There is a correlation between current events and The Family Shakespeare; ie: the censorship of Huckleberry Finn, the PG-13 version of "The Kings Speech" for educational purposes and the Bowdler Family's censorship of William Shakespeare. Is it right to censor and abridge works of art for our children? Who is to decide, when and if they are ready for a particular text?
A magical, dark, and fictional look into the dangers and consequences of caging innocence, The Family Shakespaere, a play inspired by the true story of the Bowdler family (publishers of the Complete Censored Works of William Shakespeare, and whose family name later replaced "expurgation" and "castration of text" with "bowdlerization") delves into the psyche of a family who thinks has the right to cross out and modify words with the supposed aim to protect youth and purity. With The Family Shakespeare, MTWorks' and playwright David Stallings use theatre to speak out against censorship.
Conceived with great imagination the cast includes indie theater heroins Cotton Wright (Pretty Theft) and Corey Tazmania (The Housewives of Mannheim), underscored by the compositions of Jessie Montgomery (PUBLIQuartet).
The Family Shakespeare is directed by Antonio Miniño and features Eric C. Bailey*, Sarah Chaney*, Jason Emanuel, Diánna Martin, Frankie Seratch, Peter B. Schmitz*, Corey Tazmania*, and Cotton Wright*
June Havoc Theatre is located at 312 West 36th Street, New York, NY 10001; South side of street, between 8th and 9th Avenues
The Family Shakespeare will run from April 13-30, 2011 Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7pm
Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm
Tickets $18
For further information, please visit: www.MTWorks.org or 212-352-3101
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