Independent Shakespeare Co. Announces ART BREAK

Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC), presenter of the annual Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, presents Art Break, a series of new podcasts, original short videos and music from the ISC archives. New content will be released each week in an effort to brighten everyone's days as we all navigate through this unprecedented time of staying safer at home due to COVID-19.

Comments ISC artistic director Melissa Chalsma, "Despite the challenges, we are committed to staying connected to our audiences by inviting everyone to join us in taking an Art Break. This is our way of continuing the conversation with our community. It may not be possible for us to share a room right now...but we can still share art."

ISC managing director David Melville says, "Our staff is still working, planning for the return of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival and our Studio programming. As always, but most especially at this time of crisis, we are committed to the most vulnerable in our organization, and that is our artists. In the best of times, employment as a theater artist in Los Angeles is inconstant. By creating this new, digital offering, we can continue to pay our artists, allow them to be their creative selves and we can continue to give all Angelenos access to Shakespeare."

The first episode is a podcast featuring co-founders Melissa Chalsma and David Melville on the origins of Independent Shakespeare Co., involving an operatic pig and a detective agency.

Songs from the archives include Moonlight by David Melville & Ashley DeWitt from the 2014 Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival production of The Taming of the Shrew, based around dialogue in the play expressing the relationship between Kate and Petruchio.

The first installment of Shakespeare Journals (our video series), features ISC ensemble member Nikhil Pai, contemplating Edmund from Shakespeare's King Lear, and what makes a hero.

All Art Break offerings can be found on the ISC website at iscla.org