Fred Curchack
What Fools These Mortals Be
Shakespeare¹s Midsummer Night¹s Dream Re-visioned
The Public Theater
September 16, 17, 18
(New York Premiere)

Created, Designed and Performed by Fred Curchack
Dramatis Personae (in order of appearance):
Theseus, Duke of Athens
Hippolyta, Queen of Amazones, and betrothed of Theseus Egeus, father of Hermia
Hermia, daughter of Theseus
Egeus, father of Hermia
Hermia, daughter of Egeus, in love with Lysander
Demetrius, in love with Hermia
Helena, in love with Demetrius
Nick Bottom, a weaver
Puck (or Robin Goodfellow) servant to Oberon
Fairy, servant to Titania
Oberon, King of the Fairies
Titania, Queen of the Fairies.

Research and Directorial support: Kathleen Trevena

Special Thanks: Leslie Curchack, Arthur Pellman, Robert Xavier Rodriguez, University of Texas at Dallas students, Robert Trammel, Florence Weldeman, Adam and Alia Curchack, The Simon Guggenheim Foundation and The National Endowment for the Arts.

FRED CURCHACK has created over 45 original theatre performances, 14 of them solos. His work has been featured at 40 international theatre festivals. In 1990, Stuff as Dreams Are Made On (adapted from The Tempest) won the Gold Medal at the International Solo Theatre Festival in Belgrade, and the American Theatre Wing Award for Design. It was chosen as one of the 10 most noteworthy theatre productions in 1989 by The New York Times. Curchack is a Guggenheim Fellow and his obscenely heretical work is funded by the N.E.A. Curchack received a drama degree from the High School of the Performing Arts (NYC) and a M.A. and a B.A. in theatre arts from Queens College. He studied Indian Kathakali with Krishnan Nambdiri, Japanese Noh with Kita Sadayo, Balinese Topeng with Nyoman Wenten, African Dance with Dinzulu, choreography with Alwyn Nikolais and trained with Grotowski¹s Polish Theatre Lab. He has taught theatre at the United Nations International School, Sonoma State University and is currently Professor of Art and Performance at The University of Texas at Dallas.