HAMLET & THE TEMPEST to be Presented as Part of Shakespeare In The Woods' 3rd Season

Shakespeare in the Woods has announced its third summer of radical classical theatre in the heart of Southern Vermont! The 2023 season will feature unconventional and modern productions of Hamlet and The Tempest, performed in repertory during August 23 - September 10. Evening performances occur on Wednesdays-Sundays, with Student & Seniors matinees on Fridays, and will take place at SitW's grassy stage on the back lawn at The Northshire Civic Center - Riley Rink at Hunter Park in Manchester, VT. There will also be "Site-Specific Sunday '' matinee performances occurring at new outdoor locations TBA within the region.

"This dual show season will examine themes of loss and restoration, revenge, mercy, political order and the natural world, and more!" said Founding Artistic Director & Producer, Katharine Maness (they/she). I'm excited to make the adjustment to performing in rep this season and really allow these shows, that already have so much in common thematically, to exist in conversation together and with audiences over the full three weeks!", Maness said.

Joining SitW in the season's directorial roles are newcomer, Roberto Di Donato (he/they) and returning for a second summer, Elizabeth Dinkova (she/her/hers).

Directing The Tempest, Roberto Di Donato (he/they) is extremely excited to spend a beautiful summer working with SitW in Vermont. Roberto is a multidisciplinary Venezuelan-Italian artist whose work has spanned across New York, Cleveland, and Austin. Roberto is the creator of Chicharrón: a communion with the triple A's which is currently on a multi-city tour and has received a workshop residency at Salvage Vanguard Theater in Austin, TX. Roberto holds an MFA in Directing and a Master's of Arts Administration from Ohio University. www.robertodidonato.net

"The Tempest is a play about loss and struggling to forgive years worth of pain. Prospero, once a great ruler who has been removed from power, uses magical arts to bring the enemies who robbed her of her throne to a remote island where she was banished." Di Donato shared before posing a driving question the production will explore: "Can revenge bring Prospero closure, or can she use her powers to heal years worth of wounds?"

Returning to direct Hamlet for the 2023 season, Elizabeth Dinkova (she/her/hers) is a Bulgarian itinerant director, adaptor, and collaborative creator who explores alternative realities at the intersection of theater, film, and music in pursuit of communal transformation. Last season, Dinkova directed Coriolanus at Shakespeare in the Woods, retelling this story about the fall of a controversial Roman hero through the eyes of his wife Virgilia in the context of an asylum interview. She recently became the Artistic Director of Spooky Action Theater, a hub for urgent conversations, bold aesthetics, and global visions in Washington, DC. In 2021-22, she was an Associate Artistic Director of 7 Stages Theatre in Atlanta, GA. She is an alum of the Alliance Theatre's Artistic Leadership fellowship, the Studio Theatre's Artistic Apprenticeship, and a recent graduate from the MFA Directing program at the Yale School of Drama, where she served as a Co-Artistic Director of the Yale Summer Cabaret and received the Julian Milton Kaufman Prize for Directing. Recent projects include the film Cracking Zeus by Christopher Hampton for the Alliance's Digital Theater Channel, the visual album TIT, inspired by Titus Andronicus and co-written with Jesse Rasmussen, at the NYC Indie Theatre Film Festival, Rage, a play with music adapted from Stephen King, at Quinnipiac University, The Seagull at Serenbe Playhouse, and the opera Orfeo ed Euridice at Bel Cantanti Opera Company. Elizabeth has taught acting, directing, devising, and musical theater at the Toronto Metropolitan University, University of California Riverside, Quinnipiac University, and Queens College CUNY.

Sharing a glimpse into her plans for Hamlet, Dinkova said, "It's the height of the summer, and the most exclusive party of the year: as they sample a platter of increasingly decadent vices, powerful men carelessly shuffle others as pawns in their machinations.The glorious, manicured Elsinore hides corruption behind lavish ritual and entertainment, distracting subjects from the monstrosity underneath. Hamlet, the daughter of the recently deceased king, back from university for his funeral, is decidedly out of place amidst this political circus.", Adding that Hamlet [the play] is: "A personal psychological drama unraveling against a treacherous political landscape, preoccupied with the unbridgeable divide between action and word, and the fundamental discrepancy between surface and essence."

"Shakespeare in the Woods has had the great fortune to work with some incredibly exciting new theatre artists from a variety of backgrounds and experiences during its young existence as a company.", Maness shared. "The opportunity this season to begin a collaboration with Roberto and continue one with Beth is fantastic, and I cannot wait for audiences to experience their work this summer!"

Tickets for the Hamlet and The Tempest will go on sale June 1st, and will be available for advance online purchase at www.shakespeareinthewoods.org, with same day purchase available at the box office day of performances. Area schools interested in attending Student & Senior Friday matinees should contact shakespeareinthewoodsvt@gmail.com with the subject "School Matinee" for all information.

All performances take place outdoors, and are rain or shine. In the event of severe weather conditions, SitW will provide time sensitive updates.

About Shakespeare in the Woods

Shakespeare in the Woods (SitW) is a radical outdoor SoVT theatre company founded in 2019, that seeks to deliver a professional caliber celebration of classical text through an unconventional, modern, and socially aware lens, all while embracing Vermont's natural offerings. The intention behind every production is to meet the natural landscape with respect, and to mindfully work in collaboration with nature versus imposing upon it. During its young existence, SitW has become a creative haven for artists of all identities and backgrounds, and providing space especially for Queer, Trans, and Non-Binary artists to bring their whole selves to the work and celebrate the many ways identity can inform new ideas in classical texts.

SitW is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. To make a tax-deductible contribution to the 2023 season, and support innovative, professional theatre in rural VT, please visit www.shakespeareinthewoods.org.

For further information and general inquiries please contact shakespeareinthewoodsvt@gmail.com .

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