Corleone
The Shakespearean Godfather
by David Mann
Iowa Premiere
“a very palpable hit”
Mary Brubaker, ArtScene Magazine
(full review - adobe pdf)“Corleone is good. Capisce?”
Michael Morain, Des Moines Register
(full review - adobe pdf)“rises to the challenge”
James Erwin, Juice
(full review - adobe pdf)
Buy the book and movie that inspired it all on amazon.com:
Book - The Godfather
DVD - The Godfather (Widescreen Edition)
ORIGINAL RUN
January 11-21, 2007
The cast and crew
| Vito Corleone | John Butz |
| Michael | Josh Visnapuu |
| Bonasera | Etta Berkowitz |
| Luca Brasi | John Busbee |
| Kay | Laura Van Waardhuizen |
| Fredo | Gary Miles |
| Sonny | David Brooks |
| Connie | Kourtney Horner |
| Tom | Bob Baskerille |
| Director | Susan M. Gulbranson |
| AD/SM | Nicole Taweel |
| Scenic Design | Thatcher Williams |
| Costumes | Laura Van Waardhuizen |
| Lighting Design | Morgan Beary |
About the show
What if Shakespeare had written The Godfather? Penned as if by old Will himself, David Mann’s inspired reinvention of the Puzo/Coppola classic is a treat for Shakespeare geeks & Mafia freaks alike (and if you don’t know the Bard from Barzini, this is a great way to meet them both!). Mann’s brilliant writing – & the fun of a handful of actors playing ALL the roles – moves Corleone beyond gimmicky imitation to become a theatrical tour-de-force in its own right. It’s an offer we couldn’t refuse.
About the playwright
David Mann (website) has written five original solo performances: Revelations of Mann, Sex with David Mann, Glass Onion, Lucifer, & Temporary Insanity. They have been performed at Intermedia Arts, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Jungle Theatre, & Bryant-Lake Bowl in Minneapolis & showcased at P.S. 122, Dixon Place, & Access Theatre in New York. Revelations of Mann was performed in January 2003 as part of the Great American History Theatre’s main stage season & has since toured the Midwest. Queens of Burlesque, was part of the History Theatre’s 2004 Raw Stages series.
In 2004 Mann was part of the acting company for the Great River Shakespeare Festival’s inaugural season, playing roles in The Winter’s Tale & A Midsummer Night’s Dream. During the festival he also co-directed the Apprentice Project, an educational experience for aspiring college-age actors that culminated in a production of As You Like It. From 2000 to 2004, Mann was co-Artistic Director of Minnesota Shakespeare Project (MSP), a professional theatre devoted to classical plays. He directed and/or performed in MSP’s productions of Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, & Pericles. His recent performances in area theaters include Romeo & Juliet, Antony & Cleopatra, & Julius Caesar at the Guthrie Theater; Slither at Eye of the Storm Theatre, Watermelon Hill & The Fierce Clockwork of Destiny at the Great American History Theatre; & he played the character of the leading actor in The Worst Show in the Fringe, which ranked #1 in audience attendance at the 2002 Minnesota Fringe Festival.
In 2006 Mann was named a recipient of a Bush Fellowship in Performance Art/Storytelling. He also plays a principal character in the independent film, Last Seen, & is the current commercial spokesman for Midwest Wireless phone company.
