century England.

Summaries

Queen Margaret tortures the Duke of York for trying to a) steal the throne from her husband and b) then insisting on being declared heir, thereby stealing the throne from her son. She uses her henchmen, the lords of Clifford and Northumberland, to kill one of York’s sons and to threaten the others.

Philip, the bastard son of Richard the Lionhearted, has just been given knighthood in exchange for giving up his inheritance. In this monologue, he revels in his new status, and considers how he will have to change the way he acts around others.

King John is about to lose everything, as all his impulsive actions catch up to him. King John had ordered the child Arthur’s death because the child had a claim to the throne, and King John has spent the entire play trying desperately to cling onto his kingdom. When he sees that his nobles, his people, and even nature itself are appalled by his ordering the death of a child, he tries to push all the blame onto his henchman Hubert, whom he had ordered to kill Arthur.

In the beginning of Act 4 of Henry V, the chorus brings us back from watching the French gleefully prepare to slaughter the English in battle. We are in the middle of a battlefield, around 3 a.m., just hours before the battle of Agincourt, which both the English and the French are convinced the English will lose. However, as the chorus tells us, King Henry V is going to spend his last few hours before the battle encouraging his men and convincing them that he’s one of them.

In the beginning of Act 4 of Henry V, the chorus brings us back from watching the French gleefully prepare to slaughter the English in battle. We are in the middle of a battlefield, around 3 a.m., just hours before the battle of Agincourt, which both the English and the French are convinced the English will lose. However, as the chorus tells us, King Henry V is going to spend his last few hours before the battle encouraging his men and convincing them that he’s one of them.

Only months after Lady Percy lost her husband, Harry Percy, in battle, his father tries to go off and fight in the new rebellion. Lord Northumberland, her father-in-law, is the only protection Lady Percy has left, so she is terrified. Even worse, Northumberland could have marched to defend Percy in battle, but he didn’t, and now Percy is dead. She tries to remind Northumberland that his son wasn’t called Hotspur for no reason--he was an incredible warrior and a loving husband.

Cast

Nora Schultz (Queen Margaret) is a first-year and probable English or Art History major. They are super excited to be here, as they’re one of those freaks who genuinely adores the Henry VI plays. When not acting, Nora is probably browsing Wikipedia, listening to folk music, or tweeting about Moby-Dick.

Gabi Garcia (Phillip the Bastard) is a second-year majoring in classics and computer science. Previously, she’s worked on The Old Man and the Old Moon (Assistant Production Manager) with UT and Shakespeare’s Richard II (Bolingbroke) with CES. She’s very excited to be a Dean’s Man!

Jonathan Rufino (King John) is a second-year Astrophysics major with a minor in Data Science. His previous credits include Macbeth (Macduff) and Twelfth Night (Sir Andrew Aguecheek). Having been on leave for the last academic year, he is excited to return to the Dean’s Men!

Kevin Yao (Chorus) is a first-year chemistry and molecular engineering major. This is first Dean’s Men production here. He loves ducks.

Cameron Drake (King Henry IV) is a first-year in the college. This is also his first program with The Dean’s Men. He enjoys writing, performing, pretending he’s fashionable, and generally being the goofball of the group. He’s super excited to perform, and he loved getting to know all of these talented people!

Adi Cullom (Lady Percy) is a third-year Global studies major. Though she has worked on a few shows during her past two years, this is her first time acting at the University.

Production Staff

Ruthie Dworin (Director) is a fourth-year at UChicago majoring in linguistics. She has directed a few things through UT and one or two things not in UT. She will theoretically graduate in the spring if she ever writes her thesis.

Anna Katz (Video Editor) is a cinema and media studies and history major in the college.