Acorn Productions Presents Sonnets and Soliloquies 2/7-8

The Acorn Shakespeare Ensemble, presenters of the "Naked Shakespeare" series, resumes the company's 2010/11 season of events on Monday, February 7 at 8 p.m. with another edition of the troupe's popular "Sonnet and Soliloquies" series at the Wine Bar on Wharf St. in Portland's Old Port. The February edition will feature the usual mixture of new pieces and old favorites, includes speeches delivered in an intimate setting in the round, and short scenes that our environmentally staged in the space. The performance is free with an $8 suggested donations. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early and order food and drink to enjoy during the show.

"Sonnets and Soliloquies" is one-hour free performance of some of the bard's best poetry, presented in a style that is designed to be accessible to all audience members, even those that are not that familiar with his work. The ambience and performance style combine to create a fun atmosphere, in which actors are cued by contemporary lines written on cue cards read by audience members, allowing for a playful interaction that celebrates the poetry by providing a contemporary context for the text. The action uses the unique architecture of the historic Wharf Street space to create a uniquely staged performance experience that breaks down barriers between audience and actors. "Sonnets and Soliloquies" continues as a monthly series on the first Monday of every month through the spring. The line-up will change every month as different actors perform different selections, many of which will be drawn from the company's spring productions of Antony and Cleopatra and Cymbeline.

The Acorn Shakespeare Ensemble was founded by Michael Levine and Michael Howard in the fall of 2004 in order to provide an opportunity for local professional actors to forge a long-term working relationship designed to deepen their ability to interpret classical text. The company's mission to is to educate its audience about the meaning behind Shakespeare's text by using acting to simply demonstrate the broad range of intricate emotion, theme and language. The company offers a free series of "Naked Shakespeare" performances at venues throughout Greater Portland not typically used as performance space for live theater, creating the world of the play in the imagination of the audience by minimizing the use of sets, lights and costumes. Call Acorn Productions at 854-0065 or visit www.nakedshakespeare.org for more information about "Sonnets and Soliloquies" or any other programs offered by Acorn Productions.