Rival Queens
by John Dryden, Nathaniel Lee and Sir Carr Scrope
By the age of 30, Alexander III of Macedon, commonly known as Alexander the Great, had mastered a vast empire. But the brilliant young warrior-king was unable to master his own passions or those of his generals and closest friends and advisors. Court intrigue thus threatened to undo all that Alexander had managed to do.
Considered one of Nathaniel Lee's best tragedies, [i]The Rival Queens, or, The Death of Alexander the Great[/i] dramatizes a story of the rivalry between Alexander the Great's two wives: Roxana, his first, and Statira, who displaced her. The play was first performed at London's Theatre Royal by the King's Company. It was influenced by Gauthier de Costes, seigneur de la Calprenède's, [i]Cassandre[/i]. - Summary by Brian Fullen
Cast List
Alexander the Great: Brian Fullen
Clytus, Master of his Horse: Beeswaxcandle
Lysimachus, Prince of the Blood: ARodrigo
Hephestion, Alexander's Favourite: ToddHW
Cassander, Son of Antipater, Conspirator: Greg Giordano
Polypercon, Commander of the Phalanx, Conspirator: Glys
Philip, Brother to Cassander, Conspirator: Jenn Broda
Thessalus, the Median, Conspirator: Robert H. Cherny
Perdiccas, Great Commander: Alexandria Adair
Eumenes, Great Commander: James R. Hedrick
Meleager, Great Commander: David Purdy
Aristander, a Soothsayer: Alan Mapstone
Sysigambis, Mother of the Royal Family: dc
Statira, Daughter of Darius, Married to Alexander: Rapunzelina
Roxana, Daughter of Cohortanus, first Wife of Alexander: ShrimpPhish
Parisatis, Sister to Statira, in Love with Lysimachus: Sonali Ekka
Darius, Father of Statira, a Ghost: Alan Mapstone
Statira, Mother of Statira, a Ghost: dc
Chorus: Melanie K.
A Slave: Inkell
Sir Char. Scroop, Baronet, Prologue to Alexander: Brian Fullen
John Dryden, To Mr. Lee, on his Alexander: Alan Mapstone
Nathaniel Lee, The Epistle Dedicatory and Epilogue to Alexander the Great: Larry Wilson
Editor: Brian Fullen
Stage Directions: Brian Fullen
Proof Listener: Glys