Theatre for a New Audience to Host 'Shakespeare Primavera with Food Historian Francine Segan,' 5/17

Following the Sunday, May 17, 2:00pm matinee performance of Fiasco Theater's The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Theatre for a New Audience will presents Shakespeare Primavera with Food Historian Francine Segan at Polonsky Shakespeare Center, 262 Ashland Place, Brooklyn.

Renowned food historian Francine Segan ­ author of Shakespeare's Kitchen: Renaissance Recipes for the Contemporary Cook (Random House) ­ will give an appetizing talk on the food and wines in Shakespeare's Italian plays, accompanied by a tasting menu of Renaissance delicacies catered by Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group.

To follow her remarks, Ms. Segan and Union Square Hospitality Group will cook up an eclectic selection of recipes. Drawing upon the traditional Spring harvest, the menu ­ a tantalizing array of dishes inspired by Italian Renaissance cuisine ­ will include mincemeat pies with orange marmalade, leek and cod croquettes, pickled oysters and artichoke pottage with crispy pork, paired with a selection of fine wines.

Tickets for Shakespeare Primavera with Francine Segan are $45 alone, or $35 with purchase of a ticket for Fiasco Theater's The Two Gentlemen of Verona, details below.

Francine Segan, one of America's foremost experts on Italian cuisine, is a noted food historian and the James Beard-nominated author of six books, including Dolci: Italy's Sweets (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2011) and Pasta Modern (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2013). She is the host of NYC's popular weekly TV series "Americans In Love With Italy" and is a frequent guest on many other TV programs, including The Today Show and The Early Show. Ms. Segan has been featured on numerous specials for PBS, The Food Network and the History, Sundance and Discovery channels. Ms. Segan writes for numerous magazines and online publications, including Epicurious and Saveur and contributed the chapter "Italian Desserts" to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Sweets.

Support for Theatre for a New Audience's Polonsky Shakespeare Center and its endowed programs has been provided through a public-private partnership. Public support for this project was provided by the City of New York through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Council, and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President. Leadership private support has been provided by Cleary, Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, the Elayne P. Bernstein Education Fund, The Howard Gilman Foundation, The Irving Harris Foundation, The Polonsky Foundation, Theodore C. Rogers, and the SHS Foundation.

Principal support for Theatre for a New Audience's season and programs is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The SHS Foundation.

Theatre for a New Audience Humanities programs, including Shakespeare Primavera with Food Historian Francine Segan, are supported in part by a permanent endowment established at the Theatre by a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Celebrating 50 Years of Excellence. Leading matching gifts are provided by Robert H. Arnow, Perry and Marty Granoff, John J. Kerr and Nora Wren Kerr, and Theodore C. Rogers. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional support for the Theatre's Humanities, Education, and Outreach programs also comes from The Elayne P. Bernstein Education Fund.

Tickets for Shakespeare Primavera with Francine Segan are $45 when purchased separately or $35 with purchase of a ticket for Fiasco's Two Gentlemen of Verona. Tickets may be purchased online at www.tfana.org/shakespeareprimavera, by phone at 866-811-4111, or in person at the Theatre for a New Audience Box Office (262 Ashland Place). Box office hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 1:00pm to 6:00pm.

Polonsky Shakespeare Center, 262 Ashland Place in Brooklyn is easily accessible by public transit:
Subway: Take the 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, or R trains to Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center; the C to Lafayette Avenue; or the G to Fulton Street. Check the MTA website for service changes.
Bus: The B25, B26, B38, B41, B45, B52, B63, and B67 buses all stop within a few blocks of the Polonsky Shakespeare Center.