MUCH ADO opens TONIGHT in Orlando!

Hello there, my fabulous family and friends!

It's been WAY too long since I sent a MarniWatch (since early December?), as evidenced by the number of "Where are you?" emails I've been getting!

The answer... I'm in sunny Florida for three months!

I got down here at the beginning of February and am playing Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Portia in The Merchant of Venice in rotating rep at Orlando Shakespeare Theater. We open Much Ado TONIGHT, and the shows run through April 26; if you'll be down here vacationing, come and see me!

There are pics, video clips of me, and more info at http://www.orlandoshakes.org, plus an article on me and two others involved here.

I'm also in pics 2, 6, and 7 on this page.

I hadn't told anyone I was coming down here because of the tenuous nature of the economy, but OST is, thankfully, very responsibly managed, the contracts are intact, and the shows are fantastic! (Cast list below in case you guys know someone here with me...)

I've also cut off all my hair and gone blonde for Portia (pics in My Photos - you'll notice I'm being wigged for Much Ado) - Don't worry, it's going back to brown when this is done and I'm back in NY in May.

If you can't travel, you can always see me for free on iget2work.com - my new character, Fannie Mae Feelgood, has 12 episodes up and gives weekly "Feelgood Tips" on surviving in this hard economy (eating ramen, doing your own laundry, noticing a gigantic park in the middle of Manhattan, etc.)

I love and miss you all!
Sending some sunshine your way -
Marni

Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Dennis Delaney
and Merchant of Venice, directed by Jim Helsinger
at Orlando Shakespeare Theater in partnership with UCF now through April 26, 2009
More info at http://www.orlandoshakes.org

Cast: Desiree Bacala, Michael Beaman, Kyle Crowder, Darren Bridgett, Bob Dolan, Nathan Gregory, Anne Hering, Armistead Johnson, Andrew Knight, Bob Lipka, Ingrid Marable, Chris Mixon, Steven Patterson, Marni Penning, Brittney Rentschler, Brad Roller, Isreal McKinney Scott, Joe Vincent, Amanda Wansa (I hope I didn't forget anyone!) ;)

Photo at top is the opening sequence of Much Ado with me as Beatrice, Brittney Rentschler as Hero in background. Photo by Rob Jones.