Hip To Hip Theatre Company Launches Tour Of Free Shakespeare In The Park In Queens

Hip to Hip Theatre Company's summer tour of Free Shakespeare in the Park will include performances in six parks throughout Queens, with gala performances in Jersey City and Southampton, August 6-24.

Audiences will have a chance to enjoy one of Shakespeare's late romances and one of his most popular comedies. THE WINTER'S TALE (directed by David Frederick Mold) and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (directed by Jason Marr), will perform in rotating repertory under the stars.

"We are keeping rep alive," says Joy Marr, the co-founder of Hip to Hip. Repertory is a system of play production in which one acting company rehearses multiple plays and then performs them on a rotating basis.

Joy went on to say: "It's a feat of memorization and talent to see the actors change from show to show. This year is especially amazing because each actor plays multiple roles within each show, which means they are preparing four to five Shakespearean roles at once."

The repertory system also provides opportunities for up-and-coming actors to work alongside more experienced professionals. Former actors with the troupe have been featured this year in "Mean Girls" the musical film, "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" and at major regional theatres across the U.S. "It's an honor to be a part of these young actors' journeys," concluded Joy.

Over the past seventeen years, Hip to Hip has been working through the cannon of Shakespeare's plays. Out of the thirty-eight plays-which includes a few that were probably co-written by Shakespeare-Hip to Hip has produced twenty-eight.

Regarding this year's play selections, Jason Marr says: "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is Shakespeare's most popular play for a reason. This is my fifth time working on it and I'm still discovering new layers of brilliance. Pairing it with THE WINTER'S TALE offers audiences an added treat because the plays compliment each other so well. Beyond the summer-winter contrast, they provide thematic echoes such as love and marriage, personal freedom, magic and the healing power of nature."

Regarding THE WINTER'S TALE, director David Frederick Mold says: "I find audiences are captivated by Shakespeare's telling of this tale, from the powerful and emotional first acts to the surprising final scene. It's a decades long journey of personal and political reconciliation and redemption. I am thrilled to finally have a chance to direct this play which has intrigued me since I first saw it over 30 years ago in a compelling production at The Public Theatre directed by James Lapine. It is an artistic joy to explore the play's psychology, emotional pain, and multiple story lines about the power of love."

Thirty minutes before each performance, Hip to Hip offers "Kids & the Classics," an interactive workshop for children ages 5 to 12. It gives children a chance to interact with the text by previewing the story, and by creating links between the text and their own lives through theatre games and close reading.

Audience members are encouraged to bring a blanket or low chair and picnic fare, and enjoy Shakespeare in the open air. No tickets are necessary. Seating is first come, first served.

The repertory cast includes: Neev Bar-David, Konnor Brown, Chaunice Chapman*, Nicole Marie Hunt*, Dayron Leon, Axel Marr, Bree Marr, Jason Marr*, Joy Marr*, Mikaya Martin, Nancy Nichols*, Parmeet Singh and Stephanie Jeane Toussaint*
(*appears courtesy of Actors Equity Association)

The production team includes: Costume Designer: Nancy Nichols; Production Stage Manager: Timmy Costello; Assistant Director: Anna Belden; Sound Designer: Terry Chun; Costume Assistants: Mikayla Carleo and Kiki Sanchez; Production Assistant: Xavier Rodriguez

Performance Schedule

Tuesday, August 6 @ 7:00 pm - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Queens College, on the Quad (65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing)

Wednesday, August 7 @ 7:30 pm - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Sunnyside Gardens Park (48-21 39th Ave, Sunnyside)

Thursday, August 8 @ 7:30 pm - The Winter's Tale
Crocheron Park (35th Ave & Corbett Rd, Bayside)

Friday, August 9 @ 7:30 pm - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Voelker Orth Museum (149-19 38th Ave, Flushing)

Saturday, August 10 @ 7:30 pm - The Winter's Tale
Gantry Plaza State Park (4-09 47th Rd, Long Island City)

Sunday, August 11 @ 5:00 pm - The Winter's Tale
Socrates Sculpture Park (32-01 Vernon Blvd, Astoria)

Wednesday, August 14 @ 7:00 pm - A Midsummer Night's Dream (Rain date: 8/20)
Newport on the Green (14th St & River Drive S., Jersey City)

Thursday, August 15 @ 7:30 pm - The Winter's Tale
Cunningham Park (Union Turnpike & 196th St, Fresh Meadows)

Friday, August 16 @ 7:30 pm - The Winter's Tale
Voelker Orth Museum, Flushing (149-19 38th Avenue, Flushing)

Saturday, August 17 @ 7:30 pm - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Gantry Plaza State Park (4-09 47th Rd, Long Island City)

Sunday, August 18 @ 5:00 pm - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Socrates Sculpture Park (32-01 Vernon Blvd, Astoria)

Wednesday, August 21 @ 7:30 pm - The Winter's Tale
Sunnyside Gardens Park (48-21 39th Ave, Sunnyside)

Thursday, August 22 @ 7:30 pm - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Crocheron Park (35th Avenue & Corbett Rd, Bayside)

Friday, August 23 @ 7:30 pm - The Winter's Tale
Agawam Park (25 Pond Lane, Southampton)

Saturday, August 24 @ 7:30 pm - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Agawam Park (25 Pond Lane, Southampton)

About Hip to Hip Theatre Company

Now in its seventeenth year, Hip to Hip Theatre Company is dedicated to stimulating and developing interest in the theatre arts in underserved communities by providing free, family-friendly, professional productions of popular classics, and free theatre workshops for children, in public spaces.