Magick & Poison

MAGICK & POISON

PERFORMANCES

2019 Performance
Performance Dates
Thursday, July 18, 2019 at 8:00 PM
Friday, July 19, 2019 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 2:00 PM
Saturday, July 20, 2019 at 8:00 PM
at
NPAC: Northland Performing Arts Center
4411 Tamarack Blvd, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 43229

INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERS
(In order of appearance)

PLAYED BY: MATT MASSEY
The narrator and tour guide of the show. He is the only character who speaks to the audience directly.

The Pied Piper is a traveling minstrel who has seen much of the world. He has regaled listeners with his mystical stories and has captivated emperors and serfs a like. He follows in the tradition of Homer and Aesop, spreading tales from place to place, and all who witness his work are mesmerized by it. Pied Piper is whimsical, clever and has a wondrous gift for rhyme. He is flamboyant, eccentric to an extreme, and displays these attributes proudly in his pied attire.

Some have pondered Pied Piper's sanity, for over the years, his stableness of mind has come undone to some extent. Perhaps, it has to do with Pied Piper’s flute, which was given to him long ago by the Devil on a lonely crossroad somewhere along the Silk Road. There, some say, Pied Piper made a pact with the old demon that benefited the piper with not only the gift to be an enchanting flautist… but also to have the power to bewitch with his exquisite gift of tongue.

By the time Pied Piper is visiting Fabula in 1199, he has not done any mischief to prove his part of a Devil’s contract, but Pied Piper will drink from the life-giving waters of Fabula and live a lengthy stay in this world, with his mind always weakening in its morals along the way.

In 1212, Pied Piper will use his gifted flute in a village in France to lead the children of that village on a crusade to the Holy Lands. The parents, beguiled by his music and charismatic rhetoric, will send their children out of the village with the Pied Piper while thinking no harm will come to their young. The children will never be seen again. In 1284, Pied Piper will strike a deal with the mayor of Hamelin, Germany to use his gifted flute to lead the rats out of the town and drown them in the Weser River. When Pied Piper successfully rids the town of the rats, the mayor and the townspeople refuse to pay the piper for the job. To get even, Pied Piper uses his flute-playing talent to lure the children out of town and down to the Weser River, where they are drowned also. Pied Piper disappears from history after this event, and, it is assumed, it is because Pied Piper has fulfilled his end of the Devil’s contract.

PLAYED BY: RACHEL KELLY
Harmonia is not the only kingdom to have been established in the Land of Fabula. Five hundred years before King Thrushbeard landed on the shores of Fabula, there was a kingdom ruled by King Cole. King Cole loved his daughter more than he loved his kingdom, and as a result, he did not protect his kingdom well. The witches Tomilsav and Rostislav were able to destroy King Cole’s kingdom by casting a spell on his princess daughter that she would fall into an endless sleep that would make her appear as if in death. When King Cole found what had become of his daughter, his heart was broken and his soul was devastated. He abandoned his kindom and his castle became a ruin with thorny vines covering it over. King Cole’s beautiful daughter slept her endless sleep within. The castle became known as the Castle of Flax, for the flax that poisoned the princess and made her sleep endlessly in the twisted thorns.

However, as of recent, Brier-Rose was awakened by the kiss of her true love. This happened while Prince Charming and Gregory were on a hunt and stumbled upon the Castle of Flax. When they explored the ruins, they found the sleeping princess. Awakened, Brier-Rose has found herself tossed into a new era with hundreds of years between her and the people she knew and loved. On top of this, she is about to marry Prince Charming and be the next queen of Harmonia. Brier-Rose is quite lost and has yet to come to terms with her new situation.

PLAYED BY: T. SHAWN KLUGH II
Heir to the throne, Prince Charming is the bravest and most famous in the kingdom of Harmonia. Like his father King Thrushbeard, he has fought many battles to protect the kingdom. Unlike Thrushbeard though, Prince Charming is doing this work for his own glory. The townspeople of the kingdom encourage his self-absorbtion by treating him like a celebrity.

Prince Charming is also about to marry Brier-Rose, the maiden who had been cursed into a deep sleep until her true love found her and kissed her.

Prince Charming’s lifelong friend is Gregory who is of the same age as the prince. Gregory was made a jester in the kingdom when Gregory was a boy, and he grew up as a playmate and best friend to Prince Charming.

PLAYED BY: GENE CLARK
Gregory was an orphan who was taken in by King Thrushbeard who made him a jester, and declared him a playmate for the King’s son, Prince Charming. The two young men were raised as brothers by the King and Queen, and the two were inseperable from each other. Wherever the prince roamed, so did Gregory. When the King decided that it was time for Prince Charming to be trained as a sword fighter, he also had Gregory trained as well. He saw great courage in Prince Charming and knew he would fight valiantly to protect the kingdom. Thrushbeard saw compassion in Gregory, and wanted Gregory to protect and look after Prince Charming throughout his life. When Thrushbeard felt Prince Charming and Gregory were old enough, he bestowed his two battle swords (that the King used in The Crusades) to both of them, that they each would always have one.

