CAMDEN — The Rolling Stock Company, a commedia dell'arte troupe following the style and formats of Italian traditional country theater, will perform Pantalone for Governor in the Camden Amphitheatre in a free performance on Monday afternoon, Aug. 18, at 3:30 p.m. The Rolling Stock Company was founded five years ago, and has toured locally, offering free, traditional-style comedies for all those interested.

The comedies are based on a traditional form and use characters originally developed in medieval Italy. The players performed in outdoor marketplaces for the enjoyment of average people. Aristocrats—nobility and royalty– had their own theatres (and often their own actors) in their palaces.

There are some interesting traditional features in commedia dell'arte performances. Most of the older male characters are masked. The young, and usually the women, are not. The actors learn about their characters, and they learn what happens in the comedy, but they don't memorize the lines; they make them up on the spot. Usually what they say depends on the audience's response, so there is always some interaction with the audience. Because of this, every performance is different.

CAST BIOS, 2014

RICHARD SHYDUROFF (PANTALONE) --A rich man.

Richard is the founder of Cannery Iron Works—metal and all other materials artist; an affiliate instructor at MIT's Edgerton Center; co-founder of the MIT Entrepreneurs' Club; Tinkerer at the Owls Head Transportation Museum. He Lives in Brooks Village, Rockport Harbor, and at MIT, as well as in his car on-the-road 1,000-miles-per-week, where and when he thinks best.

ZACHARY A. L. STERN (RUGGIDO)—Pantalone's son.

Starring in Jon Potter's last four shows, Zack is an avid veteran of the Rolling Stock Co. Including the plethora of improv shows he has been involved in, Zack prides himself on his deep roots in Camden Hills productions of Phantom of the Opera, The Odyssey, Dust in Your Eyes, The Great Gatsby, West Side Story, and, most importantly, Shrek. For Shrek, he designed, built and operated the 30-foot dragon. Graduating with the class of 2014, Zach is headed off to Massachusetts College of Art and Design, where he hopes to pursue the illustration major. He enjoys hiking, traveling, science, drawing, writing, and learning something new every chance he can get.

GINGER LANE (ZANNI)--Pantalone's servant

After receiving her doctorate in the humanities at Harvard at the age of 17, Ginger went to New York, where she became involved in Off-Broadway shows, starring in such comedies as Gotcha, and OMG! She was also cast as the lead in a number of Broadway productions, among them Sillyvia and Gormygal. When she moved to Maine she became involved with the Rolling Stock Company, and has played Zanni to the hilt.

JON POTTER (POLLICHINELLA)--Pantalone's wealthy neighbor

Jon has been involved with all kinds of theatre, including Commedia for many years, and started touring in Vermont with a small company in his 20's. He founded The Rolling Stock Company in Rockport five years ago, which offers traditional Commedia fare, and he writes the scenarios. He has taught English and theatre classes in middle and high schools, as well as college, and has published many plays.

MARIKA SHYDUROFF (SERVETTE)--Pollichinella's servant

Marika graduated from Bennington College in 2012 with a B.A. in theater. She was last heard on WRFR 93.9 in a production of Jon Potter's radio show The Adventures of Derek Steele in The Lobster Trap as Lisa Lovely. Marika continues to write her own plays, noodle on her mandolin, and work on mixed media art at her studio in Rockport Harbor. She is thrilled to reprise her roll as Servette this summer with Rolling Stock and for a small fee would probably come to your house and cook you bread, clean, and help you with your own love advice.

ANNA GAMBELL (INNOCENTA)--Pollichinella's daughter

GEOFFREY D. ALLEN (IL DOTTORE)--Local academic/theological/medical expert