The critically acclaimed PULSE ENSEMBLE THEATRE, now celebrating its 20th season, will present its 5th season of HARLEM SUMMER SHAKESPEARE with free performances of Shakespeare's "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" beginning on August 6th, 2009. The company will perform in various venues all over Harlem during the month of August.
To accommodate all the different venues the sets will be minimal this year, and the show will utilize the physical aspects of the various performances spaces. Audiences are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to the outdoor performances.
Artistic Director Alexa Kelly said: "Continuing our tradition of making Shakespeare a part of today's world, this show will be visually contemporary, whilst Shakespeare's language is kept intact. The goal of the Harlem Summer Shakespeare is to bring Shakespeare to new audiences. Following the tradition of the great Joe Papp, we bring live, multi-ethnic theatre, FREE, to families and young people who might not gravitate to or think that they would enjoy live theatre-especially not Shakespeare. We use familiar, contemporary visuals, motifs and sounds, to bring the audience closer to the story being told on stage. In A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, now set in New York City's Central Park, the young folk will be denizens of the upper east side, the mechanicals will be homeless people, and the Magical creatures will be part dog, part bird, and just for fun's sake, a hint of lion, with Titania's Fairies being more reminiscent of ‘Cat Women' than Tinkerbell."
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, directed by Alexa Kelly, will feature FrEddie Bennett (Puck), Laura Carbonell (Helena), BrIan Richardson (Oberon), Alvin Chan (Lysander), Bernardo Cubria (Demetrius), Mick D'arcy (Quince), Lolita Foster (Hermia), Maria Hurdle (Titania), Ryan F. Johnson (STARVELING), Shaun Rice (Bottom), Warren Katz (Aegeus), Cara Maltz (Hippolyta), Ras Enoch McCurdie (Snout), Sean McIntire (Theseus), Burt Grinstead (Flute) and Erica Swindell, Chivonne Michelle Floyd and Melanie Gretchen as Fairies.
Costume design is by Kristine Koury with lighting by Steve O'Shea and sound design by BrIan Richardson.
For additional information, go to www.pulseensembletheatre.org or call (212) 695-1596.
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