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 | Louka (Sarah Hankins) | Raina (Lauren Orkus) &
Sergius (Darren Bridgett) |
Arms and the ManBy George Bernard Shaw
October 12 to November 20, 2005 An uproarious and unexpected comedy. In a war between Bulgaria and Serbia, an enemy Serbian soldier climbs a drainpipe to a young Bulgarian woman’s bedroom for shelter and shatters her every romantic notion about love and valor. A jealous lover, a bumbling military father, and a domineering and social-climbing mother round out a perfectly hilarious and charmingly ludicrous look at life in the old world of Eastern Europe. Watch a video clip of Arms and the ManTo purchase single tickets:If you know which show, date and seating section you want, go directly to our Online Ticketing Box Office. If not, we have plenty of information to help you, just follow the steps below: - Select your date using the calendar below, or by going to our new Season Calendar.
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Bluntschli (Timothy Williams), Raina (Lauren Orkus)
Sergius (Darren Bridgett) and Malor Petkoff (Kristian Truelsen)
Cast of CharactersRaina......................................................................................................Lauren Orkus*
Catherine Petkoff.....................................................................................Joanna Olsen*
Louka....................................................................................................Sarah Hankins*
Captian Bluntschli.................................................................................Timothy Williams*
Russian Officer...............................................................................................Chris Holz
Nicola............................................................................................................Don Seay*
Major Paul Petkoff............................................................................Kristian Truelsen*
Major Sergius Saranoff........................................................................Darren Bridgett*
ReviewsShaw's Comedy Stands the Test of TimeThe Orlando Sentinel
Excerpts from the review by Elizabeth Maupin  Raina (Lauren Orkus) & Sergius (Darren Bridgett
Chocolate brings Capt. Bluntschli to his knees. Not literally, of course, but look at the slightly addled expression on his face when a pretty young woman offers him a chocolate cream. That dizzy demeanor is the key to the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival's take on Arms and the Man, a century-old comedy by George Bernard Shaw that has some dizzy moments of its own. In the hands of director Thomas Ouellette, Shaw's satirical look at love and war is peopled by such agreeable nitwits that it's remarkable they can get all their horses trotting in the same direction. And Shaw meant it that way. As one of his characters, Catherine Petkoff, describes her family's place in society: "Our position is almost historical: We can go back for nearly 20 years." The Shakespeare Festival takes a lush approach to Arms and the Man, one of the quartet of comedies (along with Candida and two others) that Shaw published under the title Plays Pleasant. Filled as it is with Denise Warner's luxuriant silk gowns, Bob Phillips' elaborate settings and Joseph P. Oshry's warm lighting, the production has the look of something quite grand. But pleasant is an understatement and grand a misnomer for this pixillated comedy, which skewers its characters in the cheeriest of ways. Shaw set his comedy in the 1880s in the Balkan kingdom of Bulgaria, where the country is at war with the Serbs. A young Swiss mercenary, fighting for Serbia, flees for his life into the bedroom of Raina Petkoff, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy Bulgarian officer. When the soldier, Capt. Bluntschli, threatens to make a suicide run back into the arms of his pursuers, Raina offers the starving man some chocolate. And almost before you know it, level-headed Bluntschli has pricked a pin into just about every foolish idea the melodramatic Petkoffs have ever had. Shaw, of course, was the first one not to take the Petkoffs seriously, these characters who boast about their staircase and their library and about the fact that they wash their hands nearly every day. But in Ouellette's production, nobody gets off easily. Raina (Lauren Orkus) may moon about the dashing Bulgarian major she's in love with -- squealing over his name and caressing his photo as if he were a member of a Balkan boy band. But Bluntschli (Timothy Williams) has his silly moments as well: Just watch him try to light a match, or the way he tries to hide when a Bulgarian search party comes to call. Ouellette has a savvy cast on his hands, and he has used them beautifully, from the head of the household, Maj. Petkoff (Kristian Truelsen), an imposing man who leads with his impressive mustache, to the slippery servant (Don Seay), who never says a word that's not to his own advantage. Truelsen is a stitch as the genial Petkoff, who is happiest when he can sit in a corner and be left alone. And so is Darren Bridgett as Maj. Sergius Saranoff, Raina's beloved, who is so full of sashays and poses that it seems his limbs must be made of spaghetti... almost everything to do with the show is delightful -- the ultraheroic music, the opulent gold braid of the officers' uniforms, the performances in the supporting roles (including Joanna Olsen as Raina's proud mother and Sarah Hankins as her equally proud maid). Orkus does a lovely job as a Raina who first comes off like a love-struck teenager and turns into a beautifully self-aware young woman. And Williams makes a terrific Bluntschli, from the broad strokes of his comical fumbling to his subtle reactions to the Bulgarians. A wry smile, an authoritative manner and the alarmed expression in Williams' eyes go a very long way in this little comedy, which breezes along as if written in the 21st century and not the 19th. Hardly anybody thinks of the illustrious Shaw as carefree. But this Arms and the Man will send your cares sailing. Romantic, Funny, Sexy - a Solid Evening's Entertainment!INK 19 Magazine
