Two New Plays, and 'Shrew,' to be Presented in Repertory
By: BWW News Desk Dec. 20, 2006
Moira Buffini's Silence, the winner of the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for best English-language play by a woman, is "a contemporary comedy set in medieval England that follows the fate of a feisty French princess who is commanded to marry a young Viking Lord with a shocking secret. On the young couple's wedding night the King of England decides he should have married the princess himself, forcing the newlyweds to set out for the Viking outpost in the north. The resulting road trip causes each of the characters to examine their views on nationalism, religion, language, gender, intolerance, tyranny and class," state press notes.
The cast for Silence will include: Helen Coxe, Greg Hildreth, Kelly Hutchinson, Chris Kipiniak, Joe Plummer, and Makela Spielman.
In the new version of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Andrew Grosso, "seven actors play all twenty-three roles in a fast and furious ninety minute retelling of the classic play-within-a-play comic bonanza about the most terrifying woman in Italy, the man who wants to marry her, and of finding love in disguise. The lesson learned is that love strikes when you least expect it.
The cast for The Taming of the Shrew will include: B. Brian Argotsinger, Arthur Aulisi, Autumn Dornfeld, Jonathan Kells Phillips, Alex Smith and Paul Whitthorne.
The set design for Silence and Shrew will be by Ryan Palmer, the lighting design by Nick Francone, and the sound design by Serena Rockower. The costume design for Silence will be by Liam O'Brien and for Shrew by Becky Lasky. There will be original music composed for Silence by Jonathan Sanborn.
The Mammy Project is written and performed by Michelle Matlock (developed by Joan Evans and Ms. Matlock), and directed by Amy Gordon. It "weaves the untold history of Nancy Green, the first African-American woman hired to play the part of 'Aunt Jemima' at the 1893 World's Fair with African-American activists like Ida B. Wells, who struggled to have black women represented at the very same World's Fair.
The Mammy Project uses original music, storytelling and historical speeches to transform an oppressive stereotype into a celebration of the power we gain from knowing and understanding our history. Michelle Matlock, a character actress and physical comedienne, digs deep into her own experience, imagination, and American history to deliver a personal, political and entertaining expose. Since 2001 The Mammy Project has helped schools kick off their diversity, black, and women's history month celebrations, exploring questions about stereotype, icon and myth in an educational, entertaining and inclusive manner."
All tickets will be $18.00. The box office number to charge tickets is 212-352-3101 or www.theatermania.com. Reservations may also be made at 212-696-6699.
Visit www.roundtableensemble.org for performance schedules and more information
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