Kampfire Kuestions for Sara Thigpen, Director of Boomerang Theatre Company's 'Twelfth Night'6/22/2018  1-In your own words, describe the production. Including key themes and conflicts…why is this the right time for this production?
At its heart, Twelfth Night is a play about Love. These characters, like all of us at one time or another, are bored or stuck or hiding from the world, and when tempted by Love, we all have a choice: remain closed off and ignore the call, or be brave and risk rejection/ridicule, to embrace the possibility of Love. That’s what is so compelling! It’s not even a guarantee, it’s just a possibility(!), a Hope that who you love may love you back. It's a story filled with music and love triangles and mistaken identity....and it is good to be reminded that 400 years ago people had similar hopes and doubts and obstacles. This work still resonates because we still want to laugh at our own foibles, cheer for our own victories and find wisdom in our Fools. 2-Who are your collaborators and what do you like about working with them? This is an outstanding group! 15 incredibly talented actors and a production team of 13 (11 of which are women), so there is a lot to love! Tim asked if I would be interested in directing Twelfth Night with the understanding that Vinnie Penna was attached to the project to play Sir Toby Belch. I've known Vinnie for about 16 years and in that time we've worked together on about half a dozen full length plays and countless readings. I will always say yes to working with Vinnie. He knows his Shakespeare - he may have already played every clown - and dedicates himself fully to the play. He is also devilishly funny and truly a prince among men. Ashley Arnett, our Olivia understudy, was the final member of the team, and at the time of writing of this I've known her for about 2 weeks! This is Ashley's first show with Boomerang and her first professional Shakespeare show, so our cast really does run the gamut from seasoned to developing actors. That is one of the things that I think Boomerang does exceedingly well, there are HUNDREDS of people that have worked on Boomerang shows because Tim is adamant about giving new people a chance to prove themselves. Our entire Stage Management team were unknown to us before this project and they are crushing it. Similarly our lovers are mostly newcomers to the company, while our clowns are mostly veterans, but overwhelmingly, this cast has a lot of Shakespeare experience. And regardless of where they studied or performed, they attack the work. I think Shakespeare is for everyone so it is most important that it be a living breathing entity rather than something that can be perfectly orated. That's not to say that the music of the language should be ignored. Particularly with this play. This is a very musically inclined cast and it comes through in their performances. And they really do like each other so that doesn't hurt at all. 3-Who is the typical audience for the production? What do you want audiences to get out of the show (ie: feel when they leave the theater)? New Yorkers, tourists, The Shakespeare Society, hippies, artists, professionals, students, grandparents, new parents and dog lovers who want to see theater AND spend time with their families AND be outside AND not spend a fortune on tickets, and also the wonderful family that comes every year on Father's Day and always has the best time! As a culture we are consumed by "reality" which is often a carefully crafted and curated series of images and sound bites that celebrities and politicians and even our neighbors create through television or social media platforms. Even though they are performing a story, I dare say you will feel more being engaged by someone in front of you inviting you to enter this made up world, than the "real world" that plays out on your media screens. Also, Jokes! 4-Who is someone (or something) who has inspired you? Anne Pitoniak. A favorite of Marsha Norman and "Jane Martin" at the Actor's Theater of Louisville, she originated many roles and truly loved creating new work. She went to my alma mater 50 years earlier when it was the Woman's College in NC and there was no theater degree, but you could declare a theater interest, or something of that nature. Anne graduated, joined the USO, got married and raised a family. Only after her children were grown did she return to theater, studying at the Lee Strasburg Institute and eventually made her Broadway debut at the age of 61 as the original Mother in 'night Mother. She was such a lovely, kind, generous woman and especially to 18-year-old me who was lucky enough to be her errand girl while she was a performing guest artist my freshman year. She found joy in every thing and every day was another chance to learn something new about herself or someone else. She had an intensity and a ferocity onstage that belied her years. She encouraged me to look beyond what was on the page and to imagine the unwritten part of the story. And she advised me to just stay in the game, because eventually everyone else gets tired and leaves the business, so there is less competition for all the good parts...and that they are ALL good parts. 5-Why theatre, when did you know you wanted to be a director? I take everything seriously, and I agonize over words. If you ever speak to me face to face, there are often long pauses while I search for the perfect words. Theater is the most effective and efficient way for me to share our history and express the ideas that drive and promote meaningful discussion. It is immediate. You know if you are connecting. You know if you are reaching someone. As a culture we are so driven to achieve, to consume, that to retain our humanity, we must gather together in person, instead of alone, behind screens, to witness stories that move us to laughter and joy and hope (and maybe even a few tears). At this point, I have most often been an actor, but about 13 years ago I was at a point that a lot of women reach in this business when we aren't young and we aren't old and there isn't much to work on...and someone said, I trust you with telling my story. Show me what you see. And I loved the challenge of breaking open the story and crawling around inside it and smudging my fingerprints all over it! And then you wrestle with the text and the design and find the right actors and together, create something new that never existed before. It's magic. Boomerang Theatre Company Proudly Presents TWELFTH NIGHT or What You Will Written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Directed by SARA THIGPEN JUNE 16 – JULY 15, 2018 AT CENTRAL PARK FREE ADMISSION | www.boomerangtheatre.org/twelfthnight/
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 1-In your own words, describe the production. Including key themes and conflicts…why is this the right time for this production?
