HAMLET SPEAK and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM Come to the Chain Theatre in July

Renaissance Now Theatre & Film, led by Kathy Curtiss, specializes in freely adapting Shakespearean plays with additions of dialogue in contemporary prose.  This "now speak" is used to highlight social issues, including political and moral themes, from the viewpoint of characters in the plays.  The troupe presented a novel adaptation of "Macbeth" titled "Macbeth-Redux" last summer on Theatre Row and returns this year with two plays in repertory July 25 to 29 at The Chain Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, 4th floor. 

"Hamlet Speak," adapted and directed by Kathy Curtiss, is a new adaptation and shorter cut (world premiere) that includes predominately the original text, punctuated with contemporary monologues for Hamlet and Ophelia. 

"A Midsummer Night’s Dream," directed by Laurie Harrop Purser with vocal/text work by Steven Rimke, adapts Shakespeare's fantasy play to the California Rock Music scene in Laurel Canyon in the early 1970’s.

Both adaptations are being developed in workshops this year at Castle Amphitheater in Provo, UT, a thousand-seat, Greek-style open air stone amphitheater in the mountains of the Beehive State.

ABOUT "HAMLET SPEAK"

The text of "Hamlet," adapted by Kathy Curtiss, has passages of contemporary writing added to give a modern perspective to issues that relate the classic play to our time.  Costuming borrows from Renaissance dress, but adds recognizable detail from the 21st century in the trendy attire of the young characters.   Hamlet, at age 30, is the equivalent of a modern college graduate student, seeking wisdom and truth about humane and right behavior as he prepares to be Denmark’s next king.  He is surrounded by other identity-seeking college students: Laertes, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, and Horatio. His election as King of Denmark is overridden by fear-mongering that the King’s brother, Claudius, has created in order to claim the throne. The ensuing atmosphere of panic and political confusion is all too familiar in our time.  This adaptation chastises rash behavior when impatience prevails over conscience (Polonius’s rash slaughter) and affirms the potential for right judgment and pure motives in Hamlet, a man of conscience who is Shakespeare's quintessential Renaissance Man. 

Last summer, Renaissance Now presented the NY premiere of Kathy Curtiss' adaptation, "Macbeth-Redux," on Theatre Row.  John R. Ziegler and Leah Richards (Thinking Theatre NYC) described the effect of the modern language "now speak" passages as "something like getting a perspective on the play from within the play." The review also praised the production's fight choreography and imagery (some scenes achieving an "almost painterly visual composition") and declared that audiences "will find much to admire, as well as much to ponder" in the production.

"Hamlet Speak" is directed by Kathy Curtiss. Fight choreography is by Matt Carlin and Adam Argyle (Members SAFD). Costume design is by Rebecca Nibley. Music and sound design are by Nate Lowry, who is also Technical Director.  Projections and lighting are by Rychard Curtiss. The actors are Austin Zimmerman (in the title role), Rick Macy, Rebecca Nibley, Joel Applegate, Eden Bostrom, Joshua Johnson, Seven Harrison, Sonja Hugo, Joshua Munoz, Preston Ochsenhirt, Caleb Voss, Desmond Walker, and Yulissa Torres.

ABOUT "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM"

This adaptation of Shakespeare's most famous comedy is more visual than language-conceptual, being modernized to a California rock fest but sticking to the script most of the time.  The setting is a 1970 rock concert in Laurel Canyon, outside Los Angeles.  The war that is scripted in Shakespeare's original is replaced by a battle of the bands: a sing-off involving Theseus, the Duke of Rock and Hippolyta, the Amazon of Songs.  The comedic characters – the Mechanicals – are the Opening Act for Theseus and Hippolyta. The set is simple with projections depicting the Rock Concert setting and the woods surrounding Laurel Canyon.  Costumes are indicative of late 1960’s and early 1970’s.  There is singing, stage fighting, and chasing throughout the play as love triangles shift back and forth. 

Perception changes with a dimensional shift into a land where fairies and fairy royalty exist in tandem with Rock Stars. The door to this dimensional shift is a “weed” often found and smoked at rock concerts.  The mischievous fairy/roadie Puck enables the audience to see the Mechanicals turn into fairies before their eyes.  There is much in this interpretation about perspective and "seeing what we want to see" when it comes to love. Ultimately everyone finds their way out of the woods, everyone is paired with the proper partner and it ends with hilarity and dance.

