Coriolanus, Red Bull Theater

/ Red Bull Theater/

“The streets are full of protest. Economic inequality strains the social fabric. Debates rage throughout a nation riddled with dissension and distrust. It’s election year in Rome, 493 B.C.E., and as unscrupulous politicians manipulate public opinion, the hypocrisy and humiliation of political campaigns drive away the country’s finest. But beneath this political drama looms the personal tragedy of one principled man’s emotional blindness.” –- information from the Red Bull website

Read More

Twelfth Night, Public Works

/ Delacorte Theater in Central Park/

“Public Works, The Public’s local and national initiative that invites diverse communities across New York to join in creating ambitious works of theater, celebrates its fourth year at the Delacorte with an enchanting new musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with music and lyrics by the critically acclaimed songwriter Shaina Taub. Professional artists and community members from partner organizations in all five boroughs perform together on stage in this love story that follows the young heroine Viola, who disguises herself as a man when she washes up on the shores of Illyria. When Viola’s new boss, Duke Orsino, sends her to win over his unrequited love, the Countess Olivia, Viola’s disguise proves too effective, and the Countess falls for the young girl dressed as a boy instead. Artistic Director of Baltimore’s Center Stage, Kwame Kwei-Armah, directs this musical fever dream about love in all its many disguises, and transformative power of walking a mile in another's shoes.” –description from the Public Theater website.

Read More

So Please You, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

/ Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival/

“This comical-tragical, tragical-comical tale of an underdog actor and his foolish band of woodland compatriots is riotous fun for the whole family!

In celebration of Shakespeare's 400 year legacy, So Please You brings Shakespeare's (almost) silent heroes – characters on the fringes, the small-part superheroes of Elizbethan theater – out of the wings and into the limelight! Stemming from the story of a servant named Dennis who appears only once in Shakespeare's As You Like It, our family-friendly farce traces this underdog's journey as a struggling actor who discovers friends, foes, and plenty of tomfoolery along his uphill climb to stardom. There will be foolishness. There will be music. There will be fun. Bring the family!” –description from the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival website

Read More

The Winter's Tale, The National Ballet of Canada

/ Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts/

“Following the stunning international success of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the renowned British choreographer Christopher Wheeldon returns with a ballet every bit as lavishly imagined, boldly expressed and consummately entertaining as the earlier work. Turning again to a classic work of English literature for inspiration, Mr. Wheeldon has adapted The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s late romance that combines elements of fairy-tale, comedy, tragedy and fantasy, all of which the ballet embraces with the same inventive staging, astute characterization and precise emotional register for which the choreographer is so admired.” –description from the National Ballet website

Read More

The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

/ Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center /

“One of Shakespeare's most problematic works makes its Shakespeare in the Parking Lot debut when Ezra Barnes directs The Merchant of Venice. Renaissance motifs of masculine friendship and romantic love are portrayed in contrast to the bitter inhumanity of the moneylender Shylock, whose misfortunes--as a victim of blatant anti-Semitism--are presented so as to arouse understanding and sympathy.” –description from the Shakespeare in the Parking Lot website

Read More

Julius Caesar & As You Like It, Hip to Hip Theatre Company

/

Julius Caesar:
“In this sensational political thriller, Shakespeare explores the tension between private loyalties and the public good, and unflinchingly questions the price of freedom. Caesar is determined to crown himself as Rome's first emperor, but a few senators, led by the idealistic, intellectual Brutus and his manipulative, rebellious friend Cassius, are prepared to sacrifice everything to liberate their country. Instead of being greeted as liberators, they are met with civil war.” –description from company website Press archives (Broadway World)

As You Like It:
“Shakespeare's sparkling comedy about love, family and identity is full of wit, music and gender-bending fun. The rightful duke and his supporters have been banished, while his impulsive daughter Rosalind remains at the mercy of the oppressive new regime. Comic twists and turns abound when Rosalind, disguised as a boy, flees the court to seek her father in the mysterious Forest of Arden. Her journey of self-discovery brings her face to face with Orlando, the man she loves.” –description from company website Press archives (Broadway World)

Read More

Troilus and Cressida, Public Theater, Shakespeare in the Park

/ The Delacorte Theater/

“Tony winning director Daniel Sullivan (Proof, Cymbeline) returns to Shakespeare in the Park with one of the Bard’s most rarely produced plays, Troilus and Cressida. Both warriors and lovers play hard to get in this surprisingly modern epic about the hot blood, hot thoughts and hot deeds of the ancient Greeks.

