What’s Up, Piercing Eloquence?

This week’s title is brought to you by Mr. Raffi Barsoumian, whose charming habit of saying ‘What’s up, [inanimate object]?’ in way of observance has infused itself in my consciousness. Consequently, I go around saying things like, ‘What’s up, dirty dishes?,’ ‘What’s up, rain?,’ ‘What’s up, dental floss?’ and so on. And so in thinking of a way to introduce the American Shakespeare Center’s 2007/2008 Piercing Eloquence Touring Troupe, my first thought was, ‘What’s up, Piercing Eloquence?’

Both of these pictures are fairly small, but we resemble ourselves to a greater degree than we do in our program headshots. This is the official ‘Troupe Shot,’ and unofficially the ‘Ellen Sandwiched by Chrises with Stringed Instruments Shot.’

Back row (left-right): Daniel Kennedy, Scot Carson, Josh Carpenter, Alisa Ledyard
Middle row (left-right): Paul Reisman, Ginna Hoben, Evan Hoffmann
Front row (left-right): Raffi Barsoumian, Chris Johnston, Ellen Adair, Chris Seiler

For further introduction, I will run down the primary parts we all have in each play in the order we appear in this picture, rather than listing each part per person. Granted, I may have an unintentional bias towards listing ‘primary’ parts in scenes that I’m also in, especially in Henry, where a number of people are playing 17.9 parts.

Taming of the Shrew

Back row: Tranio, Gremio/Sly, Petruchio, Curtis/Pedant
Middle row: Grumio, Kate, Biondello/Induction Lord
Front row: Lucentio, Hortensio, Bianca, Baptista/Page

Merchant of Venice

Back row: Launcelot Gobbo/Tubal, Antonio, Bassanio, Jessica
Middle row: Lorenzo/Arragon, Nerissa, Gratiano
Front row: Solanio/Morocco, Salerio, Portia, Shylock

Henry V

Back row: Pistol, Exeter/Erpingham, Constable of France/Bates, Montjoy/Queen of France
Middle row: Nym/Gower, Hostess/Alice, Henry
Front row: Bardolph/Orleans/Williams, the Dauphin/Court, Boy/Kate, Fluellen/French King

 In slight recompense of both of these being so small, here is another picture, taken during our second week of rehearsal:

Standing (left-right): Josh Carpenter, Ginna Hoben, Evan Hoffmann, Raffi Barsoumian, Ellen Adair, Chris Seiler, Alisa Ledyard, Scot Carson
Kneeling: Paul Reisman, Chris Johnston, Daniel Kennedy, Aaron Hochhalter (our fantastic tour manager!)

So, pray you consider that you have been provided with the answer to the question, ‘Who are the people in the Piercing Eloquence tour?’ or alternately ‘What’s up, Piercing Eloquence?’