Cloteal L. Horne News

As part of a week-long series of events commemorating the local legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois and his family, Multicultural BRIDGE and Shakespeare & Company will present a staged reading of Knock Me a Kiss by playwright Charles Smith on Friday, February 18 at 7 p.m., at the Tina Packer Playhouse.

This is the last chance to vote for the 2021 BroadwayWorld Berkshires Awards! The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

Written by Anna Deavere Smith (Notes From the Field) and directed by Nicole Brewer (Milk Like Sugar), Fires In The Mirror begins performances on Tuesday, January 18th for a limited run through Sunday, February 6, 2022.

Time is running out to vote for for the 2021 BroadwayWorld Berkshires Awards! The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

Fires in the Mirror is Anna Deavere Smith's now-classic theatre piece about the Crown Heights, Brooklyn disturbances of 1991, the singular point of which is that it's impossible to know exactly what to think about those events either.

Baltimore Center Stage has announced the complete cast and creative team for Fires In The Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn And Other Identities, co-produced by Long Wharf Theatre. 

 Shakespeare & Company will present the virtual performance Breaking Dawn: The American Myth, a film and accompanying audiocasts by The NET, through Saturday, Nov. 21.

You likely have little to no knowledge or information about this new play that enjoyed a successful run at the Royal Court in London and now makes its regional debut at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox.  I will cut to the heart of the matter and state that both those who enjoy intrigue as well as good theatre should enjoy this fine production.

Providence theatre-goers have the opportunity to spend considerable time in 18th century France this spring--both at Trinity Rep's A Tale of Two Cities, and now at Brown/Trinity's MFA production of MARIE ANTOINETTE.  Seeing both productions back-to-back makes for an interesting juxtaposition as Tale of Two Cities takes us into the lives of the over-taxed working class, and MARIE ANTOINETTE takes us into the opulent palace that those taxes built.  While Marie Antoinette is not exactly an empathetic figure, it's easy to see why movies and plays are produced about her life. Excess -- in fashion, wealth, and consumption of all kinds -- makes for a visually spectacular extravaganza, and this production leans into that in the most delightful way.

The Brown/Trinity Rep MFA program presents Marie Antoinette, by David Adjmi, directed by Josiah Davis '20. Performances run February 27 through March 8 at the Pell Chafee Performance Center, 87 Empire St., in Providence. General admission is $15 with a discounted price of $10 for seniors and $7 for students. Tickets are on sale now at Trinity Rep's box office, by phone (401) 351-4242, or online at www.TrinityRep.com/marieantoinette.

At an SRO ceremony held at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield, the Board of the Berkshire Theatre Critics Association (BTCA) presented the Berkshire Theatre Awards on the evening of Monday, November 11, 2019. This was the fourth year the awards have been presented to honor and celebrate the excellence and diversity of theatre in the greater Berkshire region.

Shakespeare & Company presents a one-time-only performance of Julius Caesar directed by Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer, who was recently honored by a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Shakespeare Theatre Association.

The cast includes Martin Jason Asprey (Mr. Frank Ford), Steven Barkhimer (George Page), Gregory Boover (Master Fenton), MaConnia Chesser (Meg Page), Jordan Cobb (Anne Page), Tobias Goodman (Pistol/Simple), Nigel Gore (Sir John Falstaff), Cloteal L. Horne (Mistress Quickly), Jennie M. Jadow (Alice Ford), Madeleine Rose Maggio (Robert Shallow), Bella Merlin (Sir Hugh Evans), and Mary Shalaby (Nym/Rugby). Many of whom we recently enjoyed in the Shakespeare & Company production of Twelfth Night. The troupe is outstanding. Steven Barhimer, Gregory Boover, MaConnia Chesser, Jordan Cobb, Jennie M. Jadow are so at-ease and comfortable in their roles and make the audience feel likewise. Tobias Goodman and Mary Shalaby are especially noteworthy and accomplished particularly given that they are the youngest in the ensemble but keep pace and level with both more seasoned and professional members of the cast. Madeleine Rose Maggio and Bella Merlin both take on roles of the opposite gender with confidence and convection and both make it work well. Cloteal L. Horne is sassy and soulful providing enough attitude to keep things real and some surprise vocals that are impressive as well. Nigel Gore and Martin Jason Asprey seem to have been born to do Shakespeare. Both have well-developed sense of comedic timing. Asprey's banter directly with the audience delights and earns spontaneous mid-scene applause multiple times.

Shakespeare & Company presents a one-time-only performance of Julius Caesar directed by Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer, who was recently honored by a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Shakespeare Theatre Association. The special staged reading features the Obie Award-winning John Douglas Thompson as Brutus along with a cast of returning Company favorites. The reading will be held in the Tina Packer Playhouse at 1:30pm on September 1st.

 Shakespeare & Company presents William Shakespeare's madcap comedy, The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by founding company member and Director of Education, Kevin G. Coleman.

The entire cast proves themselves to be exemplary delivering long complicated dialogue that remains true to the old English, not with trite overdone accents but with polished voices and presentation that helps to make each unique, authentic, and engaging. Although the language can be challenging at times, the actors use of body language and near flawless diction helps greatly. Their musicality is both noteworthy and impressive.

Shakespeare & Company presents William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, directed by Company Artistic Director, Allyn Burrows. This classic showcases a rich, affecting, and deeply funny story of longing, love, and laughter which paints Shakespeare at his peak. Performances run from July 2 to August 4th in the Tina Packer Playhouse.

The Homeric epic The Odyssey, is at its core, a story of a man trying to return home after a war. black odyssey is much the same, but instead of Odysseus, hero of the Trojan war, we follow Ulysses Lincoln, a black man who joined the army to earn some money for his young family, but who was pulled into an unexpected war after the attacks of September 11, 2001. This retelling blends the classic story of The Odyssey with lots of music, fantastic costumes, heartbreak and laughter. Unlike the character of Odysseus, who seems most himself when he's fighting, killing or talking his way out of a situation; Ulysses Lincoln is a man who wants to go home, but who is also feels unworthy because of things he did during the war. He's a much more human character, played with perfect humility and inner turmoil by Joe Wilson Jr. Knowledge of the original story of The Odyssey may make certain in-jokes in this play slightly funnier, but there's absolutely no need to slog through that tome before experiencing this excellent production.

Trinity Repertory Company presents black odyssey. Directed by Jude Sandy and Joe Wilson, Jr. Performances run January 3 - February 3.

Trinity Rep will continue its 2018-19 Season with the epic tale of black odyssey by Marcus Gardley. Inspired by Homer's Odyssey, this story examines Ulysses Lincoln's journey home from war when the world - and the gods - are against him. This adventure brings the combination of history and heart together in a poignant and imaginative story that will captivate audiences. This production will feature resident acting company members, Jude Sandy and Joe Wilson, Jr. as co-directors, with Joe Wilson, Jr. as Ulysses Lincoln. black odyssey runs January 3 - February 3 with press opening on Monday, January 7 at 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $25. More information can be found at www.trinityrep.com/odyssey.