SHAKESPEARE ON STRATFORD to be Presented Live by Brave New World Rep

Brooklyn's Brave New World Repertory Theatre has announced its annual Shakespeare on Stratford, a live FREE family friendly community celebration in honor of Shakespeare's birthday on Saturday, April 24 from 3:30-5:30pm. In a h/t to Shakespeare's birthplace Stratford Upon Avon, the celebration is set to take place on Brooklyn's Stratford Road in Ditmas Park - Flatbush.

The multi-faceted Shakespeare on Stratford will provide four 20-minute showtimes for small groups of socially distant attendees guided from porch to porch to hear the sonnets and music and to watch the dance. CDC guidelines will be followed.

Festivities will take place on Stratford Road (between Slocum Place and Matthews Court) with 19 costumed actors, singers, dancers and musicians set to perform a selection of the Bard's sonnets, sing madrigals including Summer-Is-A-Coming In and take part in traditional Afro-Haitian dance celebrating Spring and re-birth. Shakespeare on Stratford will also feature a special appearance by Brooklyn band Jennifer Milich and the Lonesome Sea performing traditional and redux versions of "The Cuckoo."

"April is poetry month" says Claire Beckman, producing artistic director who conceived of Shakespeare on Stratford. "We hope this event will be a welcome and poetic celebration of live performance after a long year of Zoom."

Brave New World's Shakespeare on Stratford festival will take place one block from their longtime headquarters in Ditmas Park, a tree- and porch-lined neighborhood that floods with pink cherry blossoms, tulips and daffodils every Spring. The event will take place in light rain or shine. In the event of heavy showers, the rain date is Sunday, April 25th at 2pm. Details/updates at bravenewworldrep.org

Co-directors of Shakespeare on Stratford: Beckman directing the 10 sonnets, performed by BNW Rep's professional actors; Nancy Shankman, Director of NYU Steinhardt's Adult Chorus and former director of the NYU Modern Madrigal Singers, directing madrigals; and Sheila Anozier, a Haitian American multidisciplinary artist currently on faculty at the Mark Morris Dance Center, directing the dance.

DETAILS:

Brave New World Rep's

SHAKESPEARE ON STRATFORD Spring Festival

LIVE, Saturday, April 24, 3:30-5:30pm

Outdoors on Stratford Road between Slocum Place & Matthews Court

Ditmas Park, Brooklyn

Transportation: Q to Beverley Road

Creative Team/Crew:

Claire Beckman: Co Director/Sonnets and Curator; Sheila Anozier: Co-Director/Choreography; Nancy Shankman: Co-Director/Music Director of Madrigals; Emely Zepeda: Production Stage Manager; Brittani Beresford: Costume Designer; Jasmine Gary: Stage Manager; John Morgan: Tech Director; Natalie Ibarra: Operations Manager; Taylor Morgan: Designer/PA

Actors/Singers/Dancers:

Chris Lindsay-Abaire*; Sam Barnes; Paul Bomba*; Alyson Brown; Steve Deats; Nadia Diamond; Roberta Feldhusen; Roy Feldhusen; Seth Ginsberg; Livia Ihinosen Ohihoin; Eleanor Ruth*; Caroline Ryburn*; Ira Shankman; Erin Treadway*; Ian Whitt*; Zhanah Wyche; Stuart Zagnit*

*member of Actors Equity Association

Band

Jennifer Milich: Vocalist "The Cuckoo"; Seth Ginsberg: Guitar "The Cuckoo"; Sam Barnes: Violin and Banjo "The Cuckoo"; Steve Deats: Drummer for traditional Afro-Haitian dance

Photo credit: Jody Christopherson