Gregory would not only sacrifice for Prince Charming, but Gregory would also sacrifice for anyone he cared about. He would soon find that there is one thing that he could not sacrifice despite how he tried.

PLAYED BY: ANGELA MARIE PELLEGRINI
Tomislav is the strongest and darkest witch in the land of Fabula. She has been in the land for centuries and fights to keep control of it. Her magic tool is a staff. Her sister is Rostislav.

PLAYED BY: KEELY HERRING
Rostislav is the second strongest witch in the land. Unlike her sister Tomislav, she is able to give an appearance of gentleness that she uses to manipulate others. Her magic tool is a besom (witch’s broom).

PLAYED BY: MICHELLE MASSEY
Sture is the weakest and most fair (by far) of the witches. She is an apprentice to Tomislav and Rostislav and does her best to please them because they look after her. Sture is surprisingly innocent in her behavior than that of Tomislav and Rostislav, and this tends to get Sture scolded and into trouble. Nevertheless, Sture keeps her trust in Tomislav and Rostislav and shies aways from all other creatures in Fabula, for Tomislav and Rostislav are the only overseers shehas ever known.

PLAYED BY: CHARLES ENTERMAN
One of the three major merchants in the town in the kingdom of Harmonia. The butcher prepares and sells meat to the commoners and royalty. He serves the main dishes for the town’s festivals.

PLAYED BY: BRIDGETTE ROCHELLE
One of the three major merchants in the town in the kingdom of Harmonia. The baker prepares and sell breads, pastries and desserts to the commoners and royalty. He also keeps birds as pets that he uses on special occasions to bake into pies. King Thrushbeard enjoys being surprised to see birds fly out of a pies.

PLAYED BY: KRYSTLE J. VAN FOSSAN
One of the three major merchants in the town in the kingdom of Harmonia. King Thrushbeard likes candles. Since the King Thrushbeard like candles, everyone in town likes them too. This craze for candles keeps the Candlestick Maker very busy and profitable in his craft.

PLAYED BY: GAVIN WYCUFF
The second in command in the security of Castle Thrushbeard, The Gatekeeper is under oath to dedicate and if necessary lay down his life in order to protect the castle from unauthorized entry. The Gatekeeper protects the main gate in person while using the Royal Guard to protect the rear gate and the castle walls. If an urgent situation occurs, The Gatekeeper can also summon the alarm and call upon the Royal Cavalry.

PLAYED BY: JOSH BERNARD
His Majesty’s royal herald, Hark make all formal introductions for the kingdom and manages public events. Hark is a stickler for details, accuracy and things being done in proper order.

PLAYED BY: ASHLEIGH CELESTE BOEHM
One of His Majesty’s three minstrels who are the entertainment for the royal family. Just like his other two band players, Hickory does not completely fit the behavioral protocol of the kingdom of Harmonia because he was raised in a more urban environment. Hickory is the assumed leader of the band.

PLAYED BY: JULIO TREJO
One of His Majesty’s three minstrels who are the entertainment for the royal family. Just like his other two band players, Dickory does not completely fit the behavioral protocol of the kingdom of Harmonia because he was raised in a more urban environment. Dickory is the more excitable of the three minstrels.

PLAYED BY: WILL LAYNE
One of His Majesty’s three minstrels who are the entertainment for the royal family. Just like his other two band players, Doc does not completely fit the behavioral protocol of the kingdom of Harmonia because he was raised in a more urban environment. Doc is the bass man of the band.

PLAYED BY: DUNCAN CORMACK
A good king of humble origins who has dedicated his life to doing what is truly right. He was a soldier who became a captain in The Crusades, but he became disheartened when he saw some of his own kinsmen become as evil as the evil they were all meant to fight against. After fulfilling his oath in fighting to take back Jerusalem, Thrushbeard journeyed home to Britain. He came upon the Scilly Islands where he became friends with King Iron Henry (who was formerly known as the Frog Prince.) King Iron Henry hired Thrushbeard to protect the eastern isles of the Scilly Islands from Viking raiders.

Thrushbeard became good friends with King Iron Henry over the years. When Thrushbeard married King Iron Henry’s daughter Byrel, the king made Thrushbeard king over the eastern isles that he had long protected.

King Thrushbeard explored and found other islands that were further into the Ocean. One island called Fabula (which was an enchanted land once part of a sunken continent) was the place where King Thrushbeard built his kingdom, which he called Harmonia.

It was not long before King Thrushbeard was being attacked by the witches Tomislav and Rostislav who had ruled to land of Fabula for many centuries. Because of his desire to do what was right, King Thrushbeard defended his kingdom with much endurance and courage. He and his knights fought so well, that the witches were never able to take the kingdom by force.

As King Thrushbeard is getting old after living over a century, he is about to pass his throne to his son, Prince Charming.

