PCPA Presents 'Measure for Measure'
Power corrupts. Mercy redeems. Justice hangs in the balance. |
Santa Maria, CA — PCPA brings Shakespeare’s most provocative and morally complex play, Measure for Measure, to the Severson Theatre February 26 through March 15, 2026. This striking production features an all-women design team and a cast comprising women and non-binary individuals, offering a fresh perspective on a story that feels startlingly contemporary. When the Duke of Vienna leaves his austere deputy, Angelo, in charge, a wave of harsh morality sweeps through the city. But Angelo’s carefully guarded facade begins to crack when he is confronted by a virtuous young novice who pleads for her brother’s life. Dangerous deception, power, and morality become tangled in a world where nothing is as it seems, and time is running out to uncover the truth and set things right. Measure for Measure is a bold exploration of justice, morality, and the gray area between right and wrong. Shakespeare’s sharpest social drama is shockingly relevant and endlessly compelling— told with wit, suspense, and Shakespeare’s signature poetry and insight into human nature. |
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Director Emily Trask notes, “I love Measure for Measure. And it makes me furious. I’ve been in a fantastic argument with this play since the first time I worked on it over twenty years ago. And I’m far from alone. Though it’s one of Shakespeare’s more rarely produced works, it’s among his most hotly contested. It provokes intensely conflicting interpretations and arguments, and asks enormous questions about justice, power, mercy, gender, and consent. And then it has the nerve to refuse to answer them! I love this play because it refuses to behave. It wants to provoke you. At Measure for Measure’s heart is a brutal paradox that demands us to consider: What does mercy actually look like? Does power necessarily corrupt? What happens when the rules apply to everyone except those in charge? Though written in 1603, this play feels urgently current. And to maintain that immediacy, in our production, Measure for Measure is staged by St. Mary’s Academy, an all-girls Catholic school -- a frame that not only allows us to mirror Shakespeare’s own writing and single gender approach, but amplifies the play’s hierarchies of doctrine, morality, and authority. All without rewriting Shakespeare. As the frame dissolves, we’re left with Measure for Measure’s dark comedy, dangerous edges, and purposeful provocation. I’m still arguing with it. And after this performance, I hope you are, too.” |
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The Creative Team includes Director Emily Trask, Scenic Designer Natasha D’Amico, Costume Designer Caroline Rein, Sound Designer Molly Costello, Lighting Designer Alonna Hall, Stage Manager Jennie White, Production Stage Manager Jack D. Myles*, and Original Music Composition by Paul Marszalkowski. The cast includes Polly Firestone Walker as Duke Vicentio / Ms. Baron, Kitty Balay* as Escalus / Sr. Francisca / Ms. Scaliger, Molly Dobbs as Angelo / Ms. Engler, Dahlia Ridenhour as Claudio / Elbow / Student, Isabella Faith Scott as Isabella / Student, G So as Lucio / Student, Torilynn Hicks as Mistress Overdone / Juliet / Abhorson / Student, Jamie Collins as Pompey / Student, Molly Bell as Provost / Student, and Kelly Brenya as Mariana/ Claire *Member, Actors’ Equity Association |
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