Excerpts from the review by Carl F. Gauze Young, naïve Raina (Orkus) finds a cavalry charge quite romantic. She lives far away in Bulgarian luxury, with no idea of the details. But when incoherent men run through her town, and one climbs the water pipe, slipping his sword under her bed, war takes on a whole new light. Captain Bluntschli (Williams) works for the losing Serbs, and as a Swiss Mercenary he plans on getting paid, not getting shot. He shocks Raina's with a different view of valor and cowardice - her fiancé Major Saranoff (Bridget) lead a stupid charge into a machine gun company. He's only alive because the Serbs sent the wrong cartridges, and Bluntschli just barely escaped himself from the crazed horsemen. When Saranoff reappears, he makes a pass at the serving girl Louka (Hankins), but is still ticked off when he learns about Bluntschli's interest in Raina, and offers a duel. Bluntschli get s to pick the weapon, and he IS a natural with a machine gun, so that pretty much wraps up THAT disagreement. "Arms and the Man" is a post World War I anti-war statement, played like a Marx Brothers movie. Besides the obvious deflation of patriotism and the uselessness of carrying bullets when food is more useful, the fanny pinching and sexual innuendo make this a light hearted view of the problem. Tim Williams's sword play made the first two rows duck, but he plays the prefect leading man for Raina to take home to momma. Bridgett's Saranoff moves around in a Groucho like crouch, which wears a bit thin - is he instinctively ducking bullets, or is it some sort of old war wound? While Raina is clean faced and idealistic, she clashes with the saucy servant Louka, who adopts independent action over the suck-up family retainer role her father (Don Seay) prefers. In a more conventional comedic role, we find the imperious father of the bride Major Petkoff (Kristian Truelsen.) He brings his considerable skills of timing and double entendre to the role, and while he flirts mercilessly with Louka, he's really beholden to his wife Catherine (Joanna Olsen). Funny and a little sexy, "Arms" provides a solid evening's entertainment that has just enough anti-war action to make you feel good, but not so much you want to go stand on a street corner with a floppy cardboards sign. Wars come and peace goes, and the glamour of both shines brightest for the non-participants. I suggest you try to avoid battles, I hear they are loud and dusty; but try not to be too offended when people kill each other. They seem to like doing so; it's the second or third oldest profession in the world. Shaw Classic Gleams at Shakespeare Center in OrlandoThe Daily Sun
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Review by Jack Petro  Raina (Lauren Orkus) & Bluntschli (Timothy Williams)
Some 50 years ago, my girlfriend at the time invited me to see a play in which she was acting. The high school version of George Bernard Shaw’s “Arms and the Man” was my very first exposure to live theater.
Seeing the play last week, performed by the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Professional Theater Company, was an emotional experience. The Shaw classic, for me, had lost none of its charm.
The setting is the Balkans in 1880, when Serbia and Bulgaria are at war. We see the bedroom of Raina (Lauren Orkus), the young daughter og Bulgarian Major Petkoff (Kristian Truelsen). She has just received word that her fiancé, Sergius (Darren Bridgett), has singlehandedly led a cavalry charge that devastated the Serbian army. A Serb officer, Captain Bluntschli (Timothy Williams), bursts through the balcony doors of Raina hides the fugitive soldier while the house is searched. Bluntschli tells Raina that he is a Swiss mercenary who has seen the futility of war. He describes the Bulgarian cavalry charge as being initiated by a horse which, when frightened by gunfire, ran downhill out of control with its rider frantically screaming in fright. The Serbs easily could have repulsed the attack, but they were issued the wrong ammunition. Raina offers the hungry Bluntschli some of her chocolates, which he eagerly devours. She dubs him her “Chocolate Cream Soldier” just before he leaves. The real humor begins when Bluntschli returns to the Petkoff mansion and becomes part of the armistice committee. The comely housemaid Louka (Sarah Hankins) and butler Nicola (Dan Seay) add their part to the comedy. “Arms and the Man” was an immediate hit in England when it first appeared in 1894. Shaw had a way with words, poking holes in the romantic notion of war and exposing the absurdity of the constant conflicts in central Europe. He also hacked away at the English view of aristocracy, pomp, and propriety to the great amusement of the average British theater fan. “Pygmalion” is considered the best of Shaw’s 50 plays, and is the basis of the musical “My Fair Lady.” His “St. Hoan” won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925.
The cast for “Arms and the Man” is made up mostly of Equity (professional) actors, so movements and timing are superb. Hats off, however, to Bridgett for his energetic, melodramatic interpretation of the hapless Sergius. Honors for best projection, among other attributes, go to Hankins as Louka. Truelsen played the buffoonish Major Petkoff right on the mark. “Arms and the Man” is staged in the ultramodern 118 seat Goldman Theater within the Lowndes Shakespeare Center in the Loch Haven Cultural Park of Orlando. The complex is home to two other theaters and is contiguous with Orlando’s museum of art and science center.