In the 7th year of the Trojan War, Troilus, a young prince, pines for the affections of Cressida, a bright young woman who knows how to play it cool. Meanwhile, the heroes of the Iliad – Hector, Paris, and the kings they serve - debate whether to return the dangerously beautiful captive Helen or continue to fight without end. Nations and lovers alike do battle in this funny, piercing drama about romance and revenge in a world at war.” –description from the Public Theater website

Read More

As You Like It, The Cradle Theatre Company

/

“As You Like It feels like a play that belongs to Millennials and our worldview just as much as it does to Shakespeare’s time. Both times have been wracked by uncertainty, violence, and social upheaval and chaos. Millennials are a generation that grew up in an environment shaped by war, crisis, and deception in our government, watching New Orleans drown, New York and Baghdad burn, and were never given adequate reasons why. The rights of ourselves, friends and families were torn asunder by a president who firmly believed that LGBTQ people go to hell. Gun laws were shredded to ribbons and we learned to fear our schools, movie theaters, and bars.

Shakespeare was born towards the end of England’s struggle with their shift from Catholicism to Protestantism and came of age as the Protestant reformation triggered religious wars throughout Europe. At times it was illegal to be Protestant, or Catholic, as the tides of history crashed into the cliffs of belief. Shakespeare’s world existed on the precipice of total chaos and so it has been for young people born between 1982 and 2000.

But what did Millennials do when we gained the right to participate in government? We elected the first Black president. We voted for gay marriage and against oppressive drug laws. We formed the next wave of the Civil Rights movement in Black Lives Matter. We have bucked restrictive labels, but embraced individual identity. As a generation, we are suspicious of blind patriotism and generally prefer authenticity over what is convenient. We prefer solidarity and redemption to mere tolerance and punishment. We have sought to make the alternative normative.

As You Like It is a microcosm of the larger Millennial experience. Our lives have been so directly impacted by policy that, for our generation, the political and personal have always been inextricably linked. So it is in As You Like It. Duke Frederick’s court is very reminiscent of the Bush era: suspicious, intolerant, and dangerous for anyone who does not fit in. In their opposition to these authoritarian ideals, Rosalind, Celia, Orlando, Jaques, Touchstone, and the lords who follow Duke Senior to the forest all viscerally remind me of Millennials. They shake off traditional limitations of gender, identity, and sexuality, nothing absolute but love and freedom.” –information from Rebecca Etzine’a website

Read More

Richard III, Players' Shakespeare of Gallery Players

/ The Gallery Players/

Richard III
Presented in English
The Gallery Players, New York City, New York, USA
July 14-July 31, 2016

Players' Shakespeare of Gallery Players
Producer: Dominic Cuskern
Director: Robin Leslie Brown
Scenic and Lighting Design: Conor Moore
Costume Design: Molly Walz
Sound Design: Megan Cully
Production Stage Manager: Jillian Christensen

Cast: Mickey Abbate, Kevin Bain*, Kevin Blackwelder, Brittany Brook, Ollie Corchado, RJ Foster*, Ian Geary, Varvara Ilchenko, Emily La Rosa, Jarvis Matthews, Iany Panait, Charles Pang, Alice Lussiana Parente, Victor Perez*, Katherine Puma*, Alexander Rafala, Nancy Rich, David Shakopi, Reet Roos Varnik, Nicky Vicinanzo, Matthew Whitfield, William Baldwin Young.(*members of Actors' Equity Association)

On Twitter:
@tgpbrooklyn

On Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thegalleryplayers/

Selected Reviews and Media Coverage:
http://www.rgmagazine.com/richard-iii-the-gallery-players-a-review-by-frederick-r-stal/

https://www.broadwayworld.com/brooklyn/article/RICHARD-III-Opens-in-July-at-Gallery-Players-20160620

 

Julius Caesar, Classics on the Rocks

/ The Alchemcal Theatre Laboratory /

“It may seem that success is gained by ambition, passion, and dedication alone. This is not true. Its thought that removing a problem solves the problem. This is not true. In this cautionary tale of betrayal and faithfulness, we explore what happens when well-meaning people striving to create change forget the one thing that matters most... Trust.”—description form the Alchemical website

Read More

Macbeth, The Classical Theatre of Harlem

/ Marcus Garvey Park/

About the Company:
“CTH combines original adaptations, music, and dance to present great classics of world literature as well as contemporary works that will stand the test of time. It is CTH’s vision to create the 21st century theatre company whose value to its community is inherent and essential, a company that is engaged in producing theatre that has the capacity to change lives, and truly reflects the diversity of ideas and racial tapestry that is America. CTH is purposeful in seeking to create comprehensive access for theatre artists of diverse backgrounds. This includes actors, directors, designers, playwrights, technicians, and arts administrators.”

