Irondale Ensemble Bridges Four Shakespeare Plays in One Show with THE 1599 PROJECT

Irondale Ensemble, one of the country's longest-standing research theater companies, will return to the stage this winter with The 1599 Project, tonight, January 18, through February 4, 2017.

Following its Spring premiere to critical acclaim, this work bridges four Shakespeare plays in one four-hour mega-text. 1599 refers to the seminal year in Shakespeare's life where he claimed the prominent role of playwright, having written Henry V, Julius Caesar, As You Like It, and the first draft of Hamlet. A company of seven, including members of Irondale's permanent acting ensemble, play more than 70 roles.

When seen together, these four Shakespeare plays form a theatrical tetralogy roiling with themes of isolation, power, usurpation, marriage, and death-all told from the point of view of a constantly evolving hero, played by four actors. The narrative, with texts adapted by director Jim Niesen, focuses on each of the four play's protagonists (Henry V, Brutus, Rosalind and Hamlet). During this mythic journey, the hero triumphs as Henry V, is swept up into cynicism as Brutus, finds respite as Rosalind, and spirals downward into a chaotic demise as Hamlet.Each of the four plays moves around the Irondale space, capturing a different setting individual to each narrative.

"When an audience and the theater community responds so strongly to a work like they did to 1599, it seems unfair to put it on the proverbial theater shelf," admits Irondale's Artistic Director, Jim Niesen. "Being one of the most ambitious works we've developed over the past 34 years, the cast is ready to dig into these masterpieces again-continuing the celebration of Shakespeare's strength, relevance and vital importance in a way that audiences can engage and interact."

Inspiration for this project comes from James Shapiro's book, A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare 1599. Shapiro's study was a provocative analysis of how the historical events, living conditions, and literary advances in England in that year sparked the incredible outpouring of creativity, which produced these four plays. After attending the performance last spring Mr. Shapiro said, "Watching Irondale's 1599 was a thrilling experience, the acting really superb. The production also underscored the ways in which the four plays, which Shakespeare wrote in an inspired burst, are in conversation with each other."

The 1599 Project will run for three weeks only, January 18-February 4, 2017. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday performances begin at 7:00 p.m., and Saturday performances at 5:00 p.m. General Admission tickets are $40. A $50 ticket will include a picnic dinner from a local caterer. Tickets can be purchased at bit.ly/2eYu8fC.

Total runtime of The 1599 Project is four hours, with a 20-minute dinner break. Audience members may pre-purchase boxed dinners online.

Irondale is located at 85 South Oxford Street in Brooklyn, New York. The theater is accessible by Subway: C to Lafayette; B, D, M, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4, or 5 to Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street; and G to Fulton Street.

Located in the heart of the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District, Irondale is the home of the Irondale Ensemble Project. It is a theatre ensemble, a performance think-tank and a collaborative laboratory for non-traditional artists. Irondale's unique and transformational space has gained much attention as a place for both established and emerging artists to premiere major projects and showcase developing work. The Irondale Ensemble Project was founded in 1983 by Jim Niesen, Terry Greiss and Barbara Mackenzie-Wood and is one of the longest established permanent ensemble theaters in the country. The ensemble has created over 60 Off-Broadway productions from intimate chamber productions of Shakespeare to company devised epic work. Irondale's learning programs provide high quality, cutting edge workshops and school residencies designed to develop the artist in every human being.

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