The production is set in New York City in the year 2018, so a big theme of the show will be locating these characters among the people who populate our city. Our mission as a theater company is to reveal the relevance of classical literature to contemporary times, so this choice aligns with that mission and will also foster a sense of familiarity between the audience and the characters, and the characters' conflicts. The play is very much about the madness of love and art and the magical properties that exist in love and art. And the play takes place in the summer (or, more probably, May - but it FEELS like summer). I've always found New York in the summer time to be a magical place with a very distinct energy and atmosphere. I think our production will capture that quality: the fun, the risk, the liveliness, the wildness of the city in the summer time. There's something about it that is just bursting at the seams. Additionally, it's a play about change and the conditions under which people are changed or change themselves. I think the play will be heartening, and maybe even a bit illuminating, in showing the way that people can be transformed and in some cases made better by their experiences. This is a theme that seems timely to me. I think it's a good time to think about why we're stuck where we are, and what can help us move past where we are. 2-Who are your collaborators and what do you like about working with them? Katie Willmorth is the assistant director and has been my primary collaborator in preparing and rehearsing the play. I've worked with her as a fellow actor and have directed her, but this is my first chance to direct with her, and it's been a real gift. She has such a high level of preparation and sensitivity to the circumstances of the play, which really helps us stay focused on the human event of a scene. She has an incredible ear for Shakespeare's language and such a keen perception about what helps make a scene work best. Our designers, Bevin McNally, Joe Jung, Conor Mulligan and Andrew Diaz have really worked to understand the concept of the show and the parameters of our outdoor playing space. Their initiative has been impressive, and they've all been creative with their design and flexible in working around the aesthetic of the show as a whole. So much of their work is going to actualize the magic of the play in a thrilling way. Chris Montgomery's publicity photography, under the direction of our Artistic Director Beth Ann Hopkins, helped articulate and display what our production was aiming to accomplish in a way that helped me get closer to understanding exactly what that aim was. The cast is so strong, and everyone is working on such a detailed and committed level. I think a lot of the success in producing Shakespeare's comedies is presenting a varied set of characters, so it's important that the actors stay fully invested in their own character so the production can present a diverse group of people, and a diverse set of behaviors and attitudes. It should feel like a full, wild world. So much of our rehearsal has really just been fostering the great ideas the actors come in with. It's been a privilege to be in the room with these actors. 3-Who is the typical audience for the production? What do you want audiences to get out of the show (ie: feel when they leave the theater)? We see our audience as being everyone. We have people I'd consider Shakespeare experts come see the plays, and we have people who have never seen a Shakespeare show come see the plays. Our belief is that a really good production can serve both ends of this spectrum so long as it's specific and focused on the people in the story and their conflicts. This year, I hope people feel that something in the play has lifted them above the ordinary. I hope they feel there's something special in living in this city with all of its wildness and variety of characters and backgrounds. I hope they feel that there's something in the power of art that can invite them to look at their own experiences and lives from a slightly different viewpoint. I also hope they feel happy. 4-Who is someone (or something) who has inspired you? Our company of artists, certainly. Our audiences for being so generous with their attention and willingness to be open for experiences and show consistent year to year support. Our Artistic Director Beth Ann Hopkins, for making a company that so fervently protects the artist's ability to explore, risk, and pursue what the artist feels is most important in a piece of drama. And for making a company that places such a high value on community, respect and collaboration. 5-Why theatre, when did you know you wanted to be a director? I love the live experience of theater, and the bond that's shared from actor and audience experiencing something together and in real time. It has such a rich immediacy. I love the idea of lots of different people experiencing something together, because I think that there is a sense, even if it's unconscious, that we are sharing a simultaneous experience, even if our interpretations of that experience differ, with a group of people who are likely very different from ourselves, and that sense of shared experience brings communities closer, and exercises our empathy. Being in the space together is very important, and stories are very important, as they help us assign meaning to our lives and personal histories. Fostering this is something that I think is very important in all times, and to me seems of especial importance in our current times. - SMITH STREET STAGE Proudly Presents A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT DREAM For Lovers, Leaders and Madmen Written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE Directed by JONATHAN HOPKINS JUNE 20 – JULY 1, 2018 IN CARROLL PARK JULY 11 - 15 AT THE ACTORS FUND TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW AT SMITHSTREETSTAGE.ORG  SMITH STREET STAGE is pleased to announce their production of William Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, directed by Jonathan Hopkins. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM will play June 20-July 1 Carroll Park (Carroll Stop off F & G) and July 11-15 Mark O'Donnell Theater, The Actors Fund Arts Center (160 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201). Performances begin Wednesday, June 20 and continue through Sunday, July 15. Opening Night is Friday, June 22nd (7:30 p.m.). Tickets for the Carroll Park performances are FREE and TAF are a three tiered price structure.
