TN Shakespeare Company Launches Free Shout-Out Series in Shelby County

Tennessee Shakespeare Company officially launches its tenth anniversary season this week when it brings Romeo and Juliet to the historic outdoor train depot and platform in Collierville Town Square on Saturday, October 7 at 4:00 pm.

TSC's first Free Shakespeare Shout-Out Series, sponsored by Evans/Petree, P.C., features 11 performances of three touring productions to ten outdoor/indoor locations throughout Shelby County playing through November 10.

No tickets are required. First come/first seated.

Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, directed by Stephanie Shine, questions the future of the Roman Republic, the love that sustains it, and the leadership that breaches it. Romeo and Juliet, directed by Carmen-maria Mandley, is fast, physical, and daring in its descent from comedy to mortal, young tragedy. And TSC's Shake(s), Rattle, & Roll, directed by Shine, pairs the legacy music of Memphis with the famous Shakespeare scenes TSC imagines inspired them.

"This Series is a big 'Thank You' to the Memphis area for supporting TSC's mission during our first nine years," says founder and Producing Artistic Director, Dan McCleary. "TSC has just purchased our first permanent home, the first year-round home for professional Shakespeare performance, education, and training in the state. But before we start settling into our first theatre, we wanted to go one last round with the exciting, non-traditional, environmental theatre that got us this far.

"These are three thrilling productions for all ages that will play entirely differently based on their venues: Overton Square, the Zoo, the playground, Court Square, the library, gazebos, train depots, the University grounds, Madison Avenue Park. These actors are uniquely trained for these environments and everything that can erupt around them. Whether audiences are settling in with their families and picnics, or bicyclists are just stopping by for five minutes to watch, these productions will fill the air of our community with the words of Shakespeare for free for one month. And we get to say 'Thank You'."

The Acting Company includes Marquis Dijon Archuleta, Jillian Barron, Kiana Holley, Mario Hoyle, Michael Khanlarian, Meredith Grace Koch, Khalil Lesaldo, Matthew Nelson, Kilby Elisabeth Yarbrough, and Zach Williams.

Los Angeles-based Edgar Landa is the fight choreographer, Jennifer Ammons provides costume design, and Rachel McFatridge is the stage manager.

For more information: www.tnshakespeare.org or (901) 759-0604.

The Shout-Out Series schedule

Romeo and Juliet

directed by Carmen-maria Mandley

Shakespeare's timeless exploration of surprising young love and mortal violence unfolds with care during this 90-minute production that is fast, physical, and daring.

Collierville Town Square

Saturday, October 7 at 4:00 pm

Outdoors at train depot; bring a chair

University of Memphis

Wednesday, October 18 at 2:15 pm

Outdoors near the Theatre Building; park in Central Avenue lot

Lester Community Center

Friday, October 20 at 6:30 pm

Indoors at 317 Tillman Street, Memphis

Overton Square Music Amphitheatre

Friday, November 10 at 8:00 pm

Outdoors near the parking garage, just south of Madison Ave.

Julius Caesar

directed by Stephanie Shine

Seven actors 'blaze forth' this 75-minute performance of Shakespeare's epic Roman story of fate, friendship, and honor.

Germantown Library

Saturday, October 28 at 10:00 am

Indoors; bring your children

Overton Square Music Amphitheatre

Friday, November 10 at 5:30 pm

Outdoors near the parking garage, just south of Madison Ave. Dedicated to our service veterans.

Shake(s), Rattle & Roll

directed by Stephanie Shine

Creatively links Memphis music to the works of Shakespeare! Discover chart-topping, foot-stomping SHAKESPEARE featuring Jillian Barron and Zach Williams in a musical 45-minute performance.

Madison Avenue Park

Tuesday, October 10 at 12:00 pm

Outdoors; downtown at 151 Madison Ave.

