Elm Shakespeare Company has announced next production set to run May 16-19. Elm Shakespeare Company, known for their annual In the Park productions each August brings you Tina Packer's Women of Will, the second event in their “Building a Brave New Theatre” series.
Created and directed by master Shakespearean and legendary founder of Shakespeare & Company, Tina Packer, Women of Will takes audiences on an unforgettable journey through the stories of Shakespeare's legendary ladies and the author's changing conception of the female character's he created. Featuring Elm's own Producing Artistic Director, Rebecca Goodheart, in her New Haven acting debut, this production promises to ignite the stage with passion, intellect, and boundless imagination.
Developed originally through Guggenheim and Bunting Fellowships, Packer's lauded script, (which later became the acclaimed book of the same name), delves deep into the hearts and minds of Shakespeare's heroines, offers a fresh perspective on the relevance of these plays to our world, and illuminates the author's journey of enlightenment through the evolution of his understanding (and so writing) of women. Part performance, part masterclass, Women of Will is the bonus material to the plays audiences crave, bringing them to life and inspiring insight for all. From the brutality of Queen Margaret to the sexual/spiritual awakening of Juliet, and from the bleak violence of Lady Macbeth to the mystical healing powers of Marina, each character springs to life on stage, embodying the complexities of influence, love, and the dominion of the feminine in our world.
Adding to the excitement, Goodheart makes history as the first person outside of Packer to take on this prestigious role, infusing her own unique interpretation into the production. She is joined by master actor Nigel Gore, who helped develop the play with Tina Packer for close to 20 years, when not appearing at such theaters as Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Lyric Stage Boston, Bedlam Theatre, Shakespeare & Co., the Mercury Theatre, and Prague Shakespeare Festival.
“At Elm Shakespeare, we are fascinated by how these plays serve us today and this is a chance to dive deep. It's less about Shakespeare the man and more about the nature of creativity and our shared humanity; the intricate relationships and struggles that resonate across time and cultures. We look to infuse each performance with authenticity, and more than a touch of humor.
We're passionate about sharing these stories in a way that feels genuine and relatable, inviting everyone – from expert to the merely curious – to see themselves and maybe discover something about themselves they never saw before," says Goodheart. “With Women of Will, we invite audiences to experience Shakespeare's works through a lens of wit and wisdom found in his most iconic heroines."
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