Warrior Women to Bring CORIOLANUS to Life at Shakespeare in Clark Park

It could be happening now-a newly formed democracy thrown into chaos as political rivals vie for control. More than 400 years ago, Shakespeare saw the timelessness of political strife and brought the tale of one man's hubris and Rome's ascent to life in Coriolanus.

Now, Shakespeare in Clark Park is reimagining the Bard's work with a cast of women warrior's this summer. Directed by SCP Artistic Director Kittson O'Neill (Interact Theatre Company), Coriolanus is set to run July 26 to 30 at 7 pm in Clark Park in West Philadelphia.

Rome is starving. Recovering from one war and bracing for another, the people turn to their hero: Coriolanus-a woman ready to lead not only her soldiers, but the state. Or is she? Can the unbending will of this soldier bow to the power of the people? Or will she go from decorated hero to enemy of the state? The people of Philadelphia transform into the riotous citizens of Rome alongside a cast of the city's finest female actors as Shakespeare's timely political tragedy of manipulation and revenge comes to life.

"It's easy to see Coriolanus, a blunt war hero, as an indictment of "Macho" culture, but there is so much more to this story," said SCP Artistic Director Kittson O'Neill, who is pulling double-duty as the director of the show. "By moving our production to a matriarchy I think audiences will more readily see themselves in our hero: we can all be inflexible, we all have deep prejudices and we don't always get the glory we have rightly earned."

Over the past four years, SCP has expanded its practice of Radical Community Engagement bringing community members on-stage with professional actors each year. This year, the practice was expanded to include acting workshops held in the fall and winter that were free of charge. It all began with SCP's 2014 production of Henry IV: Your Prince and Mine where audiences saw a 100-person army storming the Bowl at Clark Park. Radical Community Engagement became an essential part of SCP's mission when O'Neill took over artistic direction for the company in 2016.

Rounding out the creative team are Carly Bodnar (Chorus Director), D'Vaughn Agu (Scenic Design), Natalia de la Torre (Costume Design), Drew Biliau (Lighting Design), and Robert Kaplowitz (Sound Design).

In addition to the community chorus, O'Neill directs a company of professional actors led by Barrymore winner Charlotte Northeast (Coriolanus). She is joined by her fellow noble Romans Judith Lightfoot Clarke (Volumnia), Kimberly Fairbanks (Menenius), D'Arcy Dersham (Cominius) and opposed by the tribunes of the people Hannah Gold (Brutus) and Ashley Spearman (Sicinius). The cast is filled out by Emily Kaye Lynn (Aufidius), Angelica Jackson-Thomas (Valeria), Christina May (First Citizen), Brandi Burgess (Volscian Lieutenant), Iman Aaliyah (Titus Lartius), Chelsea-Anne Jones (Virgilia), Alexandra Palting (Roman Solider), and Ciera Gardner (Volscian Soldier).

Coriolanus runs July 26-30. All performances are free and are at 7 p.m. in "the Bowl" of Clark Park, located near the intersection of Chester Avenue and 43rd Street in West Philadelphia. The rain location is the Harold Prince Theater at the Annenberg Cneter for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut Street, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia PA 19104. For more information, visit shakespeareinclarkpark.org.

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