The Inwood Shakespeare Festival to Halt Performances Following TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA

A popular theater festival will bring an end to nearly two decades of free Shakespeare performances due to overcrowding issues in Inwood Hill Park coupled with financial constraints, its organizers announced.

The Inwood Shakespeare Festival, produced by the Moose Hall Theatre Company, has offered free performances to the Inwood community for the past 17 years. But after this summer - in which it presents "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and "The Chamberlain Brass" children's concert - it plans to temporarily halt its shows while seeking to raise funds and establish a long-term guarantee for future productions on the current venue.

The decision came after the festival could no longer continue in its home park space, the Inwood Hill Park Peninsula, for its performances, due to increased competition with barbecue pits and un-enforced crowding. "We need the financing and the circumstances to be safe for everyone," said festival director Ted Minos, who added that the festival - which uses the slogan "Bring A Blanket & We'll See You There!" -- has been difficult to organize in recent years due to park crowding.

For now, however, Minos is focused on "Two Gentlemen of Verona," which blew away audiences in its first week of performance. "It's a wonderful feeling to be out there when the audience is engaged," he stated. "And the parks audience is the most amazing audience in all of Manhattan. I'm very proud of the work we've done."

Considered by many to be Shakespeare's earliest play, "Two Gentlemen of Verona" may be best known for the quote about it in the feature film "Shakespeare in Love": "Comedy, love, and a bit with a dog... that's what they want."

Sure enough - at least, prior to The Inwood Shakespeare Festival's hiatus - that's what audiences will get.

"Two Gentlemen of Verona" performs at Inwood Hill Park's peninsula every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM through June 25th. It features Dan Lawrence as Proteus, Ben Dawson as Valentine, Carla Duval as Julia, Elisabeth Ness as Silvia, Brandon Boruch as Launce, Christopher McIntyre as Speed, and Dennis Vargas as the Duke, as well as Marcus Denard Johnson, Charles Lear, Mackenzie Menter, Len Rella, Maggie Schweppe, Sarah Sumner... and the Festival's beloved, scenery-chewing dogs, Doc Holliday and Miranda.

The show is directed and produced by Ted Minos, with technical direction and costumes by Catherine Bruce. Music is by Luke St. Francis, and fight choreography is by Ray A. Rodriguez. The Assistant Director is Maya Kates, and the Dog Wrangler is Nora Beard. Graphic art is by Lee Kaplan. "Chamberlain Brass" children's concert takes place on Monday, July 18.

More information can be found on the Moose Hall Theatre Company website, at http://moosehallisf.org/.