St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival ~ Maid for a Musket ~ Comedy is in the Frangione Blood

www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

Lucia Frangione, International Award Winning Playwright

The St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival is gearing up for a full exciting Festival Season. Just recently, Ontario Visited had the pleasure of making the trip to the quaint town of Prescott to experience Yours Ever, Jane.

Today, “THE INSIDE SCOOP” is excited to share some “SCOOP” about their upcoming performance “MAID for a MUSKET”, a brand new comedy by Lucia Frangione, Original music by Melissa Morris. Ian Farthing, Artistic Director of the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival has kindly introduced us to Ms. Lucia Frangione, internationally produced award winning playwright and actor. Together with Ian’s input, I have lots of “SCOOP” to share with you!

“Comedy is in the Frangione blood” … Getting to know you …

Ontario Visited would like to introduce our guest Lucia Frangione. I asked what her initial background was and what led her into “Arts”.

The reply … “Comedy is in the Frangione blood: apparently we descended from a court jester. My family came over from Italy in 1956 and settled in Ottawa, starting many prominent businesses, including Preston Hardware and Bemac autobody. We have several teachers in the family as well: a different kind of live performance. I’m the only stage performer in the family, me and my musician sister, but we are certainly not the only jesters around the dinner table. My Dad owned a latino disco on Preston Street called The Roof Garden for several years before he passed away. I’m sure all that karaoke had some influence on me as well. As for my mother, she was English and from Alberta, an avid reader. She instilled in me a love for literature.

I was first drawn to drama as a teenager because I was quite religious at the time and thought perhaps I would be a preacher someday and took drama to get over a slight stammer. I fell in love with theatre the minute I spoke my first line and haven’t looked back since. I published my first poems when I was 16, produced my first play when I was 18 and have since had 25 plays hit the stage, some of them internationally. I grew up in Alberta, but the rest of my family is all here in Ottawa, including my brother, so I’m back regularly to visit. It’s a great thrill for me to be working so close to this side of “home”.

Stay tuned for more exciting “SCOOP” from Lucia Frangione and Ian Farthing, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival! Check out their website for the details (www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca), plan on a fun, and great, memorable time!