Past
Productions
2007/2008 | 2006 | 2005
| 2004 | 2003
|2002
Denotes Renaissance Austin
Theatre Co. Production
**
Denotes project funding
from City of Austin Cultural Contracts
2007/2008
SEASON (January 2007-June 2008)
BUDDHA AN'
MA DA by Anne
Donovan
Buddha an' ma da
was performed by Lorella Loftus at Hyde Park Theatre
on Friday, February 2, 2007, as part of FronteraFest Short
Fringe. Directed by Christopher Herron, this one woman play
in
Glaswegian (vernacular of Glasgow, Scotland), was adapted by Lorella
Loftus from Scots author Anne Donovan's novel Buddha Da with kind
permission from the author. Photo by Donnelle McKaskle.
**A SKULL
IN CONNEMARA by Martin McDonagh
 Martin
McDonagh's A
Skull in Connemara was sponsored by the Celtic Cultural
Center and directed by Lorella Loftus at the
Dougherty Arts
Center July 20-Aug 5.
This blackly comic drama, the second play in Irish playwright
McDonagh's Connemara trilogy, about a gravedigger whose job is to move
old corpses every seven years to make room for new ones, has gained
international acclaim. Gravedigger Mick Dowd was played by
Daniel
Norton with Paula Gilbert as Maryjohnny Rafferty, Alex Barron as local
copper Thomas Hanlon and Sam Kokajko as young Mairtin Hanlon.
The
set was designed by Frank Benge and
the costumes by Maria Beach who was
also the production dramaturg. Lighting was designed
by
Riana
Rios-Canetti and sound by Lorella Loftus.
Performers
L-R: Alex Barron and
Sam Kokajko.
Photo Credit: Donnelle McKaskle.
ACCIDENTAL
DEATH OF AN ANARCHIST by Dario Fo
Translated by Ron Jenkins and Gloria Pastorino
 Dario
Fo's Accidental
Death of an Anarchist was was directed by Lorella
Loftus and presented by VORTEX Repertory Co. in association
with Renaissance Austin Theatre Co. at the Vortex Theatre, September
14-30. Fo's political farce is based on the
real-life events
surrounding the fall of Giuseppe Pinelli from
the fourth floor
window of a Milan police station.
Robert Deike played the Madman with
Mick D'arcy as
Inspector Bertozzo, Gabriel Maldonado as the
Commissioner, Hannah Kenah as the Turtleneck Inspector, Shekhar Govind
and Briana McKeague as
the Police Officers and Lorella Loftus as the
Reporter. Ann Marie Gordon designed the set and Melissa Childers
the lighting. Lorella Loftus and Chad Salvata designed costumes and
sound.
Performers L - R: Shekhar Govind, Gabriel Maldonado, Hannah
Kenah,
Mick D'arcy, Briana
McKeague and Robert Deike. Photo Credit: Lorella Loftus.
AND in 2007 Lorella appeared as Gertrude in
VORTEX's Hamlet by William
Shakespeare and in City Theatre's The Women of Lockerbie
by Deborah Brevoort.
2006
SEASON (January-December 2006)
4:48
PSYCHOSIS by Sarah Kane
 Sarah Kane's last
play 4:48
Psychosis was directed by Bonnie Cullum
and Lorella Loftus and presented
by VORTEX Repertory Co. in association
with Renaissance Austin Theatre Co. at the Vortex Theatre, May 5-28.
This brutally honest stream-of-consciousness portrayal
of a woman
struggling with an overwhelming depressive condition was totally
recognizable to anyone who has experienced mental illness. Kane spared
her characters no
pity and her audience no emotion. Patricia Wappner
played
P (Perpetrator), Lorella Loftus played V (Victim) and the
audience played B (Bystander). Lighting was provided by
Fallon
Graffe, set by Ann Marie Gordon, music by Chad Salvata and costumes by
Bonnie Cullum.
Performers L-R:
Lorella Loftus, Patricia Wappner.
Photo Credit:
Bonnie Cullum and Donnelle McKaskle.
**A MOON
FOR
THE MISBEGOTTEN by Eugene O'Neill
 Sponsored by
The Celtic Cultural Center and
produced by Renaissance
Austin Theatre Co., Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten
starred Lorella Loftus
as Josie Hogan, Mick D'arcy as Phil Hogan,
Charles P. Stites
as Jim Tyrone, and Steven Laing as Mike Hogan and T.
Stedman Harder. Directed by Donnelle McKaskle,
O'Neill's
last play
about a Connecticut, Irish tenant family and their landlord, was
considered one of his best and most heartfelt. The performances ran
September 8-24 at the Dougherty Arts Center. Lighting by
Walker
Parent, music by The Tea Merchants, costumes by Donnelle McKaskle and
set by Ann Marie Gordon.
