A King and No King
by Francis Beaumont & John Fletcher
directed by Mary Parker
Our Script
If you'd like to follow along with the show, read the script here.
Land Acknowledgement
Theatre@First rehearses and performs on the ancestral land of the Pawtucket and Massachusett tribal nations. We honor these communities and the elders of these nations—past, present, and future—and recognize the enduring relationships between Indigenous and Native communities and their traditional territories. We extend our respect to citizens of these nations who live here now, to their ancestors who have lived here for over five hundred generations, and to all Indigenous people.
We affirm that this acknowledgement is insufficient. It does not undo the harm that has been done through violence and injustice over the past 400 years and that continues today. We recognize that land acknowledgements are only a small yet important step towards ensuring a culture of respect, truth, and accountability in our community.
We commit ourselves to working toward a greater understanding of our relationship with this land and its people, and to sharing this growing understanding with the Theatre@First participants and audience. As part of this work, Theatre@First contributes annually to NAICOB, the North American Indian Center of Boston.
Director's Note
Thank you for joining us for A King and No King!
Beaumont and Fletcher were contemporaries of Shakespeare, and collaborated together on at least a dozen plays. Although nowhere near the renown of their famous friend, there is still much to enjoy from their works, especially in my favorite dramatic form - the tragicomedy.
Broadly, a tragicomedy blends the tragic and the comic—the main plot is typically fraught and dramatic, but usually no one dies. Heartfelt monologues will be followed by scenes of broad slapstick comedy. Some characters will appear mainly tragic, but get a happy ending, while other characters are full on fools who learn nothing.
This play is typical of the genre, and despite its outlandish premise, I believe the blend of suffering and genuine levity comes closer to real life than pure tragedies or comedies. One minute you laugh, the next you feel existential despair—or maybe that is just me in 2025.
While it is just a coincidence that "no kings" is trending at the same time we are putting on this play, it does speak to a universal historical truth—humans are weird. Always have been, always will be. All we can do is be brave and be honest with ourselves, with our leaders, and with our communities, so that Mardonia's rebuke to Arbaces cannot be said of us:
"Truth will offend you."
Our Next Show
ENRON was a real oil and gas company in the 1990s that famously inflated itself to a massive size by using shell companies and other financial skullduggery to create profits that had never really existed. This play tells the story of the fall of Enron—a classic epic of hubris and comeuppance—transformed with the help of dinosaurs, puppets, singing analysts, dancing traders, and snappy dialogue into a modern dark comedy pageant.
Come audition! December 1-4, 2025
Performances: March 13–28, 2026
Cast and Production Team
ROBIN ABRAHAMS (Mardonia) is delighted to return to the T@F stage as Mardonia, the King's mentor. Previous roles include Dr. Adler (Web of Murder) and guidance counselor Vera Martin (She Kills Monsters). After writing the Miss Conduct advice column for 20 years, Robin can't keep herself from playing advisors onstage and off!
ANA BREZNIK (Panthea) has appeared as Ilse in Gledališče Gnosis’s award-winning production of Spring Awakening. At English Student Theatre—Slovenia’s premiere musical theatre company—Ana portrayed Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro. At the Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club, Ana portrayed Battery in Ubu Roi and Sidonia in Disonia. She also served as an assistant director for the musical Oscar at the Crown, which premiered on the West End in May. This is her second show with T@F! Outside of theater, Ana researches the mechanisms of uterine regeneration.
LORI-ANNE COHEN (Arane) is marking her eleventh show, eighth as an actor, with T@F. Favorite roles include Sister Helena in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Minerva Osterman in Web of Murder, and Abigail Fletcher in the Hercule Poirot radio plays with PMRP. Off stage, Lori-Anne is an avid crafter, and a published author of paranormal romances.
PETER DUERST (Stage Manager) is delighted to be working on his 7th production with T@F! Coming up with T@F, he will be Technical Director for Giving@First and Fight Choreographer for Enron. After that, Peter is delaying his move to Vienna so that he can direct The Aria of Julie d'Aubigny by Monica Cross, with auditions in March and performances in June 2026!