PLAYED BY: SIERA VAUGHAN
Daughter of King Iron Henry, Beryl was an unruly and spoiled princess who would not marry any suitor, even though they were all kings. King Iron Henry decided that Beryl would marry the first beggar he encountered. A beggar came and gratefully took Beryl away to the eastern islands. Realizing that her horrible attitude had led her to such misfortune, Beryl became humble and gentle in her nature. It was then that the beggar revealed himself to be King Thrushbeard, one of the suitors that Byrel had scoffed at and rejected. From there King Thrushbeard made Beryl his queen.

Queen Beryl came with King Thrushbeard to live in the Kingdom of Harmonia. The queen and the king have remained in love and are both raising their son, Charming.

PLAYED BY: JULIO TREJO
Gwynn ap Nudd is the son of Nudd, who is the King of the Goblins. Gwynn ap Nudd is young but very brave. He looks forward to his future as the next king, but he feels currently inferior because he has not obtained his own weapon yet that is worthy of being the son of the Goblin King. With the exception of Nudd’s sword, no other goblin obtains his own weapon without stealing it. Gwynn ap Nudd is no different, and he is currently in search of one.

PLAYED BY: CORTLAND FITZGERALD
Nudd (also known as Lludd) is the leader of the goblins who dwell within the enchanted forest in the Land of Fabula. His tribe lives in a village in the enchanted forest called Annwn. No one has ever seen Annwn other than the goblins because the goblins keep the village (like all their other treasured items) hidden from view. While young goblins are tricksters and thieves, the adult goblins are vicious warriors. Nudd, being the Goblin King, uses the sword past down from his father Beli Mawr who was the Goblin King before him.

PLAYED BY: KRYSTLE J. VAN FOSSAN
Lady in Waiting who looks after the needs of Brier-Rose.

GROUP CHARACTERS
(In order of appearance)

PLAYED BY: CHARLES ENTERMAN,
AND WILL LAYNE
The mounted knights of the Kingdom of Harmonia. They wear chainmail armor and carry swords and spears.

PLAYED BY: BRIDGETTE ROCHELLE (GREEN FAIRY),
SADIE STORTS (PURPLE FAIRY)
AND KRYSTLE J. VAN FOSSAN (BLUE FAIRY)
The guardian creatures of the enchanted forest who can summon the magic of the enchanted forest whenever they feel there is a need.

PLAYED BY: CHARLES TREJO
The barbaric creatures of the enchanted forest who are also responsible for the reputation that the enchanted forest has for making items disappear and reappear. The goblins are tricksters and will aggressively fight when challenged. They live in a hidden village in the enchanted forest called Annwn. The Goblins keep track of their treasure through a sacred ball of bone known as the Goblin’s Sight Ball. The Goblins look through the Goblin’s Sight Ball and see all treasures in the enchanted forest whether they are hidden or not. The Goblin’s Sight Ball is normally only accessible to Nudd, the Goblin King.

With the exception of Nudd sword, a sword past down to each Goblin King, no other Goblins obtain weapons other than by stealing them. In this manner, Goblins carry a mismatch collection of swords and weapons that they have either stolen from magical beings or from mortal beings.

PLAYED BY: BRIDGETTE ROCHELLE (GREEN FAIRY),
SADIE STORTS (PURPLE FAIRY)
AND KRYSTLE J. VAN FOSSAN (BLUE FAIRY)
Friends of the Pied Piper, the Maypole Dancers have traveled with the Pied Piper since his visit to the St. Andrew Undershaft in the City of London. The church is named after the maypole that is stored in its eaves and is set up each spring for a circle dance. These Maypole Dancers have made a long trek with Pied Piper to the Kingdon of Harmonia so that they may perform their circle dance for the coming wedding. The Circle Dance is thought to be of Germanic pagan fertility symbolism, which is good cause for the dance to take place just before the royal wedding.

PLAYED BY: ASHLEIGH CELESTE BOEHM (COW),
KEELY HERRING (CAT AND THE FIDDLE),
BRIDGETTE ROCHELLE (DISH),
SADIE STORTS (MOON)
AND KRYSTLE J. VAN FOSSAN (LITTLE DOG)
The haunters of dreams, the Diddles are the creatures who dwell in the netherworld. We are in their realm when we dream, and they stir chaos that keeps are minds bewildered by what we experience. They make nonsense seem so astounding to us that when we break free from our slumbering spells and tell others of our experiences, we find ourselves tripping over a plot that in the real world makes no sense at all.

The Diddle’s strongly haunt the mind of Brier-Rose in this tale, keeping her confused, unsure and unable to wake from her sleep. Using meaningless games, tricks, riddles and folly, the Diddles keep her ensnared in thinking their realm is the real world. Even if she were to make herself wake from her current dream, the Diddle’s would have her trapped in another. In Brier-Rose’s case, only her true love’s kiss, a passionate stimulation from the real world, could be strong enough to break her free from the Diddles.

The Diddles play upon our logic each time we enter their realm, and we must enter their realm, because we always fall asleep. The Diddles can appear as they are or they masquerade as other creatures we are familiar with. Each time we sleep, they try once more to trick us into never waking up again.