Performers L-R: Steven Laing As Mike
Hogan/Stedman Harder, Charles P. Stites as Jim
Tyrone,
Mick
D'arcy as Phil Hogan and Jim Tyrone, Lorella
Loftus as
Josie Hogan. Photo Credit: Donnelle McKaskle.
THE
STEAMIE by Tony Roper
Presented by Renaissance
Austin Theatre Co. and produced by Celtic
Cultural Center of Texas, this staged reading featured Una Taylor as
Mrs. Culfeathers, Sian Rees-Cleland as Dolly, Angela M. Loftus as
Doreen,
Lorella Loftus as Magrit and Roger B. Borgelt as Andy. Set in a Glasgow
washhouse (a "steamie") in the 1950's on Hogmanay (New Year's Eve),
four married women of a variety of ages laugh and cry as they do their
laundry, aided by the steamie handyman. The performances took place on
the Kelpie Stage at the Austin Celtic Festival, November 5-6. Featured
on BBC Radio Scotland.
AND
in December 2006 Lorella was featured in an AUSTIN CHRONICLE
article about six local theatre artists. For the full article
go
to
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A431065
2005
SEASON (January-December 2005)
**MACBETH:
THE SCOTTISH PLAY by William Shakespeare
 Adapted and directed
by Lorella Loftus and staged
at the Dougherty Arts
Center, April 2005. A specially adapted historical version of
Shakespeare's
tragedy, set in
11th century Scotland. Written and directed by
Lorella
Loftus, for the Celtic Cultural Center of Texas. MacBeth
was played by Todd J Porter with Stewart McGregor as Malcolme, Zach
Freeman as Banquo, Steven Tausch as MacDuff, and Lorella Loftus as Lady
MacBeth. Una Taylor, Anne Marshall,
and Nadia Loftus played
the
three witches. The cast also featured Christopher Buckley on
fiddle and Jeffrey Jones Ragona on vocals, along with Roger Borgelt,
Collin Galloway, Steven Fay, Art Dibianca, Angela M. Loftus and Brent
Jacob.
Set Design by Ann Marie Gordon, Lighting Design by
Jennifer
Rogers, and Costume Design by Anne Marshall.
Photo
Credit: Kenneth B. Gall. Todd Porter as MacBeth.
PHAEDRA'S
LOVE by Sarah Kane
 Presented
by Renaissance Austin Theatre Co. in association
with VORTEX
Repertory Co. at the Vortex theatre in August and September of 2005.
By incorporating film as part of the play's action,
Renaissance created
a new angle on the old Greek story of a stepmother's illicit passion
for her indifferent stepson. Todd J Porter played Hippolytus with
Lorella Loftus as Phaedra. The theatre cast included Michael
DeMinico, William Rene, Cindy DiCosimo and Ruby Glaberman. Film
actors included John Lansch, Shawn P. May, Paula
Gilbert, Gina Houston,
Chris Sykes, Carl Gonzales, Cynthia A. Burton
and Brandi Hughes.
Co-directed and designed by Lorella Loftus and
Todd J Porter.
Set
Design by Todd J Porter, Lighting Design by Todd J Porter, Costume
Design by Lorella Loftus and Sound Design by Chad Salvata.
Todd Porter as Hippolytus and Lorella Loftus as Phaedra.
Photo
Credit: Kenneth B. Gall.
TAM
O'SHANTER by Robert Burns
Performed at the Austin Celtic Festival, Fiesta Gardens, November 5
2005 (two performances). Renaissance Austin Theatre Company
presented this
dramatization of
Robert Burns' classic tale of misadventure. Tam O'Shanter and
his
old nag Meg, travel late one night through the haunted countryside of
Ayr, Scotland … The performances featured
special guests, Scottish folk singer, Ed Miller as the Narrator, and
Ken Liechti of the Silver Thistle Pipes and Drums as Auld
Nick.
The cast included Una Taylor, Jeffrey Jones Ragona, Sarah Coronado,
Lorella Loftus and Roger Borgelt as Tam.
EXIT
304 by Lowell Bartholomee
This specially commissioned work received two performances on November
6, 2005.
Directed by guest director, Ellie McBride, this contemporary short play
told the story of Morna, a Scottish woman fleeing New Orleans in the
wake of Katrina. Featuring actors Todd J Porter as Bub, Lorella Loftus
as Morna, Roger
Borgelt as Cal and Una Taylor as Jo Bailey.
2004
SEASON (January-December 2004)
JUNO
AND THE PAYCOCK by Sean O'Casey
A staged reading presented by Renaissance Austin Theatre Co. at Opal
Divine's Freehouse, April 2004. The
cast featured Mick D'arcy as "Captain" Jack Boyle, Garry Peters as
"Joxer" Daly, Preston Jones as Johnny Boyle, Marc Gunn as Jerry Devine,
Lorella Loftus as Juno Boyle, Anne-Marie McKaskle as Mary Boyle, Betsy
McCann as Maisie Madigan and Sian Rees-Cleland as Mrs Tancred.
