Antony & Cleopatra
Original Dance Theatre Production
The Soothsayer Lamprius welcomes all to Club Isis, a music and dance club where dreams are fulfilled and hearts are broken She sets the stage for the fateful events soon to come.
Caesar Octavian is a wealthy financier, and the most successful music mogul in the West. His business partner, Marc Antony, is a rock star who is growing weary and disillusioned with the music business. Relations between the two are strained. Antony has come to Club Isis to see the famous Cleopatra. He's enthralled, and they share a dance as the others look on.
Cleopatra is the main attraction at Club Isis, an enchanting drag queen fueled by drama–her emotions are as volatile as they are theatrical. She lives and loves with a ferocity that can be intoxicating, but dangerous, to those in her orbit. At her side are the mesmerizing duo Charmian and Iras. They are her dancers, her confidants, and her zealous defenders.
Caesar Octavian is a wealthy financier, and the most successful music mogul in the West. His business partner, Marc Antony, is a rock star who is growing weary and disillusioned with the music business. Relations between the two are strained. Antony has come to Club Isis to see the famous Cleopatra. He's enthralled, and they share a dance as the others look on.
Antony is married to Caesar’s sister, the beautiful and talented singer Octavia. Their marriage was arranged to bring stability to this uneasy alliance. Octavia is loyal to both her husband and her brother. She sees her role as a duty and honor, but Octavia loves Antony deeply, perhaps more than Antony loves her.
5. ALL ALONE
As Antony leaves, Octavia dances alone. She knows she is losing him to Cleopatra.
Octavian pays a visit to his sister. He is full of machismo and muscle, and is not happy with how Antony is treating his sister.
Antony completely falls into the culture of the club. He returns to performing with his trusted manager Enobarbus and his backup dancer Eros.
Cleopatra and her girls perform again, but she is signaling that her music will always be her top priority - not love, and certainly not men. The fates, as represented by Lamprius, are taking. notice.
Antony is determined to visit Cleopatra in her chambers, and she accepts. They bring their hearts together as one and spend the night together.
All of the characters of Antony and Cleopatra have their own stories and motives. Their tales are dispensed in Shakespeare's favorite medium - iambic pentameter - ten beats (syllables) at a time.
Cleopatra performs again and everyone at Club Isis is pulled into the dance. Antony senses there may be things afoot between Caesar and Cleopatra.
Octavian starts dictating terms to Cleopatra who shrewdly picks survival over her relationship with Antony. Antony sees her betrayal.
Antony is distraught and alone. He is torn between his love for Cleopatra and Octavia and sends them both letters describing his woe.
Act 2
Antony is lost in the depths of despair. He is hopelessly in love with the bewitching Cleopatra. Her magnetism and sensuality reinvigorated his passion and vigor in a way he thought was no longer possible. Antony believed she returned his love but has now learned of Cleopatra’s betrayal. She has made alliances with Caesar behind his back.
Just as Antony is ready to disavow Cleopatra forever, she begs for his forgiveness. He immediately succumbs to her again, certain that their destinies are entwined.
Antony dances alone with Octavia. He does love her, but not enough to leave Cleopatra.
Antony tells Octavia that he is leaving her for Cleopatra. Octavia vows to persevere with grace and dignity, but then begins to sink into madness.
No sooner does Antony celebrate his reunion with Cleopatra, than Caesar offers her a new deal she feels she cannot refuse. Antony is furious at another betrayal and devastated by Cleopatra’s unloyalty to him.
Cleopatra learns of Caesar’s true intentions – he does not intend to embrace her and her music, but instead, to take control of Club Isis. Refusing to be humiliated by Caesar, she implores Charmian and Iras to spread the word that she has taken her life.
Having received Charmian's notice that Cleopatra has died, Antony is devastated. He implores Eros to kill him. Out of honor, Eros refuses and stabs himself instead. Antony then takes his own life, and Enobarbus delivers him to Cleopatra's chambers where he dies in her arms.
Cleopatra is distraught, and feels the walls quickly closing in. Never one to miss a dramatic turn, she and her girls perform one final snake-charming dance, then place deadly asps on their throats to take their lives.
Octavian realizes what his actions have caused. Octavia is heartbroken that Antony is dead, her descent into madness worsens. The fates have not looked kindly on the machinations of Caesar or Cleopatra, and Caesar pledges to bury the dead with honor and pageantry.
Creatives
Cory Gabel
Original Music and Story Adaptation
Cory is an American composer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. Cory first became known as the lead singer and songwriter for the grunge rock-era band Limestone Rome from 1993 to 2001. As a composer, Cory is known for his solo piano work and his frequent collaborations with dance companies, producing original, modern dance and ballet scores.
Gregory Glade Hancock
Choreography, Costume Design & Direction
Gregory Glade Hancock is the founder, Artistic Director and principal choreographer for Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre. Prior to this, Mr. Hancock was the Artistic Director for the Indianapolis Dance Company. He has created over 160 dance works for the company’s expansive repertoire including such critically acclaimed pieces as: The Violin Under the Bed, Until There is No More..., The Hunchback of Notre Dame, SUPERHERO; the story of a man called Jesus, ALICE and her Bizarre Adventures in Wonderland, Under the Big Top, Joan of Arc, The Scarlet Letter, Our Town and many more.
PREMIERE CAST: GREGORY HANCOCK DANCE THEATRE COMPANY
THOMAS JAMES MASON
Cleopatra
ADRIAN DOMINGUEZ
Marc Antony
ABIGAIL LESSARIS
Octavia
CHLOE HOLZMAN
Caesar Octavian
HANNAH BROWN
Charmian
CAMDEN LANCASTER
Iras
JOSIE MOODY
Eros
OLIVIA PATTON
Enobarbus
ZOE MAISH
Lamprius
