KEN LUDWIG'S THE THREE MUSKETEERS Alley Theatre
"A swashbuckling summer triumph... a high-energy romp through 1600s France that’s funnier and more buoyant than any European period piece I’ve seen in a long time. Directed by Mark Shanahan, it zips through Alexandre Dumas’ original text at a refreshingly quick pace, never boring the audience"... Like a fighter, a good adventure must be light on its feet. It must master rhythm and grace but know when to strike hard... This play should make everyone smile
"The Three Musketeers will want to make you cheer! What can I say? It's a lot of fun... Mark Shanahan’s direction requires a lot of plates spinning in the air, and none of them come crashing down... Most of all, this is a wonderful cast, and this is entertainment that only can happen on a stage, no matter how much you like the novel."
-- Houstonia
"Director Mark Shanahan keeps the focus physical. The business of insulted honor, lost letters, illicit royal loves, and a diamond necklace are mere excuses to careen about the stage in carefully choreographed motion and bring out the blades...Yet it also hints at something more. This production makes a sly bow to the sense of social commentary embedded but usually ignored in Dumas’ story.." -- The Courier
"A merry adventure, an old-fashioned romp, a well-told tale...directed with sprightly hand by Mark Shanahan,.. what's not to love?... with its epic sweep and grand values of brotherhood, justice, and honor, The Three Musketeers is a royal theater treat for children of all ages. Ludwig, you did good. You, too, Alley."
-- The Houston Press
Set: Hugh Landwehr
Costumes: Alejo Vietti
Sound: John Gromada
Lighting: Paul Whittaker
Fight Choreography: H. Russ Brown
Cast: Stanley Andrew Jackson III, Seth Andrew Bridges, Victoria Valentine, Jay Sullivan, David Matranga, Julia Krohn, Melissa Pritchett, Todd Waite. David Rainey, Justin Gibbons, Troy Beckman, Shawn Hamilton, Dyan Godwyn, McKenna Marmolejo
Photos by Lynn Lane