HELEN EDGAR (Assistant Director) has been involved with T@F in one form or another (*giggle*) for eighteen years now. She began as assistant director in Festival@First 4 and after almost two decades of effort has risen to the position of assistant director for A King and No King. She has loved watching the T@F community grow and evolve over the years and looks forward to seeing what comes next.
LAUREN ELIAS (Spaconia) Selected credits Hub Theatre’s Tartuffe (Elliot Norton Award Nominee- Outstanding Actor/Outstanding Production), Into The Breeches! (Elliot Norton Award Nominee-Outstanding Production), Peter and the Starcatcher (IRNE Award Nominee-Best Play/Best Ensemble), Wit (IRNE Award nominee-Best Supporting Actress). She has also worked with Theatre UnCorked, Arlekin Player, Hovey Players, Dream Role Players, The Gold Dust Orphans, Heart and Dagger Productions and Commonwealth Shakespeare. Much love and gratitude to Mary and this amazing team for all their hard work and dedication.
HOLLIS FINLEY (Assistant Stage Manager) is excited to be Assistant Stage Manager in their first production with T@F. They would like to thank their cat for ghostwriting all of their emails.
PAULA HAWTHORNE (Assistant Stage Manager)
ELIAS JOHNSON (Publicity Coordinator) is working with T@F for the first time! He moved back to the Boston area recently; he went to BU for grad school. He was delighted to find a production of a little-known classic to join. When he's not taking pictures and promoting the show on Instagram, he is a teacher.
EMMA JOYCE (Costume Designer) is an actor and costume designer. With T@F, Emma has appeared as Christopher Wren (The Mousetrap) and Nym/Duke of Orleans (Henry V), performed in Festival@First 11 and 12, and designed costumes for Festival@First 13. Other costuming credits include Yellow Face (Footlight Club) and The Humans (Arlington Friends of the Drama).
KARISHMA (Messenger, u/s Panthea/Spaconia) has appeared at T@F as Lucy in Marian, Or the True Tale of Robin Hood. She spends a lot of time watching tv, sleeping, and occasionally using her brain.
CARI KEEBAUGH (Fight Choreographer) is a SAFD-certified actor combatant who loves to help tell stories through safely designed violence. She has recently designed violence for shows ranging from Macbeth (Dream Role Players) to Marian (T@F). Follow her adventures at https://www.VeryCari.com!
LAUREN KIMBALL (House Manager) serves as Production Coordinator for T@F. She thrives onstage, but also gets a kick out of running a miniature version of her dream pâtisserie at concessions as House Manager whenever she can. Try the baked goods!
DAVID KLEINMAN (Arbaces) is royally elated to make his T@F debut as Arbaces! Previous roles include Gragoth/Tony (Mystic Players Revival’s Spooky 2025), Macduff (Dream Role Players’ Macbeth), and Mr. Elton (Arlington Friends of the Drama’s Emma). He’d like to thank his endlessly patient and supportive friends and family, whom he loves very differently than his character does.
TIMOTHY LACROIX MESERVE (Second Swordsman) has appeared in T@F as Sebastian in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. This will be his second performance with T@F. In his free time, he excitedly waits for snow to hit the ground so he can hit the slopes.
SHILOH LARKSPUR (Lighting Assistant) A new face at T@F that wandered in on accident and hasn't found the exit yet (don't tell him!) While new to T@F, Shiloh has been working behind the scenes in various tech roles since high school and is currently attending school for theatre tech.
JAMIE LIN (Producer) is honored to have served as Snack Captain and Emailer Extraordinaire for this delightful cast and crew. She's worn many Firstie hats over the years, but most notably as EDI Coordinator. Offstage, she is a graphic designer and avid D&D player.
CHANTELLE MARSHALL (Ligonia)
EDDY NUNES (Hair/Makeup Coordinator) This is Eddy's first time working with T@F and is very excited to be on the team! Eddy has done theatre throughout high school and this is his first time stepping into the world of community theatre, he is very grateful to T@F for the opportunity.
TED OVERHOLT (Gobrias) is happy to be back with T@F, where he's made several appearances, most recently as Friar Tuck in Marian.