Court Square

Thursday, October 20 at 12:00 pm

Outdoors; downtown at Main and Second Streets

Overton Park Playground

Saturday, October 21 at 10:00 am
Outdoors

Germantown Municipal Park Gazebo

Saturday, October 21 at 4:00 pm

Outdoors; bring a chair; located between library and athletic center

Memphis Zoo

Saturday, November 4 at 2:00 pm

Outdoors

Artist Bios

Jennifer Ammons (Costume Designer for Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar) is a third-year graduate student in Costume Design at the University of Memphis. Her designs for the University include Nine, Measure for Measure, Empires of Eternal Void, and Bull. This past summer, she worked for the Ohio Light Opera where she was an Associate Costume Designer for HMS Pinafore, in addition to Assistant Costume Designer on The Lady of the Slipper and The Student Prince. In 2016, she was the assistant to Janice Benning Lacek on the UofM-TSC co-production of Henry V. Other Memphis area designs include Pinkalicious for New Day Children's Theatre and Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet at Hatiloo Theatre. Previously, she was the resident costume designer and shop manager for Mars Hill University and Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre near Asheville, NC. Designs from MHU and SART include Flyin West, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Sunshine Boys, The Children's Hour, and Sylvia.

Marquis Dijon Archuleta (Benvolio/Capulet in Romeo and Juliet; Caesar/Pindarus/Volumnius in Julius Caesar) TSC: The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet Project, Shakespeare's Greatest Hits. Other credits: Of Mice and Men (Crooks), Cyrano de Bergerac (Comte De Guiche), Pentecost (Antonio), Pippin (Louis), Romeo and Juliet (Lord Capulet), and Jesus Christ Superstar (Simon Peter). He is a graduate of the University of Montana's School of Theatre & Dance program with a B.F.A. and a minor in Psychology.

Jillian Barron (Mercutio/Paris' Page/Montague in Romeo and Juliet; Ensemble in Shake(s), Rattle, & Roll and Southern Sirens) TSC: The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo and Juliet Project, Shakespeare's Greatest Hits, Showcase Memphis: Midsummer Night. POTS: Byhalia, MS. Women's Theatre Festival of Memphis: In Search of Tonto Goldstein. Theatre Memphis: Rapture, Blister, Burn. GCT: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Member of We Are Vanessa professional improvisation troupe (2014). Education: Union University (B.A. in Theatre Performance and French Literature and Culture).

Kiana Holley (Juliet in Romeo and Juliet; Soothsayer/Metellus/Calphurnia/Titinius in Julius Caesar) first struck up an interest in theatre in a middle school classroom. She became a theatre major during her sophomore year at the University of Montevallo, where she had her first dose of Shakespeare as a Chorus player in Comedy of Errors. Kiana recently finished her undergraduate work at the University of Memphis, where she played Delia in a narrative production of the short story, Sweat. She has acted in various student films and commercials, and plans to pursue writing in the future.

Mario Hoyle (Romeo in Romeo and Juliet; Flavius/Decius/Octavius in Julius Caesar) is excited to be working with TSC for the first time. Local theatre credits include South Pacific (ensemble) at Theatre Memphis, Hamlet (Bernardo and 3rd player) at New Moon Theatre, and Mr. Rickey Calls a Meeting (Clancy Hope) at Hattiloo Theatre. Mario also can be seen in a Southland Park Gaming and Racing commercial and will be playing Cory in an upcoming production of Fences at Theatre Memphis. Mario received his B.A. in Performing Arts from UT Chattanooga.

Michael Khanlarian (Brutus in Julius Caesar) is a founding member of TSC, where his credits include The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, To Kill A Mockingbird,

Henry V, All's Well That Ends Well, Twelfth Night, Othello, As You Like It, and Romeo and Juliet. Michael is a graduate of the University of Memphis.

Meredith Grace Koch (Lady Capulet/Balthazar in Romeo and Juliet; Casca/Lucius in Julius Caesar) TSC: To Kill A Mockingbird, The Winter's Tale, Eudora Welty: Mississippi Myth, and Flannery O'Connor: Georgia Gothic. Merit is an actor, musician, writer, and Memphis native. She studied drama as an Acting Apprentice with Vassar and New York Stage and Film's Powerhouse Theater, where she also directed several original works. Merit is a proud supporter of the Congressional Awards Program and is the recipient of her own Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals for public service in the arts.