Shaw’s classic runs through Nov. 20 and wins my recommendation for a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Life by ChocolateThe Artsweb.com
November 01, 2005 Imagine a soldier that instead of carrying bullets carries chocolate. What a wonderful world this would be! According to George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man, a light-hearted view of love, war, and chocolate, this is the reality. I always knew chocolate could save a very bad day. Evidently a theory held by Shaw too. I refer to it as “Life by Chocolate.” Shaw’s anti-war sentiments are subtly delivered in this Thomas Ouellette production chock-full of superb comedic timing, masterful set changes, luxurious costumes, and entertaining fair. The play opens in the bedroom of Raina Petkoff (Lauren Orkus), a headstrong and pampered girl who has just learned of her handsome fiancés valiant and successful cavalry charge. With stars in her eyes and her head in the clouds, Raina prepares for bed only to be slammed back to reality with the sound of gunfire in her own backyard. Captain Bluntschli (Timothy Williams), a desperate Serbian army officer flees for his life taking refuge in the bedchamber of the young and impressionable Raina. Bluntchli recounts the cavalry charge of a brave and handsome soldier, Raina’s own betroved - Major Sergius Saranoff (Darren Bridgett) – who by happenstance only survived the sword vs. machine gun attack by the issuance of the wrong ammunition. Raina is shocked to hear Captain Bluntchli’s view of the absurdities of battle, but still takes pity on this starving and exhausted deserter. She hides him from his pursuers and feeds him her last chocolates – creams (thus dubbing him her “chocolate cream soldier”). Raina pledges her protection, and with the help of her mother, smuggles her “chocolate cream soldier” out of the house in her father’s favorite coat. Mired in wealth and social standing, Raina and her mother proudly boast their perceived importance to anyone who will listen – a wayward soldier, the servants, and even the man of the house. Raina brags of a library – with books, spending the “season” in Vienna where she attends the opera, and regular hand washing. Her mother has installed a newfangled bell to ring for the servants - as wealthy people of their status do not yell. And proudly exudes that the Petkoffs are a very historical family and can go back nearly 20 years. Raina manages to mature beyond these musings as her reality of a “perfect love” is shattered by the unexpected real thing. Mrs. Petkoff, well that’s another story. She only changes her opinion of Captain Bluntchli on learning of his wealth beyond her imaginings. Only then does she see his suitability for her daughter. The production is well cast with both newbies and seasoned regulars of the festival. Orkus’ debut performance as the spoiled and girlish Raina matures through each act into a self-possessed woman by play’s end. I, like Captain Bluntschli, assumed she was a childish teenage girl, not a woman of 23. Williams’ high-strung Bluntschli from the bedroom scene is transformed into a composed and in control man of means by Act III. The supporting members of the cast provide the better part of the comic relief, although Williams delivers a tasty nugget of physical humor as he hides himself under a much too small settee. Catherine Petkoff played by Joanna Olsen has a Carol Burnett ‘esque’ demeanor. She seems to share a secret not only with her daughter but with the audience as well. From catching blown kisses to pouty-boy faces, the buffoonish swagger of Darren Bridgett’s Sergius gives the show its over-the-top silliness. The blustering and boisterous, Major Petkoff (Kirstian Truelsen) seems to be oblivious to the goings on of his household and that’s just peachy with him. Sarah Hankins as Louka has the ability to project her voice into the stratosphere. And the self-serving Nicola (Don Seay) seems to be the only one aware of the inner-workings of the minds of all the other characters and plays this to his advantage.
The intimate setting and casual atmosphere of the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival has dispelled any of my trepidations of “the theatre” implied just by the mention of Shakespeare. I feel I have discovered an entertainment gem. Don’t be intimidated and miss out on this production.
SynopsisA fleeing member of the Serbian army desperately climbs through Raina Petkoff’s bedroom window to escape capture, but he turns out to be a Swiss mercenary officer by the name of Captain Bluntschli. Raina scolds him for being cowardly and informs him of the bravery of her fiance, Sergius, a cavalry officer who led the Bulgarian victory. Bluntschli informs her of the foolish nature of Sergius’ charge and then explains that chocolates are more valuable in a war than bullets, a statement that outrages Raina. He shocks her even more when he reveals that he is afraid and unwilling to die. However, when soldiers come seeking out the run-away, Raina hides the fugitive.
Act II takes place four months later, when Raina’s father and fiance have returned after the war. The two men talk about a young Swiss officer who had impressed them with his practical approach to the exchange of soldiers. The men also laugh about the tale of the officer’s escape and how a young girl had given him shelter in her bedroom, little suspecting that it happened in Major Petkoff’s own house. Meanwhile in secret, Sergius has been flirting with Louka. Unexpectedly, Captain Bluntschli shows up to return an overcoat that Raina had lent him for his escape, and she panics when her father invites him to stay for lunch.
In Act III, while Bluntschli is helping the men plan for the transport of troops, Raina is worried that her father will find the photo she had secretly left in the coat pocket for her “Chocolate Cream Soldier”. When Sergius discovers the bond between Raina and Bluntschli he challenges him to a duel, but Raina interrupts and expresses her real feelings for Bluntschli. Louka succeeds in securing Sergius for herself and Major Petkoff and his wife give consent to Bluntschli to marry Raina. | 
