Harlem Summer Shakespeare Returns August 7th

PULSE ENSEMBLE THEATRE, headed by Artistic Director Alexa Kelly, returns to NYC's Riverbank State Park, 145th Street & Riverside Drive, on August 7th with it's 4th annual HARLEM SUMMER SHAKESPEARE production.  The multi-ethnic, open air production of William Shakespeare's comedy "TWELFTH NIGHT", which begins August 7th and continues through August 24th, is FREE to the public on a first come, first served basis and is a feature of Harlem Week. The performances, Thursdays through Sundays at 8 PM, will be in the park's newly-renovated Amphitheatre overlooking the Hudson River in Riverbank State Park.  Audience members are invited to bring their own seat cushions.

This is the 4th season Pulse Ensemble Theatre and the Harlem Summer Shakespeare has presented Free Shakespeare in Riverbank State Park.  The company's productions are known for updating the visual aspect of the plays while keeping Shakespeare's language intact. "The goal is to excite and entertain a non-theatre going audience, and inspire them with the limitless possibilities of live theatre" said Alexa Kelly.  The company's first three seasons included critically acclaimed productions of THE TEMPEST, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and ROMEO AND JULIET where Lord and Lady Capulet danced to Marvin Gaye and Romeo first spied Juliet as she danced to The Black Eyed Peas! The New York Times said of "A Midsummer Night's Dream":  "The audience – which did not resemble any audience I have seen at the Delacorte or any other mainstream Shakespeare venue—obviously loved it!"  Last summer's production of THE TEMPEST, where Izod shirts replaced Elizabethan ruffs, continued the company's tradition of making Shakespeare immediate and accessible to audiences new to Shakespeare as well as to those familiar with the Bard.
 
Set in today's New York City, TWELFTH NIGHT also uses Shakespeare's language unchanged.  We find Duke Orsino, played by Sean Fredericks, is partial to the music of Led Zepelin while Sir Toby (Richard Vernon) and Sir Andrew ((Mark Hilgers) like reliving their heyday back at Studio 54. Lady Olivia (Annie Paul) practices yoga while Feste the clown (David McLellan) is a modern day Busker.  Ms. Kelly said: "Our production of ROMEO AND JULIET was loosely based on the TV show LAW & ORDER and THE TEMPEST was inspired by LOST.  This production of TWELFTH NIGHT is loosely inspired by image-conscious New Yorkers obsessed with their fitness rituals".

Director ALEXA KELLY, who also directed A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, ROMEO & JULIET, and THE TEMPEST, has been Artistic Director of Pulse Ensemble Theatre since 1989.  The sets for TWELFTH NIGHT will be designed by John MCDermott, with lighting by Steve O'Shea, costumes by Kristine Koury and sound design by BrIan Richardson.  The production Stage Manager is Shelly VanVliet.

Raushanah Simmons, who plays 'Viola', has appeared in George C. Wolfe's production of MOTHER COURAGE at the Delacorte Theatre and played 'Ariel' in last summer's Harlem Summer Shakespeare production of THE TEMPEST.  On TV she has been seen on "Sex and the City" and "Law & Order" among others.

The cast of TWELFTH NIGHT also includes Loren Fenton (Valentine), Nick Flemming (Antonio), R. J. Foster (Sebastian), Camille Mazurek (Maria), Justin M. Carter (Fabian), Clarence Sailor (Curio), and BrIan Richardson (Malvolio).

The Harlem Summer Shakespeare Project invites young people from the Harlem community to work with the professional acting company, and also offers free acting workshops.  The project is sponsored in part by New York State Council on the Arts, Con Edison, Councilman Robert Jackson and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and Riverbank State Park.

Pulse Ensemble Theatre, founded in 1989 by Alexa Kelly, is dedicated to making the Classics accessible and exciting to the youth of today; to multi-ethnic casting; to creating a nurturing environment for actors, to developing new audiences and providing outreach programs to the community.  While based on Theatre Row for 13 years, Pulse presented outdoor Shakespeare in their courtyard.  After losing their theatre in 2002, Pulse began presenting free Summer Shakespeare in Harlem's Riverbank State Park.  The company also runs a weekly Playwrights' Lab from which it develops a new play each year – they are currently working with the Indian American Arts Council on Reuters' writer Anuvab Pal's play "Chaos Theory."