Shakespeare Goes Hip Hop at Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival

Drake may be taking the hip hop world by storm but he'd better not get too comfortable in the spotlight. Has anyone heard him rap in iambic pentameter? In the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Company's Bomb-itty of Errors the cast of four and their DJ do just that and knock straight out of the park. The show may soon have Drake and Jay-Z watching their backs and brushing up their Shakespeare!

As they "shake and rock every spot on the map" the actors bring Shakespeare to a whole new audience and breathe life back into it for fans of all ages. Under the direction of Associate Artistic Director Christopher Edwards who, according to The Journal News "directs with a freshness that makes the madcap events of the play sparkle like the chrome spinning rims on a polished stretch Escalade" the actors tell a familiar Shakespearean tale of lost siblings, mistaken identity (not hard to do with two sets of identical twins), betrayal, love, lust, and reunion all with a slap-stick, hip-hop pulse "that's got swing."

Says Edwards, "we tell the story of The Comedy of Errors using the heightened and intricate language of Shakespeare and the poetic vernacular of the hip hop generation. The Bomb-itty of Errors is a throwback to a time when hip hop practitioners focused on ‘moving the crowd; and bringing the community together for a celebration of rappers, dancers, DJ's and graffiti artists, pouring their hearts, bodies and souls into their art form."

Performances of The Bomb-itty of Errors run through September 3. For information and a schedule visit hvshakespeare.org.

Along with The Bomb-itty of Errors the HVSF season also takes the audience to the Trojan War where love turns to infidelity in the bedroom and on the battlefield. A cast of celebrated Greek heroes bring intrinsic values of honor and love into question with Troilus and Cressida directed by founding artistic director Terrence O'Brien. From classic war time battlefields to the battle of the sexes, the question ‘who's taming whom?' is answered with classic wit in the comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Kurt Rhoads. All three shows run in repertory through September 5.

About the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
For 24 years the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival has produced critically acclaimed shows that challenge, inspire and demystify the great works of William Shakespeare delighting and enlightening audiences of all ages. The region's only professional resident Shakespeare company, HVSF, makes its home under an open-air tent theater perched high up on the banks of the Hudson River on the grounds of the historic 19th Century Boscobel estate in Garrison, New York. Using the dramatic views of the Hudson Highlands and the sweeping vistas from the elegant lawns of Boscobel as near-perfect stage scenery, the critically acclaimed Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival presents unparalleled productions with the perfect marriage of theater and nature. Audience members are invited to arrive two hours early in order to enjoy a picnic meal - with one of the most spectacular al fresco views - on the grounds of the estate.

"Populism without pandering: That's the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival's style and I've never seen it go wrong."
--Terry Teachout, the Wall Street Journal

Tickets and Information

Ticket prices for all performances are $29-$47. Tickets are available through the HVSF Box Office, which opened May 3: 845-265-9575 and are now available online at hvshakespeare.org. Discounts are available on most nights for groups, students, senior citizens and children 12 and under. The Festival offers several special packages, including a tour of the Boscobel mansion and Exhibition Gallery plus tickets. In addition discounts at local hotels and restaurants are also available. For packages and information visit the Festival website, www.hvshakespeare.org and are available through the box office. On-line sales are currently available. The Box Office opens on May 3.

For more information about the 2010 Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, as well as information about their ongoing Education and Community Outreach Programs, contact the Festival at (845) 265-7858.

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