Smith Street Stage is the proud honoree of three Innovative Theater Awards: OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE for Much Ado About Nothing and OUTSTANDING REVIVAL for both Much Ado About Nothing & The Tempest A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM for today’s New York City that imagines our fellow New Yorkers - the buskers, the lovers, the neighbors, the leaders - as the wild and magical Spirits of Shakespeare's classic comedy. It is a celebration of the energy, danger, uniqueness and soul of the place that we call home, and its potential to evoke in all of us a wondrous transformation. This play dares to show us the extraordinary magic and everyday miracles that are hidden in plain sight. The production stars Baize Buzan* (Yale Rep,Yale MFA, Steppenwolf) as Helena, Brandon Dial as Snout, Shaun Bennet Fauntleroy* (Theatre Hall of Fame’s 2017 Emerging Theatre Artist) as Hippolyta, Justin Gillman* (Classic Stage) as Egeus & Starvling, Patrick Harvey as Puck, Beth Ann Hopkins* as Titania, Brian Lee Huynh* (Lincoln Center’s War Horse, Off Bway: A Clockwork Orange, The Light Years) as Oberon, Pete McElligott as Theseus, Jonathan Minton as Flute, Alex Purcell*, as Demetrus, Nowani Rattray* as Hermia, Will Sarratt as Lysander, Hannah Sloat* (Lincoln Center’s War Horse) as Quince, and Corey Whelihan* as Bottom. (*Equity Member appearing with permission of Actors’ Equity Association without benefit of an Equity contract in this Off-Off Broadway production) The production is produced by Yuriy Pavlish & Beth Ann Hopkins, assistant directed by Katie Willmorth, features scenic and prop design by Andrew Diaz (The Public, Classic Stage, Disney, Roundabout) costume design by Bevin McNally, and lighting design by Conor Mulligan. Joe Jung (The Old Globe, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) is the composer and Allie Grant* and Lindsay Kipnis* are the stage managers. Amanda Browne is the ASM. Assistants are Madison Cerniglia, Danica Clauser, Josephine Hurshell-Hobson and Kayla Prestel. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM plays the following regular schedule with all matinee performances beginning at 2:00 pm and all evening performances beginning at 7:30 pm: Carroll Park (all evening performances) June 20 Preview June 21 Preview June 22nd Opening June 23 – July 1st (off June 25th & 26th) Actors Fund July 11th Opening (At the Actors Fund) July 11- 13 July 14 Matinee & Evening Performance July 15 Matinee only Tickets are FREE at Carroll Park and $25 - $55 (seat location dependant) at The Actors Fund Art Center and are now available online at www.SmithStreetStage.org. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the box office ½ hour prior to performance. Running Time: 2:00 Website: http://www.smithstreetstage.org/ Directions: Carroll Park (Carroll Stop off F&G), Brooklyn, NY 11231 The Actors Fund Arts Center, 160 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201  THE AWARD-WINNING BOOMERANG THEATRE COMPANY, celebrating 20 years of producing re-imagined classics and world premieres, is pleased to present William Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT, directed by Sara Thigpen. TWELFTH NIGHT will play a limited outdoor engagement at Central Park (69th Street and Central Park West, NYC). Performances begin Saturday, June 16 and continue through Sunday, July 15. Opening is Sunday, June 24 (2 p.m.).
