Hartford Stage Announces Cast and Performance Schedule for BREAKDANCING SHAKESPEARE: LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST

Hartford Stage Young Company, in conjunction with the Greater Hartford Arts Council's Neighborhood Studios, is pleased to announce the cast and performance dates for Breakdancing Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost.

The cast of Breakdancing Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost includes Ronnie Bowman, Jr., 18, The Hartt School, University of Hartford in West Hartford as Don Adriano de Armado; Dana Clark, 16, Howell Cheney Tech in Manchester as King Ferdinand of Navarre; Justine Collins, 17, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts in Hartford as Holofernes; Elizabeth Hammond, 18, Farmington High School as Rosaline; Reese Hart, 16, Bloomfield High School as Longaville; Marc Hilyard III, 19, Tunxis Community College in Farmington as Berowne; Dajah Jackson, 17, Plainville High School as Maria; Loren Milledge, 18, Classical Magnet High School in Hartford as Katharine; Alana Morgan, 15, Global Communications Academy in Hartford as Sir Nathaniel; Ashley Morgan, 18, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts in Hartford as Princess of France; Kaleb Rutland, 16, of Manchester as Dumaine; Marleina Saez, 16, A.I. Prince Technical School in Hartford as Jaquenetta; Ben Stone, 15, East Granby High School as Costard; Jermaine Thurston Jr., 17, Conard High School in West Hartford as Constable Dull; and Uma Vaz, 15, Connecticut IB Academy in East Hartford as Moth.

Love's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies. The broad ensemble of characters in the play explores the tricks people play to get what - or who - they love. The play has been adapted for the Breakdancing Shakespeare production by Christopher Baker. Nina Pinchin, Associate Director of Education at Hartford Stage, will be helming the production. Hip-Hop dance instructor Brandon Couloute returns as choreographer, and former Breakdancing Shakespeare cast member Gina Salvatore serves as stage manager.

"This play is a classic example of the best laid plans going awry," Pinchin explains. "Much like many of us on December 31st, characters begin by making some strict resolutions and almost immediately find temptations to bend and eventually break their resolve."

Created in 2006, Breakdancing Shakespeare is a paid, six-week summer apprenticeship for students ages 14 through 19 from the Greater Hartford area. Over the course of the program, students learn techniques of breakdancing, physical and vocal characterization, movement, and interpretation of classical text. They use these skills to put a modern twist on a classic Shakespeare piece to help make Shakespeare's language accessible to audiences of all ages. Previous Breakdancing Shakespeare productions include Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream,Antony & Cleopatra, The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, and Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Performances of Breakdancing Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost will take place August 11-13 at the Hoffman Auditorium in The Bruyette Athenaeum at the University of Saint Joseph, 1678 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117. All performances begin at 7 pm. General admission tickets are $5 and may be purchased through the Hartford Stage Box Office at 860-527-5151 or online at http://tickets.hartfordstage.org. To learn more about Breakdancing Shakespeare, contact Nina Pinchin at 860-520-7266 or npinchin@hartfordstage.org.

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