NAATCO to Present Modern Verse Translations of Shakespeare's CYMBELINE and TWELFTH NIGHT Plus More

NAATCO will present the World Premiere of Andrea Thome’s modern verse translation of one of Shakespeare’s most complex 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. Cymbeline will be directed by 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).  Performances will begin January 17th at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater, 136 East 13th Street, for a limited Off-Broadway engagement.

Cymbeline will be presented with an all-femme, all Asian-American cast and design team. Details and more information for Cymbeline will be announced shortly. 

"Cymbeline was the first Play On Shakespeare commission I read, back in 2017. I was immediately captivated by Andrea’s modern American English rendition, which beautifully preserved the tone, rhythm,  and spirit of Shakespeare’s play. I found a fluidity and fluency in it as both performer and listener and began to lobby Andrea for NAATCO to do it. It is with great pleasure and delight that we present this full production this season. I can think of no better director for this play than Stephen Brown-Fried, who excels in a clarity of vision and execution with this kind of material. Further, it was Stephen’s idea for an all-femme cast, citing the opportunities such casting would provide about examining gender identity and performance, masculine toxicity, sexual politics and power,” said NAATCO co-founder and Actor-Manager Mia Katigbak.

“This casting hews closer to the conventions of Shakespeare’s time, in which actors were all of a similar gender identity and characters’ genders were communicated through costume,” Brown-Fried added.

Coming this Spring: NAATCO partners with Classic Stage Company and Transport Group for William Inge’s Bus Stop, directed by Jack Cummings III. On a snowy night in Kansas, a diner can be an oasis, a prison, a place to hide, or a place to discover yourself.  When a bus is forced to take shelter from stormy weather outside, a mismatched group of dreamers and cowboys, waitresses and outcasts finds unexpected warmth in one another.  In William Inge's 1955 classic, the great playwright of the American Midwest gives voice to memorable characters who will linger in the mind like the perfect cup of diner coffee. Performances will begin May 8th at Classic Stage Company’s Lynn F. Angelson Theater (136 East 13th Street) for a limited run. Cast and design team will be announced at a later date.

TheatreSquared's NAATCO National Partnership Project (NNPP) production will be Alison Carey’s modern verse take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, a Play On Shakespeare commission, directed by Aneesha Kudtarkar. Part of their 2024-25 season, performances are scheduled for March 5th through 30th, 2025. Experience this delightful contemporary-language version of Shakespeare’s mash-up of mistaken identity, drunken pranks, and passionate pursuits. Separated by a shipwreck, Viola and her twin brother embark on a journey of disguise and deception, leading to a tangled web of unrequited love. With lively music, captivating swordplay, and a fresh perspective, TheatreSquared's reimagining of this "most wonderful" romantic comedy promises an unforgettable live theater experience, in a telling that loses none of the original’s timeless poetry. 

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