Shuga Pie Supreme to Offer CYMBELINE at The Brick

Cymbeline, the inaugural production of Shuga Pie Supreme, co-founded by Charles Quittner and Anne Ciarlone, runs August 20th, 21st, and 26th at The Brick as part of their Shakespeare in the Theater Festival.

In Shuga Pie Supreme's production of Cymbeline, toxic masculinity infects the kingdom on all sides while a love-sick Princess is propelled through Ancient Europe! Featuring adventure, forbidden love, drag, fabulous music, delicious villainy, and full fantasy for the Gawds!

"In Cymbeline, all the main characters are lost, they all come from broken families, and they're all on a journey to discover what they're made of" said director Charles Quittner. "Drag is a major part of Shakespeare's work, especially in Cymbeline; [the characters] are all putting on disguises and playing with identity. From the beginning, we knew that we wanted queer-inclusivity be at the center of our production."

With a new adaptation by Kate Bussert, a cast of nine actors will portray the 20-plus characters in a gender-queer production reflecting colorful palette of Brooklyn nightlife. Heather Carey and Chris Steckel design costumes and lights respectively.

"As a transgender actor, working with a mostly queer/trans cast has been so refreshing and exciting! There's also just something so wonderful about doing Shakespeare with our community telling the story- I think trans stories and Shakespeare go hand in hand!" said cast member Morgan Sullivan.

The cast of Cymbeline includes Ginna Le Vine* (Transport Group's Picnic), Luke Zimmerman, Alexander Emond, Chris Ignacio*, Linus Ignatius, Elizabeth Neptune, Yael Rizowy, Morgan Sullivan & James Zebooker.

"Shakespeare wrote with the genius of an androgynous mind. Knowing that information and mining his text for all its plentiful queerness is exciting stuff! Queer people often have firsthand, emotionally recallable experiences with 'forbidden love,' and exploring relationships like that of Posthumus and Imogen with queer artists makes than pain more palpable for the audience." said cast member Luke Zimmerman, who plays Posthumus.

The production, produced by Anne Ciarlone, also features original music by Chris Ignacio and choreography by Brandon Powers.

"The fun about Shakespeare is how it can fit into a vast array of worlds, times, places, and always elicit something new about where and when [and for whom] it is being performed." says Composer and cast member Chris Ignacio. "Cymbeline has been told countless times, but we are reclaiming the text and story for a new audience and community," said choreographer Brandon Powers.

Cymbeline will run August 20th, 5:00pm, August 21st, 6:30pm, and August 26th, 1:30pm at The Brick (579 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn NY). Tickets available online via OvationTix: web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/975628. Single tickets start at $20.00.

Shuga Pie Supreme is a theatre company founded by Charles Quittner and Anne Ciarlone.

Charles Quittner is a facilitator of ensembles and pizza. Directing: Everyday Afroplay (JACK), Toxic If Swallowed (Irondale Center, Ars Nova), The Commercially Unviable Queer Trash Theatre Cycle (Dixon Place), Bottom of the Scrum (Dixon Place, my backyard), Charmander the Stray (JACK), Take Your Fuckin' Goldendoodle and Go Home (5 on a Match), Billy Lloyd at Joe's Pub. Producing: The Dudleys! A Family Game (Loading Dock Theatre/HERE), Sound Bites 2014, Good Girl Gone Bad (HERE), and Electra (Envelope Ensemble). Program Director for Forklift @Loading Dock Theatre. BA: Theatre Studies at MMC. @rougeduck

Anne Ciarlone is a New York City based director, producer, and administrator. In 2016 Anne co-founded The Pantry Reading Lab, which produces four reading labs featuring the work of emerging playwrights a year. In their 2016-inaugural season, Anne directed a one-night-only benefit performance of Ruby Rae Spiegel's Dry Land, which benefited Planned Parenthood. Anne is currently the Producing & Development Associate at Transport Group Theatre Company. Upcoming Directing: Graduation at the New York Theatre Festival.

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