Dream of Camelot

A Dream of Camelot

A Return to Love
A Musical By Richard Shulman
© 2012 RichHeart Music All Rights Reserved.

From Janet Gold who saw the Masonic Temple performance on 3/12/11:
I loved the production. It was so beautifully put together. The music, all the songs, those I’d heard before and all the new ones were amazing, as was your marathon playing. The audience participation in the meditation session was brilliant. Extremely helpful to me (as you know) was the explanation of the Camelot background. The director made magic. The choreography skillfully kept things moving along …. I was riveted. The actors and singers were warmly engaging and their performances appeared genuine and heartfelt. They seemed emotionally connected to each other. Love was all around.

Comments on A Dream of Camelot performance at the Masonic Temple 3/12/11 from Debra Roberts:
The show was amazing, astonishing, uplifting, made me laugh, made me cry and reminded me of all the great good stuff that any practice I have ever done, points to. The show has come such a very long way from conception to the read-through at the Light Center to this lovely evolution. Tony, Jen, Breazi and Dielle were even more incredible than last time (and that is saying a lot). And the new cast were also so well chosen. The dominator scene was so potent (song and interaction between actors), Who You Are Is Beautiful again just melted me where I sat — my absolute favorite song in a show of many favorites. And on and on …. And staging it there at the Masonic Hall was a great choice. What a jewel of a little theater. And also seeing you in black tie was a treat – that was a really great choice, Richard. Am so very happy to have had this experience of your life changing work, Richard, one more time. You all have to have been so happy with what you did together. You are a great ensemble and I hope that the seeds that got sown this weekend, flower into other shows elsewhere because this production is a great blessing in the life of this world. Thanks so much for always following the Muse and the Call, Richard. Love and blessings, Debra (and Joe who also really thoroughly enjoyed it).

From Dianne Lancaster, having seen the March 2011 performance:
The show was Amazing! I laughed…I cried…..You captured the essence of human emotions and spirit. I see kids dressed up as woodland creatures dancing to “I like it here in the Woods”.Will see you on Broadway! Let’s dance, Dianne

A Short Synopsis

A Dream of Camelot begins in tragedy as Morgaine discovers that Arthur, the lover of her youth, and Mordred, their son, have killed each other. Morgaine sings a lamentation in which she realizes her own responsibility to face the issues that had destroyed their society. Lancelot, and then Mordred and Arthur, now dead, choose to find a better way in the hopes of creating a new Camelot.

The characters from Camelot then vision the qualities necessary to create a new society in which all are honored according to the principles that brought them together.

The characters then show up in today’s modern society, faced with the dance of relationships that are grist for the mill in healing their own lives, and their worlds. The boy gets the girl – or does he? – and through this process learns loving communication and surrender. Along the way the characters explore different alternative lifestyles including a community in the woods and a UFO encounter group, and find ways to bring their relationships to a new level only dreamed of before.

A Dream of Camelot is about loving communication – inside and out; it’s about letting go of what isn’t working and finding a new way within ourselves to change our lives and our world.

A Dream of Camelot Cast and Crew information

Special Thanks to:
Laura Bond, Jerry Crouch, Rock Eblen, Amariel Holz and Jane Hallstrom
for help with the script and story.

A Dream of Camelot had its first reading at the United Research Light Center, Black Mountain, NC September 20th, 2009.

Actors at reading (in order of appearance)

Breazi Breazeale – Morgaine and chorus
George Peery – Sir Lancelot, George and chorus
Peter Johnson – Arthur, Sheldon O. Barnes, Tom, and chorus
Richard Shulman – Merlin, Narrator, and chorus
Jen Worthen – Molly and chorus
Tony Fogleman – Mark and chorus
Dielle Ciesco – Glenda, Mordred and chorus
Nancy Rubenstein – Valerie and chorus

Director and Musical Director: Richard Shulman

Stage Manager: Breazi Breazeale

Video Production: Debra L. Roberts, Heron Productions

Special Thanks To: The UR Light Center, The entire Cast and Crew

A Dream of Camelot had its premier full production at the Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway at Woodfin, Asheville, NC on March 11, 12, and 13, 2011.

