Kristington Plotkin plays “Doctor Caius” in SHAKESPEARE IN THE HILLS’ The Merry Wives of Windsor running July 19 – August 3 at the Laguna Hills Community Center.
What’s challenging about bringing this script to life?
This script in particular has a lot of highly repetitive moments and phrases. I think that’s been the most challenging for the cast over the course of the production. I cannot count how many times I say “by gar” in this show – you just at some point have to assume I’m starting everything with “by gar.”
How is this production bringing something new to this story?
I definitely can’t think of another production that’s turning this ridiculous mayhem into a 90s sitcom. Also, we’ve decided Dr. Caius is a soap-opera import – a model/doctor.
What’s going to surprise people about this show?
How Falstaff is gonna fit in that dang buckbasket.
How is this character like you? Different?
Doctor Caius & I both probably have an over-inflated sense of self, and we both are a little out of place in our worlds. He’s super touchy-feely (at least with women), intimate, sort of chivalrous, and tries to be a total ladies’ man. I really don’t like being touched except by my close friends, I keep people at a distance, and without trying too hard people feel comfortable with me.
What do you love and/or hate about this character?
I adore how ridiculous he is. When I read the play, I knew Doctor Caius was going to be the most fun. Someone in a summary of the play spent about 5 minutes describing how Dr. Caius is this mad french doctor who gets into duels with people in a ten minute explanation of the whole play. He’s an attention stealer.
What’s the biggest challenge about taking on this role?
Caius is such a jump from who I am in a lot of ways. He’s a total clown in this, which is my favorite thing to play, but it requires a release of yourself to really explore that.
Besides yourself, what celebrity would you like to see tackle this character?
A lot of the inspiration came from Kevin Kline, so I guess him.
Without giving anything away, what’s your favorite line of dialogue?
M. Ford: art thou there, my deer? my male deer?
Fal. : My doe with the black scut! Let the sky rain potatoes;
If you could play any other character in this show, who would it be?
Maybe Mistress Quickly. It’s hard to say since Caius was my first choice. Quickly is fun to play because you can either make her totally knowledgeable about what’s going on and very sly, or you can make her an absolute ditz.
When did you first perform?
The first thing I remember performing in and can still sing a song from was a play about the 13 colonies. I was Sybil Luddington (too bad her name doesn’t rhyme like Revere). But there’s footage my mom found of me as one of the fires in the Temple play about the plagues of Egypt. I did not look like I was enjoying it.
Besides this one, what’s your favorite stage show?
My favorite stage show is the Great Comet of 1812 with Hadestown in a close second. There’s no show I’ve ever seen other than Great Comet that manages to cover so many senses, that whirlwinds the actors around you, create such a spectacle, puts you in the action, feeds you delicious piroshkis, and just does so many things to reinvigorate the medium of theater.
What’s your perfect Sunday afternoon look like?
All days blend into each other for me because I work almost every day. I guess a perfect Sunday is spent coming up with new project ideas or getting some serious work done on a project I’m already working on, drinking some tea, eating some artichokes, and seeing friends. I have my hands in too many cookie jars.
What do you do when you’re not doing theatre?
I teach science in camps & after school, I facilitate fun with corporate groups, I develop podcasts (current focus is Let the Old Wives Tell it – a breakdown and reintroduction to fairy tales and their histories), I body paint, I read a lot, and I’m also probably trying to pick up a new hobby as if I have time for another.
What’s the last thing you do before you step out on stage?
Try to remember what I’m doing out there.
Actor’s Bio: Kristington Plotkin, “Doctor Caius”
Kristington is a perpetual dabbler – probably the result of being told they could do anything from a young age. Their cinematography and playwriting careers started in high school, which paved the way for the need to act and direct. Since then, Kristington has produced several audio dramas, been artistic director for 3 theatre groups, and performed in various mediums over the past ten years. Currently, they’re working on getting their new podcasting production company off the ground, Onology Audio, with a current focus on Let the Old Wives Tell It – a show that’s half educational dive into the histories behind fairy tales, and half fully-produced audio with original first-person retellings of the stories in focus. They’re also a proud stakeholder of bS Theatre which performs minimally rehearsed Shakespeare in intimate settings like bars and cafes and finds time to body paint on the side. No one knows quite when Kristington finds time to eat or sleep, but it’s claimed it somehow happens.
SHOW INFORMATION:
“O powerful Love, that in some respects makes a beast a man, in some other a man a beast.”
This summer, join SHAKESPEARE IN THE HILLS for one of Shakespeare’s most hilarious comedies, The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Sir John Falstaff and his entourage are wearing out their welcome in Windsor. The city isn’t big enough for his antics and appetites, especially as he sets about improving his financial situation by wooing Mistress Page and Mistress Ford. Meanwhile, Mistress Page’s lovely daughter, Anne, is under romantic siege from several local admirers. Double-meanings, disguises and dirty laundry abound as the men try to get what they want, but it’s the women of Windsor who pull the strings in this story…
Originally set in Shakespeare’s native land and time, this comedy shares traditions with today’s well-loved sitcoms. With its dexterous mingling of verbal and physical humor, we’ve brought it into the era of 90’s television, bringing elements from the show “Friends” and many more!
Bring a blanket or your low-lying beach chair, bring your meal and make it a picnic event for SHAKESPEARE IN THE HILLS’ outdoor performance presented by On The Edge Theatre Productions.
All performances are held at the Laguna Hills Community Center & Sports Complex’s Gazebo and Town Green, 25555 Alicia Pkwy, Laguna Hills, CA, 92653.
Snacks and refreshments will be available for purchase at this family event.
Performances @ 7 pm, July 19 & 20th, 26th & 27th, and August 2nd & 3rd. Tickets $10
Age 12 and under free. All participants of age 12 and under must be accompanied by a paying adult. Tickets are sold (cash only) on the day of the show. You may also purchase your ticket early online (class registration ). No refunds or transfers for this event. Call 949-707-2680 for more information.
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