The Shakespeare Society (Michael Sexton, Artistic Director) has announced that the Shakespeare Birthday Marathon, a FREE five-hour celebration of the Bard's 445th birthday, will take place Sunday, April 26, 3:30 - 8:30pm at Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. There will be free general admission and no reservations are taken.
This year's Birthday Marathon celebrates Shakespeare in New York by including theaters, training programs, academic departments, middle and high schools, and other Shakespearean organizations from the area as well as actors, singers, writers, students, scholars, and theatergoers. The Marathon will highlight the efforts of all those who make Shakespeare a vital part of New York's cultural life.
Highlights will include selections from Theater for a New Audience's acclaimed productions of Othello and Hamlet (with
Christian Camargo, Juliet Rylance,
John Douglas Thompson, and
Kate Forbes), CSC's fall production of The Tempest (with Stephen Rattazzi,
Tony Torn, and
Nyambi Nyambi); the Pearl's and the McCarter's recent productions of Twelfth Night (with
Veanne Cox,
Rebecca Brooksher,
Stephen DeRosa, and
Sean McNall); and readings by
Martha Plimpton,
Michael Cerveris,
Denis O'Hare,
Jason Butler Harner,
Michael Stuhlbarg, and Elisabeth Waterston.
The last time Peter Norton
Symphony Space hosted the Shakespeare Birthday Marathon, more than 1,200 people attended.
Those currently scheduled to participate include
Rebecca Brooksher,
Michael Cerveris,
David Costabile,
Veanne Cox,
Michael Cumpsty, Barry Edelstein,
Christian Camargo,
Stephen DeRosa,
Kate Forbes,
Jason Butler Harner, Jeffrey Horowitz,
Hamish Linklater,
Roberta Maxwell,
Sean McNall,
Denis O'Hare,
Martha Plimpton,
Steven Rattazzi,
Laila Robins, Juliet Rylance, Elizabeth Shepherd,
Michael Stuhlbarg,
John Douglas Thompson,
Tony Torn, and Elisabeth Waterston. Participating organizations include Classic Stage Company, Theater for a New Audience, the Public Theater's Shakespeare's Lab, the Hunts Point Children's Shakespeare Ensemble, Epic Theater Ensemble, The Pearl Theater, NYU'S Graduate Acting Program, NYU's Gallatin School, and many of Shakespeare Society's partner schools.
The Shakespeare Society is a not-for-profit membership organization presenting entertaining and challenging programs that combine stage performances by outstanding actors with illuminating commentary by noted Shakespearean writers, scholars, and directors. A fundamental belief of the founders of The Shakespeare Society is that enjoying and understanding Shakespeare begin in the classroom; therefore, a portion of the Society's membership dollars is used to support educational activities in New York City's middle and high schools. The Shakespeare Society also offers residencies and workshops to directors and actors working on or developing Shakespeare projects. Past participants in Shakespeare Society performances and events include Harold Bloom,
F. Murray Abraham, Stephen Greenblatt,
Liev Schreiber,
Lynn Redgrave,
Ruben Santiago-Hudson,
Kathleen Chalfant,
Michael Cumpsty,
Jefferson Mays,
Marcia Gay Harden,
Patrick Stewart, Sir
Peter Hall,
Derek Jacobi,
Philip Bosco, Marjorie Garber,
Ralph Fiennes, Ron Rosenbaum,
Richard Easton,
John Guare, and
Claire Bloom.
For Shakespeare Society membership information or information about any Shakespeare Society event, phone 212-967-6802 or go to
www.shakespearesociety.org.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.
