The Tank to Present World Premiere Of ANTONIO!, A New Queer Pirate Punk Shakespearean Musical

Butch Mermaid Productions will invite audiences to celebrate the joys, frustrations, and rebellions of queer love in the time of William Shakespeare! Written by Ania Upstill (they/them) and William Duignan (he/him), Antonio! is a new musical featuring an international cast and crew of trans and gender-diverse artists from Aotearoa New Zealand, Scotland, and New York.

Antonio! asks, what if The Bard wasn't just reusing a character name, but was instead inspired by one hopelessly romantic pirate looking for love in all the wrong places? This new punk musical reframes - and reclaims! - characters named Antonio from Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Merchant of Venice, reimagining them all as a proudly queer pirate stealing hearts and booty on the high seas.

Artistic Director, co-creator, and performer Ania Upstill is a self-professed Shakespeare nerd who's excited about drawing on classic texts to tell modern stories of love and longing. Describing the inspiration for the show, they say, "Shakespeare named a lot of characters Antonio, and they all happen to be some of his most queer-coded characters too. I wanted to explore a world where there was a real Antonio behind all those characters, perhaps even Shakespeare's secret lover."

Co-creator William Duignan from Wellington, New Zealand will be making his NYC debut in the title role. "It's a campy, joyous tale of queer love and self-discovery, and I can't wait for Antonio to share his story with New York." Producer Jess Ducey (they/them) adds, "The Tank has a long history of supporting emerging artists and new work, and we are thrilled to be debuting Antonio! at such an iconic institution before this crew sets sail for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival."

Rounding out the cast are NYC-based Evan Michael Smith (he/she/they),* Felix Crossley-Pritchard (he/him) from New Zealand, and Andy Manning (they/them) from Scotland. Crossley-Pritchard and Manning are making their NYC debuts. Design is by Milo Robinson, originally from New Zealand and now based in New York City.

Antonio!, an Equity Approved Showcase, premieres 25-28 July 2023 at The Tank (312 W 36th St, New York, NY, 10018). 9:30 PM showtimes, with an additional 7 PM show on 28 July. Run time: 45 minutes, recommended for ages 14 and up. Tickets from $15-$50 available at www.thetanknyc.org.

*this Actor is appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association

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