An homage to nineteenth century historical melodrama, “Queen Amarantha” tells the story of a fictional monarch, Amarantha, the daughter of a barbaric warrior king, who tries to emerge from her father’s shadow. Like Sweden’s Queen Christina, she is uncomfortable with her society’s conventional female role and prefers to dress as a man. She falls in love with a wanderer named Adrian and when her enemies destroy her reputation through a manipulated scandal, Amarantha abdicates and runs away with Adrian. She leaves the throne to her young and hopelessly weak ward, Roderigo, who becomes a pawn of Amarantha’s enemies, particularly her treacherous childhood friend, the Countess Thalia.

Thalia marries Roderigo and together they bring the country to ruin. Amarantha, living the bucolic life in the mountains with Adrian, is forced to face her demons and fight to regain her throne. Leading a rag tag partisan army of peasants, she defeats her enemies and kills the venomous Thalia in a duel with broad swords. Hers is an empty victory, when she learns that her great love Adrian has been killed in battle.

CREDITS

Queen Amarantha was originally produced by the WPA Theatre, Kyle Renick, Artistic Director, under the direction of Charles Busch and Carl Andress, with set and costume design by Eduardo Sicango, wig design by Elizabeth Katherine Carr, lighitng design by Michael Lincoln and sound design by Aural Fixation.  It opened October 23, 1997.

CAST

Carl Andress, Charles Busch, Marcus Lovett, Karen Phillips, John Sloman, Ruth Williamson, John Wojda, 

Stock and amateur rights available through  Samuel French, Inc.  45 West 25th Street, NY, NY 10010. For all other inquiries, please contact Marc Glick, Glick and  Weintraub, 1501 Broadway, suite 2401, NY, NY 10036

John Wojda, CB and John Sloman

CB with 
Marcus Lovett

CB with Karen Phillips

from left: John Sloman, Carl Andress, CB, Karen Phillips, John Wojda

Ruth Williamson, CB, and Carl Andress

CB and Ruth Williamson