Read More

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

/ Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center/

“A Midsummer Night's Dream is a tale of love and enchantment that is simultaneously set in the woodland and in the realm of Fairyland, under the light of the moon. The Drilling Company's Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, ever fond of holding a mirror up to its own neighborhood, is adapting the story into a fable of the Lower East Side in the first production of its 2016 season, July 7 to 23, directed by Kathy Curtiss.” –description from program website

Read More

Coriolanus, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey

/ F. M. Kirby Shakespeare Theatre/

“Political manipulation, fallen heroes, and revenge meet center stage in this rarely-produced, intense tragedy. When Rome is faced with threats from without and famine within, it turns to its defender, Coriolanus.  The decorated war-hero quickly discovers that his true enemies lie inside Rome’s walls, and perhaps within himself.  A perfect Shakespeare play for an election year!” –blurb from the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey website

Read More

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet Isn’t Dead

/ Westbeth/

“In the Summer of 2016, Athens was a busy place!  The tangled knot of four young lovers threatened to unravel the difficult preparations of a royal wedding.  Elsewhere, a band of would-be actors planned to create the greatest show the world has ever seen.  They all descended into the forest, but little did they know that it wouldn't be only filled with mortal beings this night: the faerie king and queen had their own disputes to resolve!

In this production, Hamlet Isn’t Dead highlighted the lightness and musicality of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays.  Featuring harmonic renditions of classic and modern tunes and an immersive, playful style, this was one for the ages.” –description from the Hamlet Isn’t Dead website

Read More

Romeo & Juliet, Alchemical Theatre Laboratory

/

Romeo & Juliet
Presented in English
Alchemical Theatre Laboratory, New York City, New York, USA
June 27 – 30, 2016

Directed by Inge Crafford-Lazarus

The Cast:
Sam Finn Cutler
Thomas Hedlund
Felix Jones
Omri Kadim
Maggie McMeans
Julia Rehwald
Rebecca Thompson
Yannick Trapman-O'Brien

http://www.thealchemical.com/events-2/ioopuqby42/ROMEO-JULIET

85fd1b_c8e01fe97c474d41b30224eb195f8b48~mv2.jpg

Romeo and Juliet, Wheelhouse

/ The Davenport Theatre/

“Wheelhouse set out to break with cliché in tackling Shakespeare’s most iconic love story, mining the polarities of comedy and tragedy, love and hate, through playful ensemble-driven work which lies at the heart of the Wheelhouse approach to theater. Recognizing that the latter half of the play mirrors the first, we set up a great height of comedic joy from which to fall into the depths of tragedy. A tragedy which proves to be the only possible antidote to breaking the cycle of conflict embedded in a divided status quo that feels eerily familiar to our current cultural climate.” –blurb from the Wheelhouse website.

Read More

The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Moose Hall Theatre Company

/

“With William Shakespeare’s 400 anniversary in mind, we’re featuring what many believe to be his earliest play—Two Gentlemen of Verona. See star-crossed lovers, cross-dressing, betrayal, intrigue, clowns, and a real dog! . . . Comedy with a pastiche of romance, melancholy, and a startling conclusion.” –blurb from the festival website

Read More

Othello, The American Sephardi Federation

/ Center for Jewish History /

“Othello caps a 3-production series of Sephardic-infused works at the Center this winter and fall: previously productions included Merchant of Venice and the opera Nabucco.

In Othello - set in Venice, where Othello, a Moor and a venerated General, marries Desdemona, the daughter of a senator. After promoting young Cassio in the ranks, Othello's closest aide Iago becomes consumed by jealousy and plots to discredit Cassio and Desdemona, thus bringing Othello's life and career to a tragic end.” –description from Broadway World (link below, in “Selected Reviews and Media Coverage”

Read More