“At its heart, Twelfth Night is a play about Love. These characters, like all of us at one time or another, are bored or stuck or hiding from the world, and when tempted by Love, we all have a choice: remain closed off and ignore the call, or be brave and risk rejection/ridicule, to embrace the possibility of Love.” Shares director Sara Thigpen, “That’s what is so compelling! It’s not even a guarantee, it’s just a possibility, a Hope that who you love may love you back...and to see that played out gives us the chance to laugh at our own foibles, cheer for our own victories and have compassion for all of our losses.” It begins at night, with a shipwreck. All are lost, save one...a valiant woman washed ashore in a strange country. In an instant, Viola becomes the person she needs to be...in disguise. She serves the Duke, and discovers a passion in her heart as strange as the country she now inhabits. But Duke Orsino loves another. And so Viola becomes the Duke's messenger, delivering his love to Olivia. Can she do it? Should she? And what becomes of all of them when Viola sheds her disguise and reveals her true self? To settle all, Viola may have to outdrink Sir Toby and Sir Andrew, outwit Feste, and outmaneuver Malvolio if she has any hope of setting true love right! Featuring Spencer Aste* as Sir Andrew, Daniel Bailin* as Fabian, Pilar Gonzalez as Curio, R. Paul Hamilton* as Ship Captain, Paul Herbig* as Sebastian, Annalisa Loeffler* as Feste, Sevrin Anne Mason* as Maria, Hannah Jane McMurray* as Viola, Mateo Moreno* as Antonio, Vinnie Penna* as Sir Toby, Heather Lee Rogers as Valentine, Michael Shattner* as Malvolio, Anthony Simone* as Orsino, Lisa Tharps* as Olivia. The production features costume design by Stefanie Genda, and prop design by Julie Gjeka. The production stage manager is Brianna Poh. TWELFTH NIGHT plays the following schedule through Sunday, July 15th: Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Free admission. No tickets necessary. Feel free to bring a blanket, or picnic. All are welcome. For more information visit www.boomerangtheatre.org/twelfthnight Central Park at 69th Street and Central Park West (enter at 69th St and head south, or 67th Street and head north) *Equity Members appearing with permission of Actors’ Equity Association without benefit of an Equity contract in this Off-Off Broadway production. The SHAKESPEAREAN EXPERIENCE explores the experience of being an immigrant in the US, facing the challenge of the English language, finding place in society, and a sense of belonging.
The spirit of Raul Julia, one of the first latinos to thrive at classic Shakespearean work at the Public Theater in NYC, will guide the characters into the light and self-acceptance they need to open the doors of possibilities. Together they will break down the walls that hinder their potential in our society today. R.Evolución Latina is thrilled to use the works of Shakespeare in a way that celebrates community as a whole. R.Evolución Latina partners with Pregones/PRTT Raul Julia Training unit, in furthering the legacy of Míriam Colón. The production stars artists living in NYC from France, Puerto Rico and more: Adela Bolet, Adriana Coronado, Bruno Giraldi, Eduardo Uribe, Gilda Mercado, Gina Fernandez, Igor Correa, Ismael Castillo, Jacob Louchheim, Jesús Sepúlveda,Katherine Goldblum, Krystal Pou, Luis Herrera, Matthew Oster, Matthew Ting, Nedelka Sotelo, Phil Ordoñez, Samia Omari, Will Taitel; International students from Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, and Chile: Angie Catalina, Velasquez Ramirez, Camila Martinez, Clara Lanzani, Diego Andres Lopez Gonzalez, Josefina Lausirica, Juan Camilo Laverde, Julian Eduardo Pantoja Perea, Laura Andrea Mojica Garzon, Maria Carolina Orozco Gómez, Maria Jose Gutierrez Beron, Mariana Herrera, Marlene Cristina Gomez Rodriguez, Melissa Barajas Alzua, Nelsy Viviana Salazar, Sergio Pareto, Solana Del Carmen Gomez, Sonia Monroy Fernandez, Vanina Frezza. The creative team includes guest choreographers Valeria Cossu (best director Discovering Magenta), Daniel Fetecua (Limón Dance), Gabriela Garcia (Off Broadway's Sweeney Todd), Matt Steffens (Drama Desk Award for Queen of the Night) and music director Desmar Guevara (Pregones Theatre). The SHAKESPEAREAN EXPERIENCE will perform five performances only at the Harlem School for the Arts (645 St Nicholas Ave, New York, NY 10030). Performances begin Thursday, April 5 and continue through Saturday, April 7. T Thursday, April 5 - Opening Night at 7pm Friday, April 6 at 1pm - a special industry performance Friday, April 6 at 7pm Saturday, April 7 at 2p and 7p Tickets are a suggested donation of $10-$20 and are now available online at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3365953 or by calling 917-355-2459. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the Harlem School of the Arts a ½ hour prior to the performances. Running Time: 90 min no intermission Website: http://revolucionlatina.org/bws-2018/ MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING |
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