Direction, dance and fight choreography are by Laurie Harrop-Purser. Text work is by Assistant Director Steven Rimke.  Costume Design is by Brooklyn Cordner.  Music and sound design are by Nate Lowry. Lighting, projections and set design are by Rychard Curtiss. The actors are Rick Macy, Amanda Williams, Ryan Hopkins, Desmond Walker, Yulissa Torres, Joshua Johnson, Sydney Olsen, Seven Harrison, Sonja Hugo, Eden Bostrom, Caleb Voss, Joshua Munoz, Charli Purser, Austin Zimmerman and Preston Ochsenhirt.

ABOUT THE DIRECTORS

Kathy Curtiss (Director, "Hamlet Speak") is Artistic Director of Renaissance Now Theatre & Film and is a frequent director for The Drilling Company's Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, for whom she has staged "Comedy of Errors," "The Tempest," "Twelfth Night," "A Midsummer Nights Dream," "Much Ado About Nothing" and "Love’s Labours Lost" and has been fight director for "Hamlet," "Romeo & Juliet" and "Othello."  She has also staged an original translation/adaptation of "The Seagull" for The Drilling Company.  She has directed for in Santa Barbara for the SB Shakespeare Company ("Hamlet," "The Three Musketeers"), Center Stage Theatre ("True West," "Lion in Winter") and many seasons at the Castle Shakespeare festival in Utah. Her resumé directing original scripts includes "Beloved" at Theatre Row, "We are the People" and "Ancestors" for Scandinavian American Theatre Company, "A Final Toast" for New Perspectives Theatre Company and "Samaritans" for the Oberon Theatre.  Her experimental works in NYC includes a physical theatre play, "Wing to the Rooky Wood," for the New York International Fringe Festival, an edgy "A Lie of the Mind" for The Michael Chekhov Theatre Company's Sam Shepard festival, and Renaissance Now’s production "Romeo & Juliet" at the New York Bohemian Hall and "Diaries of Romeo and Juliet" at New Perspectives Theatre Company.  She has been an instructor in Acting and Film Directing at ten university BFA programs in New York and nationwide and has directed and produced short films and documentaries. 

Laurie Harrop-Purser ("A Midsummer Night's Dream" director; dance & fight choreographer) graduated with an MFA from the National Theater Conservatory in Denver, Colorado.  She taught for 14 years at Brigham Young University in the Theatre and Media Arts Department and is in her eleventh year with the Theater Department at Utah Valley University.  In addition to teaching acting, movement, and Improv, she directs, acts, does voice-over work, and writes.  She directed "The Wizard of Oz," played Mrs. Paroo in "The Music Man" and Aunt Eller in "Oklahoma" at Sundance.  She played the Nurse in "Romeo and Juliet" in an independent film by Parking Garage Pictures. In the last several years, she has been in three Hallmark Christmas movies and two Harmon Brothers commercials.  One of her recent writing projects is a musical adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland"  which performed at Utah Valley University and in Springdale Utah at The Bumbleberry Theater. She was acting coach on the movie "Green Flake," that won a LAFA award in 2020 for best picture. 

Steven Rimke ("A Midsummer Night's Dream" assistant director & voice work) is an acting teacher, dialect coach, and professor of voice and speech. He received an MFA in Voice Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London and a BFA in Acting from the University of Calgary, Canada. He has most recently taken a position at Utah Valley University teaching accents and dialects, voice for the stage, voice over, speaking Shakespeare, and acting fundamentals. Prior to Utah Valley University, he was an assistant professor at Penn State and an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). 

These productions are supported in part by the Bill and Sharon George Foundation and by Brad and Melissa Coolidge.

Renaissance Now Theatre & Film will present "Hamlet Speak" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" July 26 to 29, 2023 at The Chain Theatre, 312 West 36th Street, 4th floor. "Hamlet Speak" plays Wed, 7/26 at 7:30 (preview); Thur, 7/27 at 3:00, Fri, 7/28 at 7:30, and Sat , 7/29 at 3:00."  A Midsummer Night's Dream" plays Wed, 7/26 at 3:00 (preview); Thur, 7/27 at 7:30, Fri, 7/28 at 3:00 and Sat , 7/29 at 7:30. Tickets are: Previews $5, General Admission $15, Students/Seniors $7, Group of 4: $26. To purchase tickets, go to the ensemble's website, www.renaissancenow.com.