Edgar Landa+ (Fight Director for Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Shake(s), Rattle, & Roll) is a Los Angeles-based actor/director. He also creates fights and violence for theatres large and small. Credits include South Coast Rep, San Diego Rep, The Geffen Playhouse, CTG/Kirk Douglas Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre, and Shakespeare & Company. Edgar serves on the faculty of the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts, and is a long-time collaborator of Son of Semele Ensemble (Los Angeles). He is an AEA member and Pro99 supporter of intimate theatre in Los Angeles.

Khalil Lesaldo (Paris/Nurse in Romeo and Juliet; Cassius in Julius Caesar) Previous productions include Drums in the Night (Andreas Kagler), Orphee (Orphee), Predator: The Musical (Carl Weathers), To Kill a Mockingbird (Tom Robinson), A Little Night Music (Frederick Egerman), Wait Until Dark (Harry Roat), The Dumb Waiter (Gus).

Carmen-maria Mandley (Director of Romeo and Juliet; Education Program Manager) began acting, directing, and teaching for Shakespeare & Company in 1996, training and working within their Fall Festival of Shakespeare, nation-wide residencies, and summer productions. She then was named Education Director at the Raleigh Little Theatre in NC, where she produced school tours for 25,000 children yearly, a youth playwriting festival, and a resident teen service organization. She is the founding Artistic Director of Bare Theatre and the Nickel Shakespeare Girls in Raleigh, NC, as well as Bare Portland in Maine. Her productions of Much Ado About Nothing, Titus Andronicus, and her shadow-signed production of Mother Hicks were awarded best productions. She transitioned to Portland Stage in Maine in 2014 as Education Director and Literary Manager, and took over as Director of Training at the Acorn Adult acting Academy in Portland in 2015. Her productions of Macbeth, The Amish Project, Julius Caesar, and The Ballad of Daphnis and Chloe were all named top ten productions by The Portland Phoenix and The Portland Press Herald. She is a proud member of Theater Ensemble of Color in Portland. Carmen attended National-Louis University in Chicago, and continued her training at Shakespeare & Company and at the Dell' Arte International School of Physical Theatre.

Rachel McFatridge (Stage Manager for Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar) TSC: The Merchant of Venice and 2016 Summer Intern. Some of Rachel's favorite productions during college included Arsenic and Old Lace (Elaine Harper), Little Women (Josephine "Jo" March), and Songs for a New World (Herself/Violinist). During her college career, she set-designed Arsenic and Old Lace, The Taffetas, and The Leader of the Pack. Rachel received her B.A. in Fine Arts from Blue Mountain College in 2017.

Matthew Nelson (Friar in Romeo and Juliet; Marc Antony/Artemidorus in Julius Caesar) is extremely excited to be working with Tennessee Shakespeare Company. Matt last worked with TSC in the 2014 production of Romeo and Juliet. Other credits: Tecumseh! Outdoor Drama (Tecumseh U.S.), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Oberon), Measure for Measure (Duke), Empires of Eternal Void (Prisoner), A Flea in Her Ear (Don Carlos), and Bad Jews (Jonah). Education: University of Memphis (B.F.A. in Theatre Performance).