Actors (in order of appearance)

Lawrence Hines – Merlin and Tom
Dielle Ciesco – Morgaine and chorus
Anthony Fogleman – Sir Lancelot, Mark and chorus
Peter Tamm – Arthur, The Presenter, and chorus
Jonathan Daniels – Mordred, George, and chorus
Jenna Jaffe-Melissas – Guenivere and chorus
Jen Worthen – Molly and chorus
Jane Hallstrom – Sheila Barnes and chorus
Beverly Todd – Glenda and chorus
Kimberly Hughes – Valerie and chorus
Gary Gaines, Breazi Breazeale, Peter Johnson – Chorus Members

Director: Jerry Crouch

Musical Director: Richard Shulman

Choreographer: Lawrence Hines

Stage Manager: Breazi Breazeale

Assistant Stage Manager: Sandra Epperson

Lighting Director: Mark Timothy Morgan
Props: Amanda Robin Ramsey
Set Crew: Mary Louise Wade
Video Production: Jan Jenson, Lana Ford, Lisa Landis, Debra Lee Williams
Office Staff: Dielle Ciesco, Breazi Breazeale
Volunteer Coordinator: Mary Louise Wade

Volunteers: Nick Andrea, Susannah Bew, Jody Friedman, Anita Walling, Beloved, Anne Fischer, Joy Drake, Heather Masterton, Nancy Hunkins, Jeff Siegel, Conway Weary, Melissa Howart, Andrew Gilligan, Brian & Pam Crissey, Melissa Smith, Jenny Howard, Loretta Pickford, Justin P., Lorri Bura, JoAnne Kushi, Barb Burless, Jennifer Elliot, Kaleo Wheeler, Linda Heitel, Beverly Jones, Carol Antun, Joyce Newkirk, Lyna Farkas, Marie-Line Gudbout, Lisa Eubank.

A Dream of Camelot had itssecond full production at the Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway at Woodfin, Asheville, NC on March 29, 30,31, and April1, 2012.

Actors (in order of appearance)

Rock Eblen – Merlin
Jenna Jaffe-Melissas – Morgaine and Sheila Barnes
Tony Fogleman – Sir Lancelot and Mark
Steven Turner – King Arthur
Justin Jones – Mordred and George
Morgan St. Clair – Guenivere and Molly
Eileen Kennedy – Glenda
Gary Gaines – Tom
Chelsea St. John – Chorus
Stefanie Glyn Crane – Chorus and dancer
Luke Dotson – Chorus and dancer
Breazi Breazeale – Chorus

Direction, Musical Staging, and Choreography: Rock Eblen
Musical Direction: Richard Shulman
Stage Management: Breazi Breazeale • Additional Choreography: Stefanie Glyn Crane
Lights: Mark T. Morgan • Stagehand: David Phillips
Produced: Richard Shulman / RichHeart Music
Office Operations: Breazi Breazeale
Web Master: Anthony Fogleman • Ticket Sales and Promotion: Entire Cast
Logo and Program Design: Bonnie L. Down • Printing: Postage Express

Photography: Joe Gemignani • Video: Lisa Almaraz, Lana Ford

Volunteer Coordinator: Mary Pressley
Volunteers: Blaine Greenfield, Roberta Binder, Nancy Hunkins, Sushen Huang, Benjamin Duveneck, Jenny Howard, Melissa Howarth, Mona Radler, Beloved, JoAnne Kushi, Nancy Gilligan, Deanna Stafford, Jody Friedman, Amariel Holz, Jane Hallstrom, Bill Najger, Carol Jones.

Thank You Everyone!!!

Contact: Richard Shulman 828-658-9604 & tickets@ADreamofCamelot.com

Greek Healing Drama

Background information by Dr. Barry Weinhold

The Greeks used Drama as part of the overall healing process for any illnesses (mental, physical or spiritual). They called the healing process “Therapeia.” It comes from Plato’s central theme: the soul’s search for ultimate fulfillment and salvation from psychological, social, and political disorders. The Greeks had a God of Medicine Healing called Asclepios. Although Apollo was sometime seen as this kind of deity, Asclepios was the son of the union between Apollo and Artemis. He was raised by the centaur Chiron (the wounded healer) who taught him the healing arts.

The main ancient Greek Healing Center dedicated to Asclepios was at Epidaurus and when people came there for healing they were exposed to good food, beautiful surroundings, dream therapy, philosophy lectures, mineral baths, massage, but most of all theatre. While watching the great Greek tragedies they were encouraged to identify with the personas of the Greek Gods and see that they were human-like and screwed up at times. In other word, don’t try to be God-like and perfect and accept your human mistakes. They also believed the ribald Greek comedies had healing powers. Laughing at a character on stage with a six foot phallus who would walk around and bopp people over the head with it was seen as teaching people not to take their illness or themselves too seriously.

They still have annual healing festivals at Epidaurus and in Athens and there is a therapy movement in this country called the Epidaurus Project who utilize the principals of therapeia in their work.