New York Shakespeare Exchange Presents A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

New York Shakespeare Exchange announces A Midsummer Night's Dream, a new production of Shakespeare's classic comedy directed by Brendan Averett from January 31-February 10, 2019 at The Secret Theatre, 4402 23rd St, Long Island City, NY 11101. Midsummer will have previews from January 31 - February 2, and opening night on February 3. Performances are Tuesday-Thursday at 7pm; Friday and Saturday at 8pm; and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 4pm. A student matinee will be held on Thursday, February 7 at 11am. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at www.nysx.org.

Would you ever really want to meet a fairy? In a time when belief in magic has faded from our world, a group of actors rehearsing scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream in the woods happen upon a lonely fairy. Driven by a sense of joyful mischief, he enchants them to perform for him. Shakespeare's rollicking tale of magic, confusion, betrayal, love, and friendship gets a contemporary makeover in NY Shakespeare Exchange's February production.

The cast includes Jessica Ranville, Dana Watkins, Kimberlee Walker, Cody LeRoy Wilson, Stephanie LaVardera, Imran Sheikh, and Katie Fanning. The production team includes Brendan Averett (Director), Cecil Averett (Composer), Julie Hoffmann (Stage Manager), Ryan Goff (Scenic/Props Designer), Annie Garrett-Larsen (Lighting Designer), Sera Bourgeau (Costume Designer), Jeffrey Salerno (Sound Designer) and Leo Russell (Technical Director).

New York Shakespeare Exchange team includes: Artistic Director - Ross Williams; Executive Director - Charles Graytok; Associate Artistic Director - Cristina Lundy; and Associate Producer - Kelly Johnston

New York Shakespeare Exchange is internationally known for its The Sonnet Project (in which more than 1,500 volunteer filmmakers from around the world have joined the discussion by creating short films in New York locations based on all 154 Shakespeare sonnets). NYSX produces at least one mainstage production a year. In 2016, NYSX produced Hamlet

10, in which 10 actors played the Danish Prince, and a stunningly relevant period-adaptation of Shakespeare's epic poem, The Rape of Lucrece, which delved into sexual violence against women. Last season NYSX staged a critically acclaimed, smart phone-obsessed Much Ado About Nothing, which plugged into the zeitgeist of fake news and alternative facts.

In the coming months, NY Shakespeare Exchange will offer a number of exciting community-based events. Their Freestyle Lab series - part performance, part lecture, and part town hall conversation - will continue in partnership with the 53rd Street Library. Upcoming topics include "trans bodies at work in Shakespeare" and "deploying disability in Shakespearean literature." The spring will also see multiple incarnations of the wildly popular ShakesBEER Pub Crawl which builds instant communities through immersive exploration of the Bard.