Stephanie Shine+ (Director of Julius Caesar; Shake(s), Rattle, & Roll; General Manager; Education Director) is the creator of The Romeo and Juliet Project as well as a resident artist for TSC. Her TSC directorial credits include Henry V, A Midsummer Night's Dream (2015), Romeo and Juliet (2011-12, 2014-16), It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play (2012-13), Southern Yuletide, and the touring shows Shakespeare's Greatest Hits, Shake(s), Rattle, and Roll, Shakespeare Said It, and Lend Me Thy Sword! On stage at TSC, she played the Countess in All's Well that Ends Well, the female roles in Unto the Breach, and Gertrude in Hamlet. In addition, Stephanie serves as the annual Gala Auctioneer, and curates the material for and directs TSC's Literary Salons. She is the former Artistic Director of Seattle Shakespeare Company, a position she held for 13 years. For SSC, she directed and/or produced many productions. Other directorial credits include The Taming of the Shrew and The Comedy of Errors for Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the award-winning one-woman internationally-touring Marilyn Monroe Biopic, Marilyn: Forever Blonde, and several new works for Seattle's Book-It Repertory Theatre. Her production of I am of Ireland (which she also conceived and adapted) opened Book-It's 25th Anniversary Season in September 2014. As an actor, she has performed with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, NYC's Theatre for a New Audience, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Alley Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, ACT, The Empty Space, and Seattle Children's Theatre, among others. Roles include Juliet, Rosalind, Lady Macbeth, Beatrice, Regan, Feste, Kate, Bianca, Dionyza, The Princess of France, Hero, Perdita, and The Chorus in Henry V. Stephanie is a graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, where she was mentored by Shakespearean great, Cal Winn. She earned her B.F.A. at the University of Washington's Professional Actor Training Program under Bob Hobbs. She is currently in pursuit of her M.F.A. at the University of Memphis

Zach Williams (Tybalt/Captain of the Watch in Romeo and Juliet; Ensemble in Shake(s), Rattle, & Roll; Teaching-Artist Fellow) recently performed in TSC's The Comedy of Errors having previously appeared in several staged readings. His less recent productions include As You Like It, Twelfth Night, A Party to Murder, and an Ostrander Award for music direction in the Good Woman of Setzuan. He is a recent graduate of University of Memphis with a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance.

Kilby Elisabeth Yarbrough (Prince/Peter/Friar John in Romeo and Juliet; Murellus/Cinna/Portia/Messala in Julius Caesar) TSC: Henry V, To Kill a Mockingbird, Much Ado About Nothing, The Comedy of Errors. Kilby is a freelance theatre artist based in Memphis, working in performance, costume design and construction, stage management, and teaching. Lately, she's been in St. Louis, developing exciting, found-space theatre with Fourth Wall Down; she also recently played Lulu in Chatterbox Audio Theatre's production of The Nature of Captivity. Kilby began her Shakespeare training right here at TSC as a member of the inaugural Young Company in 2010. She also trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and she holds a B.A. in Theatre from Rhodes College.

+ member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Inc., an independent national labor union.

Tennessee Shakespeare Company is a professional 501(c)(3) theatre and education organization which performs the plays of William Shakespeare seasonally; performs classical and Southern writers seasonally; and provides innovative, year?round educational and training programming.

TSC was founded in 2008 by Memphian Dan McCleary as the city's first and only professional, classical theatre and education organization.

In August, TSC purchased the former home of Ballet Memphis outright for $1.9MM. The 18,000+ square foot facility in Memphis will house TSC's theatre, education, training, administrative, design, and storage needs, as well as provide rental opportunities. Renovation will begin shortly as TSC becomes the state's first permanent, year-round home for professional Shakespeare performance, education, and training.

Now beginning its tenth season, TSC has produced 40 site-specific plays and events for over 45,000 patrons in its nine years. Its innovative Education program has reached 120 schools across seven states, totaling over 132,000 student interactions.

TSC now performs and teaches every month of the year, and annually plays to over 10,000 patrons annually, tours to 5?6 southern states with its education shows, and is welcomed into at least 80 schools. TSC's education program has achieved a high regional and national profile. The program has been endorsed by Shelby County Schools, Germantown Municipal Schools, Collierville Municipal schools, and the National Endowment for the Arts (one of just 40 U.S. theatres to be acknowledged).

TSC's generous season sponsors include FedEx; the family of Ernest and Pat Kelly; Nancy R. Copp; Independent Bank; Tennessee Arts Commission; Ann and Wellford Tabor; Barbara B. Apperson Angel Fund; International Paper; Evans/Petree, P.C.; International Paper; Arts Midwest; and The National Endowment for the Arts. TSC's season is funded under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee.

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