MACBETH:
THE SCOTTISH PLAY, ACT I by William Shakespeare
A specially adapted historical version of William Shakespeare's
tragedy. Adapted and directed by Lorella Loftus and presented
by
Renaissance Austin Theatre Co. Staged at the Austin Celtic
Festival, Fiesta Gardens, November 2004. The
production featured Anne Marshall, Una Taylor and Sian Rees-Cleland as
the three witches, Lorella Loftus as Lady MacBeth, Barry Pineo as
MacBeth, Charles Hobby as Banquo, Roger B. Borgelt as Duncan, Monica
Kurtz as Malcolme, Allan Wilson as MacDuff, Weldon Phillips as the
Sergeant and Thane of Angus, Todd J Porter as the Thane of Caithness
and Cameron Walsh as Fleance.
2003
SEASON (January-December 2003)
A
MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM by William Shakespeare
A specially adapted short version of Shakespeare's comedy. Directed by
Lorella Loftus for the Celtic Cultural Center of Texas' May Day event
at Fado's, May 2003. The cast featured Lorella Loftus as
Titania, Edmund Pantuliano as
Bottom, Marc Gunn as Oberon and Dory Mead as Puck.
CORIOLANUS by William Shakespeare
A vibrant adaptation of one of Shakespeare's later plays directed by
Lorella Loftus for VORTEX Repertory Co. in November 2003. The
cast featured Matt Patterson as Coriolanus, Todd J Porter as Aufidius,
Jennifer Underwood as Volumnia, Betsy McCann as Menenius, Melissa Vogt
as Virgilia, Content Love Knowles as Sicinius, Blake Anthony DeLong as
Brutus and Sean O'Brien as Cominius. Also featuring Errich
Petersen, Kate Michael Gibson and Abbey Wyndham as the Citizens and in
other assorted roles.
UNDER
MILK WOOD by Dylan Thomas
A staged radio play by Welsh author Dylan Thomas presented by
Renaissance Austin Theatre Co. at the Austin Celtic Festival, November
2003. Directed by Lorella Loftus.
The
cast featured David Phillips, Allan Wilson, Roger B. Borgelt, Jason
McDonald, Sian Rees-Cleland, Una Taylor, Anne Marshall, Betsy McCann
and Lorella Loftus in assorted roles.
AND in February 2003 Lorella appeared as St. Brigid in
VORTEX's Holy
Well and Sacred Flame
by Bonnie Cullum.
2002
SEASON (January-December 2002)
MARY
QUEEN OF SCOTS GOT HER HEAD CHOPPED OFF by Liz Lochhead
Renaissance Austin Theatre Company's Inaugural
Production
This contemporary look at the story of Mary Stuart
by Scottish
playwright, Liz Lochhead, was Renaissance Austin Theatre Co.'s
inaugural production. Directed by Lorella Loftus and
presented at
the Vortex theatre in April 2002. The
production featured Lorella Loftus as Mary, Anne Marshall as La Corbie,
Paul Norton as John Knox, Bernadette Nason as Elizabeth, Dan Bisbee as
Bothwell, Scott Daigle as Darnley, David Saldana as Riccio and
Elizabeth Marquis as the fiddler. Set Design by Ann Marie
Gordon,
Lighting Design by Jennifer Rogers, Costume Design by Star Costumes,
Sound Design by David Saldana and Musical Direction by Lorella Loftus.
The
production received an Austin Critics Table nomination and was featured
in ACOT's Curtain
Call.
MEDEA by Liz Lochhead
Lorella Loftus directed this contemporary rewriting of the Medea myth
for VORTEX Repertory Co. in November 2002. The
cast featured Paula Gilbert, Wendy Goodwin, Betsy McCann and Regina
Yunker as the Medeas, with Stewart Johnson as Jason, Traci Laird as the
Nurse, Steven Fay as Kreon, Jennifer Blair as Glauke and Josh Meyer as
the Tutor. Zach Pettichord, Aaron Williams, and Brittany
Williams
played the children of Medea. Set design by Ann Marie
Gordon, Lighting Design by Jason Amato, Costume Design by Pam Fletcher
Friday, Original Musical Score by Edmund Pantuliano and Sound Design by
Blaine Indemaio and Edmund Pantuliano. The production
received three B. Iden Payne nominations
and two B. Iden Payne awards.
 
This
project is funded and supported in part by the City of Austin through
the Cultural Arts Division and by a grant from the  Texas
Commission on the Arts and an award from the
National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a
great nation deserves great art.
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