The   Workshop   Performance   of   Cyndi
Whisnant's Still She Stands Was Intriguing

Is there any truth to the assertion that: "Our life flashes before our eyes when we die"? I have always assumed that this is a split-second flash. But what if one knew for certain that one would die in, say, 15 hours? Might one experience a longer, more drawn-out "flash"?

In her program note to Still She Stands, playwright Cyndi Whisnant asserts that "[England's Queen Elizabeth I] believes that if she lies down in her bed, she will die" and that "she stayed on her feet for 15 hours in a last stand against death."

This play, produced by Midnight Oil Productions, allows us to be flies on the wall during that 15 hours and to experience Elizabeth's back-and-forth drift between a reality in which close counselors are advising/insisting that she name an heir and an internal reality in which she experiences key conversations with significant people from her past.

I had the good fortune of being invited to a scripts-in-hand "workshop performance," complete with costumes, props, and sound and light cues.

The play's concept is intriguing, the writing is exceptional, and the execution, under the direction of Marcia Decker, is praiseworthy -- especially given that there were very few rehearsals over a brief span of time.

Lenore Field stars as Queen Elizabeth I in Cyndi Whisnant's Still She Stands (photo by Naveed Moeed)

The Play:

We enter in medias res as a few of the political heavyweights of the period (Robert Cecil, Thomas Egerton, Robert Dudley, and the Archbishop [presumably John Whitgift]) are deep in discussion about Elizabeth's failing health and the need for her to name an heir.

We soon meet Lady Southwell, Thomasina, and a Yeoman of the Crown.

Then, deep in Elizabeth's consciousness, we witness the 15-minute "flash." Once the politicians have exited, she begins to have interactions with these last three as, respectively, Death, Lady Candor, and Time. The queen also experiences a series of interior one-on-one conversations with her younger self, her mother (Anne Boleyn); Mary, Queen of Scots; Robert Devereaux (Earl of Essex); and her father (Henry VIII). Each of these conversations reveals certain of Elizabeth's strengths and weaknesses, while highlighting her pride in her accomplishments and some of her regrets. Whisnant's script expertly weaves together known historical facts and reasonable extrapolations, blending in gentle humor along the way.

Will Elizabeth come to terms with Death? And with Time? With her past? With the people from her past?

Still She Stands stars Louise Martin (left) as Mary, Queen of Scots, and Lily Kay as Young Queen Elizabeth (photo by Naveed Moeed)

The Acting:

Every part is well covered. Lenore Field's strong stage presence communicates Elizabeth's tough exterior along with her understandable interior vulnerabilities and insecurities.

Lindsey Womack bursts onto the stage as a feisty Lady Southwell and smoothly morphs into "Death" in the dream sequences.

Charlie Costal's Yeoman of the Crown has the right blend of familiarity and formality, and his "Time" is a distinctly different character.

Alyssa Krasovich delivers on a mischievous Thomazina and a lively "Lady Candor." There is never any doubt about Thomazina's genuine concern for the queen's well-being.

Mark Filiaci (as Robert Cecil), Gerald Rubin (as Thomas Egerton), Michael Shannon (as The Archbishop), and Martin Balaguer (as Robert Dudley) add interesting layers of reality to their squabble over the issue of naming an heir.

Lilly Kays (as Young Elizabeth), Jena Kaizen (as Anne Boleyn), Louise Martin (as Mary, Queen of Scots), and Drew Gulino (as Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex) round out the cast, creating appropriate (and lively) interactions with Elizabeth. Michael Shannon also voices the role of Henry VIII.

Cyndi Whisnant's Still She Stands stars Lenore Field as Queen Elizabeth I and Drew Gulino as the Earl of Essex (photo by Naveed Moeed)

The Tech:

Playwright Cyndi Whisnant has supplied very realistic 17th century costumes and props.

Sound and light design, by Naveed Moeed, are on point

Stage management is handled by Marlene Bush, assisted by Naveed Moeed.

Mark Filiaci stars as Lord Robert Cecil in Cyndi Whisnant's Still She Stands (photo by Naveed Moeed)

Nice Touches:

• A chessboard with a game in progress.
• Elizabeth's conversations with her younger self.
• The stichomythic final lines of the first act.
• Use of the tune to "Greensleeves."
• A certain curtained portrait.
• Where the curtain is placed when removed from the portrait.
• A disembodied voice with whom Elizabeth speaks.
• An entertaining pratfall performed by Thomazina.

Alyssa Krasovich and Charlie Costal star as Thomazina and Yeoman of the Guard (photo by Naveed Moeed)

Memorable Lines:

• "Do you want to see England's Queen reduced to a corpse?"
• "The crown is a sacred gift, bestowed by God himself."
• "I will not be bullied into making a choice."
• "I have looked Death in the face time and again."
• "I believe they just want your majesty to rest in peace."
• "I wouldn't say 'common.' I'd say 'universal.'"
• "I was afraid you hated me for not being a son."
• "There are things I've not yet resolved in my mind."
• "It was a bit of a golden time for me."
• "Is there no voice that I can trust?"
• [Death has] "... a bit of a personality problem."

Gerald Rubin stars as Lord Thomas Egerton in Cyndi Whisnant's Still She Stands (photo by Naveed Moeed)

From the Department of Picky-Picky:

Most of the Lady Southwell/Death and Thomazina/Lady Candor transitions were perfectly clear (as were those of the Yeoman/Time), but I recall a few occasions when I was unsure of the point at which the transition had been made. I'm sure, however, that a full production would fix this.

The Bottom Line:

This "workshop performance" was very interesting and quite strong. I look forward to attending a fully realized production in the future.

In Still She Stands, Lenore Field as Queen Elizabeth I dances with Martin Balaguer as Robert Dudley (photo by Naveed Moeed)

Cyndi Whisnant's STILL SHE STANDS (In Person June 25th at the United Church of Chapel Hill and June 18th and 19th at The ArtsCenter of Carrboro), directed by Marcia Decker and starring Lenore Field as Queen Elizabeth I; Lindsey Womack as Lady Southwell; Charlie Costal as Yeoman; Alyssa Krasovich as Thomazina; Michael Shannon as Archbishop/Henry VIII; Lily Kays as Young Queen Elizabeth; Mark Filiaci as Cecil; Martin Balaguer as Dudley; Louise Martin as Mary, Queen of Scots; Drew Gulino as Essex; Jena Kaizen as Anne Boleyn; and Gerald Rubin as Egerton (Midnight Oil Productions). PRESENTER: https://midnightoilproductions.godaddysites.com/. BLOG: https://midnightoilproductions.godaddysites.com/blog. STILL SHE STANDS (2026 drama): https://midnightoilproductions.godaddysites.com/still-she-stands. CAST & CREATIVE TEAM: https://midnightoilproductions.godaddysites.com/meet-the-cast-1. CYNDI WHISNANT (Carrboro-based playwright): https://midnightoilproductions.godaddysites.com/meet-the-cast-1, https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyndi-whisnant-785aba1b/, and https://www.facebook.com/cyndi.whisnant. INFORMATION: 919-612-2032 or ravenwiz@aol.com. PLEASE DONATE TO: Midnight Oil Productions. Cyndi Whisnant's Triangle Review Preview Permalink. [RUN HAS CONCLUDED.]

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