Part
of the HARLEM WEEK CELEBRATIONS, R&J BEGINS
JULY
23 AND CONTINUES THROUGH AUGUST 17 IN THE GLORIOUS RIVERSIDE AMPHITHEATRE
OVERLOOKING
THE
HUDSON RIVER IN RIVERBANK STATE PARK
(RIVERSIDE
DRIVE & 145th STREET)
(June
24, 2014: New York City, NY) The
critically acclaimed HARLEM SUMMER SHAKESPEARE will present its 10th season of
FREE SHAKESPEARE in Riverbank State Park with ROMEO AND JULIET beginning July
23rd and continuing through August 17th, 2014,
with the official opening on July 24th at 8 pm. The company will again perform in the
Riverside Amphitheatre in Riverbank State Park, Riverside Drive at 145th Street,
overlooking the Hudson River.
Performances are Wednesdays through Sundays at 8
PM.
Riverbank State Park has been so pleased with the Harlem Summer
Shakespeare productions, in 2009 they became a co-producer. "We love being a part of bringing these
wonderful productions to our community in Harlem" said Ruth Thomas, head of the
Cultural Department of Riverbank State Park. "People ask us all year what we are
going to present
this summer."
Artistic Director Alexa Kelly said: “Continuing our tradition of making
Shakespeare a part of today’s world, our production of R&J will be visually
contemporary, whilst keeping Shakespeare’s language intact. The goal of Harlem Summer Shakespeare is
to bring Shakespeare to new audiences. In the tradition of the great Joe Papp,
we bring live, multi-ethnic theatre, FREE , to families and young people who might not
gravitate to or even imagine they would enjoy live theatre—especially not
Shakespeare. We use familiar,
contemporary visuals, motifs and sounds, to bring the audience closer to the
story being told on stage. ROMEO
AND JULIET will be presented like a crime story in the style of TV’s Law and Order. As an extra
source of contemporary excitement for young people, the clan action will also
include some STEPPING (as in Fraternity
competition face-offs).
Our
production underlines that gang-warfare, people fighting with people exactly
like them - without reason or logic - is a universal cause of grief.
In
Ruwanda the Hutu were killing the Tutsies
despite having lived side by side for centuries. In the projects, gang members --who have
grown up side by side - fight over gang names. Whether it is the Crips and the Bloods,
the Hatfields and the McCoys, or the Capulets and the Montagues, needless death
and suffering has been caused by parents who have passed along the legacy of
hatred to their children.”
Founded
in 1989, Pulse Ensemble Theatre is presenting the 10th season of
Harlem Summer Shakespeare.
Pulse, which is
celebrating its 25th season, is dedicated to making the Classics
accessible to young people, to being a training ground for actors, playwrights,
and directors and to developing new audiences. Pulse is also committed to multi-cultural
casting. Pulse runs a weekly
Playwrights' Lab. dedicated to developing new American plays and has an active
training program for Interns.
Over
the past 10 years, HARLEM SUMMER SHAKESPEARE has presented popular and
critically acclaimed productions of TWELFTH NIGHT, THE TEMPEST, the ever-popular
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (3 times! by special request from the Park), ROMEO AND
JULIET, MACBETH, and AS YOU LIKE IT
set in the NJ Mafia world. The New York Times said of the company’s first production
of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM:
“The
audience – which did not resemble any audience I have seen at the Delacorte or
any other mainstream Shakespeare venue—obviously loved
it!” The 2007 production of
THE TEMPEST, where Izod shirts replaced Elizabethan ruffs,
continued the company’s tradition of making Shakespeare immediate and accessible
to audiences new to Shakespeare as well as to those familiar with the Bard. MACBETH was set in Afghanistan, and
critically proclaimed "an extraordinarily innovative production". The Village Voice said of our
MIDSUMMER... touring Harlem Shakespeare production that "even when the Mr.
Softee truck came by, the children sat transfixed and did not leave--high praise
indeed!"
ROMEO
AND JULIET, directed by Alexa Kelly, will feature several actors returning to
Harlem Summer Shakespeare after working in regional theatres around the country
and in Europe. The production
features Stella Heath as Juliet,
(Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Beijing
Shakespeare Festival); Jordan Bellow as Romeo (South Coast Repertory Players);
Thia Stephan as Lady Capulet
(Brunswick Square Theatre, London, Boomerang Th. NYC, Puck/Harlem Summer
Shakespeare); Marina Barry as Nurse
(Asolo Theatre); Michael Gilpin as Friar
(Bottom & Petruchioi/Harlem Summer Shakespeare); Brian Richardson as Lord Capulet (Metropolitan Playhouse,
Barter Theatre, Bristol Riverside Theatre, Macbeth & Malvolio/Harlem Summer Shakespeare),
Jonathan Hicks as Mercutio (Milwaukee
Rep., Chicago Shakespeare, Colorado Shakespeare); Karim Sekou as Paris, (Classical Theatre of Harlem,
Titania/Harlem Summer Shakespeare); Colleen McGloin as Benvolio, John L. Payne as Prince; James Ross as Balthasar; Ricardy Fabre as Gregory; Gregory Cioffi as Samson; Kim Rachelle Harris as Montague (Shenandoah Music Theatre, York
Theatre, Mill Mountain Playhouse), and Israel Gutierrez as Tybalt (Virginia Shakespeare. Marvell
Rep).
Alexa
Kelly is the creator of, and has directed all ten of, Harlem Summer
Shakespeare's critically acclaimed productions. She said “I am thrilled that HSS
has such a large neighborhood following, and that it also attracts loyal
audiences from all over Manhattan and the boroughs. Our productions are free, so young
people and senior citizens (among others) can see the show again and again, and
they do! Last year one senior
citizen brought her teenage grandson to see the show every day, and said that
she looked forward to it all year!”
Ms.
Kelly, the co-founder (in 1989), and Artistic Director of Pulse Ensemble Theatre
said "We love that we filled a void for FREE theatre in Harlem 10 years ago,
when there was no free theatre in Harlem at all. We have spread the glory of
live theatre and Shakespeare to thousands of people who might never have known
what fun it could be. This is a
very special anniversary year for Shakespeare, and we are proud that it is a
very special tenth anniversary year for us!"
ROMEO
& JULIET has costume design by David Anthony Crowley with lighting design by
Steve O'Shea, scenic design by Bob Miller, fight choreography by Joseph Pisapia,
and sound design by Brian Richardson.
This
production is made possible with the help of Riverbank State Park, New York
State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Councilman Robert
Jackson & NYC Council District 7.
For
additional information, visit www.pulseensembletheatre.org
or call (212) 695-1596.
OFF-BROADWAY
THEATRE & FREE EVENTS LISTING INFO
ROMEO
AND JULIET – Harlem Summer Shakespeare’s 10th season in Riverbank
State Park begins FREE performances of Shakespeare’s enduring romance/tragedy
ROMEO AND JULIET on July 23rd at 8 PM and continues through August
17th. Performances
Wednesdays through Sundays at 8 PM.
Outdoors in the Amphitheatre in Riverbank State Park, 145th
Street & Riverside Drive.
Official opening: July 24 at 8 pm
Take
#1 train to 145th street, walk one block west towards the Hudson River and into
Riverbank State Park. Or take #11 bus or #BX19 bus to Riverbank State
Park.
Amphitheatre
seating, feel free to bring a
pillow.
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