Britannicus by Jean Racine Opens Soon

Translated by Howard Rubenstein
Pictured Jenna Selby and Rich Carillo
Photography by Paul Savage

(619) 688-9210
Oct 23 - Nov 23
Low Cost Previews 10/16-10/26
Thur Fri Sat 8pm - Sunday 2pm

Jean Racine's 17th century French masterpiece Britannicus, in a stunning adaptation by playwright Howard Rubenstein, tells of intrigue and treachery in the highest places. Nero, the young emperor of Rome, has come to the throne through his powerful mother's machinations and at the expense of the heir apparent, the young, kind, and handsome Britannicus. Surprisingly, Nero reigns wisely and benevolently ... until that fateful day when he is faced with a critical decision - one choice leading to everlasting fame, the other to never-ending infamy.

Troilus and Cressida

"Critic's Choice"


Union Tribune


Compass Theatre


September 9, 2008





"...It showcases some delectable acting" ... "And there's nothing like seeing Shakespeare in an intimate 49-seat house. “Troilus and Cressida” was Compass' first stab at Shakespeare, and let's hope it's the first of many."
-- Janice Steinberg, Union-Tribune

"...the feat of making this complex drama—the climactic battle scene between Greeks and Trojans included—with endless scene changes happen on such a tiny, low-tech stage is alone worth the price of admission. Most of the actors remain onstage throughout the play, often seated at the far edges awaiting their cue or changing a portion of their costume to indicate their next character."... "Like the many Greek plays in fine modern translations given during recent seasons at 6th@Penn (Compass Theatre’s predecessor), “Troilus and Cressida” helps fill in the gaps of our community’s and our own individual perceptions of theater history." -- Kenneth Herman, SanDiego.com

We hope you read the reviews in the Union-Tribune and on SanDiego.com. They are raves and we are very grateful for the hard work of cast and crew.

A dark, sexy, satirical drama of ambition versus reality that baffled scholars for centuries. Now it makes far too much sense!

EDITED BY WELTON JONES & GEORGE WEINBERG-HARTER
DIRECTED BY WELTON JONES
THU, FRI & SAT at 8PM • SUN at 2PM TICKETS $20-$23

Everybody in Shakespeare’s England knew Homer’s Greek epic The Iliad, with its mythic heroes hacking away at each other over the beautiful Helen. They also knew the sub-plot added by Chaucer, about Trojan Prince Troilus and the girl Cressida who became his lover with the help of her Uncle Pandarus, whose name became synonymous with “pimp.” In his Troilus and Cressida, Shakespeare turned the tale into a sardonic burlesque: Helen is a jaded sophisticate; Achilles is a lazy sneak with a boyfriend; Ajax is a buffoon; Agamemnon, a windbag; Ulysses, a trickster; Meneleus, a cuckold.

Probably, the play was too dark, sinister and sexy for its time. The first known London production was in 1912. Yet scholars argue endlessly about this “problem play,” struggling to make Cressida a tart so that Troilus could be a hero. Only an era that nurtures Samuel Beckett and David Mamet, Paris Hilton and Truman Capote could finally embrace this steamy play, now seen as a masterful mix of sex, politics and ambition in a wild stew of styles from farce to tragedy.

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TROILUS AND CRESSIDA by Wm Shakespeare Buy Tickets Online > >

In Memoriam

Priscilla Allen
1938 - 2008

Priscilla Allen passed away this weekend of lymphoma, a cancer diagnosed more than 10 years ago. She died at home, surrounded by family and beloved animals.

Though perhaps best remembered as the exploding head in the movie Total Recall by those who did not know her well, the mother of three and Grande Dame of the San Diego Theatre will be sorely missed by those who did.

Priscilla Allen moved to San Diego from Buffalo, New York, at the age of two when her father took employment at CONVAIR to help with the war effort. Her mother, the entertainment chair for various clubs, was the catalyst which motivated the class clown of La Jolla High to act in the school's variety shows, along with "more motivated" classmates like Raquel Welsh.

Though like Welsh, Allen could have pursued a career in Hollywood (she had landed work on the series Happy Days) she decided that her family came first and opted instead for secure employment in an environment more conducive to raising her three daughters; a decision she never regretted.

When Allen's husband Dennis, a San Diego policeman, was killed on duty in 1977, Allen secured a teaching credential to support her young family. For many years afterward, she taught Theatre Arts and Public Speaking in city schools -- San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, Point Loma High School, and Mesa College.

Allen also worked to support the local acting community. She went to the very first meeting of the San Diego Alliance Co-Op, which would later become the Actors Alliance, with the idea to have an organization which would empower the actor and help him to find work. Concerned for the viability of San Diego theatre as companies continued to lose venues and artists, Allen believed the AASD was "one of the best things going" to nurture local actors.

Some of Priscilla's fondest memories were with Starlight Theatre, where her entire family has performed. In her 20s, Allen would don extensive makeup and an elaborate costume to appear in the Shakespearean Festival's pre-show as Queen Elizabeth, appearing side-saddle on a horse to announce the evening's production.

Allen tried to do something new, to challenge herself, every day; she believed "commitment" was the most important word in an actor's vocabulary; and her incredible "sense of the possibilities" always kept her from being limited by her size or age. She was never type-cast, boxed-in, or labeled; she was free to work the gamut from the gut-wrenching to the gut-busting.

An advocate for animal welfare and an avid antiques admirer (if not collector), Priscilla Allen will be missed.


Source: Theatrical bios and, in particular, a 2006 interview with C.Q.Kish.

* Corrections to cause and location of death were made August 25. Thanks to Jennifer, Hillary Allen, and Meredith Christiansen who added that Priscilla's "San Diego acting and teaching career was artistically fulfilling beyond any commercial success."

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