Pulse Ensemble's 'The Tempest' Plays Final Show 8/26

Free performances of Pulse Ensemble Theatre's production of The Tempest, which began on August 2, continue through Sunday, August 26th in NYC's Riverbank State Park, 145th Street & Riverside Drive.  The multi-ethnic, open air production of The Tempest is the third annual Harlem Summer Shakespeare and is part of Harlem Week. The performances in the newly-restored Amphitheatre in Riverbank State Park overlooking the Hudson River are Thursday through Sunday at 8 PM with seating on a first-come, first-seated basis..  Audience members are invited to bring seat cushions.

The company's first two seasons included critically acclaimed productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream followed by Romeo and Juliet.  the Tempest, where Izod shirts replace Elizabethan ruffs, continues the company's tradition of updating the visual aspect of the plays while keeping Shakespeare's language intact.

Set on a mountainous island near North Africa, The Tempest includes music ranging from The Bulgarian women's choir and Pan's pipes, to African drummers. Ms. Kelly said: "While last summer's production of Romeo and Juliet was loosely based on the TV show 'Law & Order,' The Tempest has been inspired by 'Lost.'" 

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 Con Edison, The National Endowment for the Arts, Hot Topic Foundation, Councilman Robert Jackson and the Department of Cultural Affairs and the NY State Office of Parks and Recreation & Historic Preservation

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, and providing outreach programs to the community. 

Harlem Summer Shakespeare presents free performances of Shakespeare's The Tempest in the Amphitheatre at Riverbank State Park, 145th Street & Riverside Drive.  It plays its final two weekends – through August 26 only with performances Thursday-Sunday at 8 PM. For additional information call (212) 695-1596 or go to www.pulseensembletheatre.org.