MARY PARKER (Director) is the current managing director of T@F. She has directed previous early modern plays including Knight of the Burning Pestle, The Spanish Tragedy, and The Revengers Tragedy. She loves her cast and thanks them for taking this silly journey with her!
ELIZABETH ROSS (Intimacy Coordinator) is thrilled to be back working with the wonderful people at T@F in this vital role with this amazing cast and crew. Recently, Elizabeth has directed None Escape: The Island of Dr. Moreau for T@F and Macbeth for Dream Role Players. Elizabeth has had the privilege of being directed by Mary Parker two times, once in the title role in Richard III with Dream Role Players and as Lussurioso in The Revengers Tragedy with T@F.
AUGUST SCHLUBACH (Lighting Designer) previously worked lights at T@F on Web of Murder (2023).
KEVIN SCHULT (First Swordsman)—call me Kevin. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely—having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the spleen and regulating the circulation.
ROSALIND SENTMAN (Props Coordinator)
AMELIA SMITH (Bessus) is so grateful to be performing with T@F for the third time! She loves spouting silly speeches and being a coward, and sometimes she even does those things onstage! You may have spotted her this past summer in Dream Role’s Macbeth. Other recent credits include None Escape (T@F) and Richard III (Dream Role Players). Offstage, Amelia works as an engineer at a nuclear fusion company and will talk endlessly about magnets and plasma. Huge thanks to this incredible cast and crew, and a special shout out to her two cats and her incomparable partner, Robert!
KAI TAWIL-MORSINK (Tigranes) likes Shakespeare plays a lot. He is thrilled to appear in this T@F production of a play co-written by a guy who co-wrote some other plays with Shakespeare. When not acting, walking to rehearsal, or attending recreational Shakespeare text analysis classes, Kai is paid to teach people about science.
MILES TAYLOR (Bacurius) has appeared at T@F as Sammy (Burning), the Ape Man (None Escape), and Ariel (The Tempest). His day job is impersonating a fancy French lord on the Freedom Trail, so a fancy Iberian lord wasn’t too much of a jump. As a devoted cat dad he enjoys coming up with weirder and weirder ideas for crocheted catnip toys. His proudest in the past have been the Mitzvah Moose, the Krampus, and the Plague Rat (fleas included).
CHLOE TREPANIER (Technical Director) is the ruler of the light cues, monarch of the set, and humble servant to the eternal kingdom of tech rehearsals. When she's not sending emails, carrying many keys, or distracting actors in rehearsal, she can be found traveling, rewatching a 2000's rom com, or hanging out with her cat, Bella.
Special Thanks
We couldn't do what we do without the efforts of our volunteers and key contributions from community members. Huge thanks goes to:
Rev. Betty Walker and Unity Somerville for sharing their space with us year after year
Renée Walsh for her generosity
Shelley MacAskill for her technical assistance
Miles Taylor for his custom scriptbinding
Tia Robichaud for a lighting donation
Peter Duerst & Emma Joyce for their photography help, on top of everything else
Meg Boeni for bringing Mary’s vision to life with show and set art
Rebecca Maxfield for helping with music
Theatre@First’s Steering Committee, for your tireless support
About Theatre@First
The mission of Theatre@First is to work together to provide a fun, friendly, and creative theater experience for cast, crew, and audience alike. We welcome volunteers at all levels of experience and offer a supportive environment in which to work, play, grow, and explore new areas of the theater arts. We offer affordable and eclectic entertainment to the community, aiming to surprise, delight, entertain, and educate our audiences.
We fill an important niche in the vibrant Davis Square arts scene, drawing upon the talents and contributions of individuals and organizations throughout the community to provide a venue for thought-provoking and entertaining performing arts for all those who love to be on either side of the curtain.
Each production we undertake is the dream of someone in our community. When you support Theatre@First you make these dreams a reality for our participants and the wider community. Please help us to continue this work through your generous donations.
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Theatre@First is part of the Massachusetts Community Theatre Corporation, a Massachusetts non-profit corporation that is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.