NAATCO Reveals All-Femme, All-Asian American Cast For Modern Verse Translation of CYMBELINE

NAATCO has revealed the all-femme, all-Asian American cast and design team for the World Premiere of Andrea Thome's modern verse translation of one of Shakespeare's most compelling plays, Cymbeline, presented in partnership with Play On Shakespeare. Thome's update brings the play's language into the present, highlighting new resonances and providing a more accessible version of Shakespeare's play for today's audiences. The translation was commissioned by Play On Shakespeare.  

One of Shakespeare's final plays, Cymbeline tells the story of the British king Cymbeline and his daughter, Imogen. It is a tale of deceit and jealousy, with accusations of infidelity that often draw comparisons to Othello and The Winter's Tale. Performances begin January 17th at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater for a limited Off-Broadway engagement through February 15th only. Opening Night is set for Thursday January 23rd. Performances will be Tuesday through Friday evenings at 7pm, Saturday at 2pm & 7pm, and Sun matinees at 3pm. 

Stephen Brown-Fried (NAATCO's Awake and Sing! at The Public Theater, and the Drama Desk nominated six-hour compilation of Shakespeare's Henry VI plays) directs a cast lead by Amy Hill in the title role (Broadway: Twelfth Night - Lincoln Center Theater; NAATCO's Our Town as the Stage Manager; numerous recurring roles on TV including “Mom,” “All-American Girl,” “My Wife and Kids,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Preacher.” “Black-ish,” and “Magnum P.I.”). She will be joined by Purva Bedi (NAATCO's Romeo and Juliet; Dance Nation - Drama Desk Award, Playwrights Horizons;  Passage - Soho Rep; India Pale Ale - Manhattan Theater Club; An Ordinary Muslim - New York Theatre Workshop; Uncommon Sense - Tectonic Theatre Project); Annie Fang (Your Own Personal Exegesis - LCT3; Shhhh - world premiere, Atlantic Theater Company; A Woman Among Women - Bushwick Starr/New Georges); Anna Ishida (NAATCO's Henry VI);   Narea Kang (Madonna col Bambino - Ars Nova/New Ohio Theatre); Jennifer Lim (Broadway: Chinglish - Drama Desk nomination, Theatre World Award; Golden Child - Signature Theatre; Usual Girls – Roundabout; Fefu and Her Friends – Theatre for a New Audience); KK Moggie (NAATCO's Charles Francis Chan Jr.'s Exotic Oriental Murder Mystery; Grace - MCC Theater; Passage - Soho Rep; The Gravedigger's Lullaby - The Actors Company Theatre); Maria-Christina Oliveras (Broadway: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Amélie, Machinal; Zorba! - Encores!; Pretty Filthy - The Civilians; Here Lies Love, Romeo and Juliet - Public Theater);  Julyana Soelistyo (Broadway: Golden Child - Actors Equity Clarence Derwent Award, Tony Award nomination; The Skin of Our Teeth - Lincoln Center Theater; NAATCO's The House of Bernarda Alba; On the Town - City Center Encores!; The Glorious Ones - LCT Newhouse); Sarah Suzuki (Our Town In Topaz - New York Theatre Workshop; Keene – Red Bull Theater; One Night, The Triumphant, Remember This Trick - Target Margin Theater); and Jeena Yi (Broadway: Network; Daphne- LCT Claire Tow; Judgment Day - Park Avenue Armory; Good Enemy - Audible Theater; The Beastiary - Ars Nova; Somebody's Daughter - Second Stage). 

Cymbeline will have scenic design by Ant Ma, costume design by Mariko Ohigashi,  lighting design by Yiyuan Li, and sound design by Caroline Eng. 

“Cymbeline was one of the last plays Shakespeare wrote, at a time when he was fully aware of theater's power to confront the deepest questions of existence.  There's evidence the play was first performed after a long closure of the theaters due to the plague, and in the play, we can feel Shakespeare wrestling not only with the brokenness of the world, but also with the exuberance of rebirth, and the courageousness of hope.  Throughout the play, Shakespeare presents us with images almost too fantastical to believe – a wicked queen, a conniving villain, a headless body – until ultimately, god descends onstage declaring “Whom best I love I cross; to make my gift, the more delayed, delighted.” In this play, Shakespeare creates a theatrical journey as surprising, perplexing, and ultimately as rewarding as life itself,” director Stephen Brown-Fried said.

"A multi- and intercultural cast of eleven Asian American women and stellar creative and technical teams will take us through this remarkable, theatrical journey. Our company hails from New York, Los Angeles, Hawai'i, Chile, China, Taiwan, Japan, India, and Singapore. I have always believed that the quintessence of “American” meant a diverse population sharing common ground, and thriving as a consequence. In this communal telling of Shakespeare's story of courage and hope, the multiplicity of our company's make-up celebrates the power of unity,” Mia Katigbak added.   

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