SHAKESPEARE IN QUEENS Monthly Staged Readings of All His Plays by TITAN Theatre Company 2015-2016
Shakespeare in Queens Four hundred years after his death in April 1616, William Shakespeare s plays continue to be quoted, read and performed, because his characters and plots present real human beings in a wide range of emotions and conflicts that transcend their origins in Elizabethan England. Queens Library and award-winning TITAN Theatre Company are partnering to bring dramatic staged readings of Shakespeare s plays to libraries across Queens. Monday, October 5, 2015 Forest Hills 108-19 71 Avenue 718-268-7934 MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more... (II, iii) Love and victory are in the air at the start of one of Shakespeare s most beloved comedies, as Don Pedro s army returns victorious to the city of Messina. With them comes Claudio, a young gentleman in love with the sweet and lovely Hero, and Signor Benedick, a bachelor who swears by his beard that he will never marry. Little does Benedick suspect that he may have at last met his match in Hero s quick-witted cousin Beatrice. And little does the town of Messina know that it is about to be rocked by a scandal that will take a cast of unlikely characters to put right. Monday, November 2, 2015 Central Library 89-11 Merrick Boulevard Jamaica 718-990-0778 OTHELLO Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on. (III, iii) Othello, General of the Venetian army and the Moor of Venice, is widely revered and deeply loved, particularly by innocent Desdemona, whom he has married in secret. Yet not all hold the Moor in high regard. Iago, a Venetian soldier consumed by hatred and envy, sets in motion a plan to bring down the Moor, in literature s most famous tale of jealousy, betrayal and the violent power of love. 2
Queens Library Monday, December 7, 2015 Flushing 41-17 Main Street 718-661-1200 THE MERCHANT OF VENICE The quality of mercy is not strained; it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. (IV, i) Taking place in 16th-century Venice and on the mysterious island of Belmont, The Merchant of Venice is the story of Portia, a brilliant but isolated daughter trapped in a riddle; Shylock, an abused Jewish moneylender; and the Christian Venetians who borrow from him for romantic reasons against an all-toopersonal and gruesome bond. A tale of religion and outsiders, The Merchant of Venice remains one of Shakespeare s most controversial plays. Monday, January 4, 2016 Woodside 54-22 Skillman Avenue 718-429-4700 ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA My salad days, when I was green in judgment: cold in blood (I, iv) Desire battles duty in one of the most famous love stories in all history. Roman triumvir Mark Antony falls fatally in love with Cleopatra, the infamous Queen of the Nile, in Shakespeare s passionate and poetic rendering of this historic and tragic love. Monday, January 11, 2016 6:00 p.m. Flushing 41-17 Main Street 718-661-1200 TALKING SHAKESPEARE Lenny Banovez, Artistic Director of TITAN Theatre Company, will give a behind-the-scenes look at Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, The Merchant of Venice and Antony and Cleopatra, and discuss modern interpretations of these classic plays. Monday, February 1, 2016 Windsor Park 79-50 Bell Boulevard, Bayside 718-468-8300 THE COMEDY OF ERRORS How many fond fools serve mad jealousy! (II, i) Not one but two sets of long-lost twins wind their way through the town of Ephesus, in Shakespeare s madcap comedy of mistaken identity. It s double trouble for the Antipholus and Dromio twins, as well as for their friends and significant others, in this fast-paced and farcical comedy. 3
Shakespeare in Queens Monday, March 7 Jackson Heights 35-51 81 Street 718-899-2500 KING JOHN Ay, marry, now my soul hath elbow-room... (V, vii) When Richard the Lionheart dies without issue, his brother John seizes the throne. However, John s young and innocent nephew, Arthur, may have a more legitimate claim. Propelled by two powerful mothers at odds with each other, King John is a history play that grapples with questions of allegiance, legitimacy, duplicity and the driving force of a mother s love. Monday, April 4, 2016 Bayside 214-20 Northern Boulevard 718-229-1834 Leontes, attempting to punish the two people closest to him, inflicts a punishment on himself that it seems time cannot erase. The story resumes in Bohemia 16 years later, when winter has thawed and redemption may bloom in the spring. Monday, April 11, 2016 6:00 p.m. Flushing 41-17 Main Street 718-661-1200 TALKING SHAKESPEARE Lenny Banovez, Artistic Director of TITAN Theatre Company, will give a behind-the-scenes look at The Comedy of Errors, King John and The Winter s Tale, and discuss modern interpretations of these classic plays. THE WINTER S TALE This is the chase: I am gone for ever. [Exit, pursued by a bear.] (III, iii) Leontes, king of Sicily, is overcome with jealousy and suspicion of his virtuous and pregnant wife, Hermione, and his best friend, Polixenes, King of Bohemia. Overcome by irrational doubts,
Queens Library Monday, May 2, 2016 Peninsula 92-25 Rockaway Beach Boulevard Rockaway Beach 718-634-1110 TROILUS AND CRESSIDA But you are wise, or else you love not, for to be wise and love exceeds man s might... (III, ii) Often lauded as a more mature Romeo and Juliet, Troilus and Cressida is the story of two lovers who grapple with family, politics and their own passion during the Trojan War. Achilles, Helen of Troy and Agamemnon all play parts in this Greek tragedy of star-crossed love penned by the greatest English poet. Monday, June 6, 2016 Cambria Heights 218-13 Linden Boulevard 718-528-3535 PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYRE But thou know st this, Tis time to fear when tyrants seem to kiss. (I, ii) One of Shakespeare s most popular plays during his lifetime, Pericles, Prince of Tyre spans sea, land, love, betrayal, reunion and years. Storms, romance and incredible adventures toss the prince, husband and father in a poetic and epic odyssey during which miracles can and do happen. Credit: Kevin Thomas Garcia
Shakespeare in Queens Monday, August 1, 2016 Ridgewood (outdoors, weather permitting) 20-12 Madison Street 718-821-4770 A MIDSUMMER NIGHT S DREAM Lord, what fools these mortals be! (III, ii) The course of true love fails to run smoothly when four young people flee to the woods of Athens to escape the restraints of their parents and society. Unknown to them, the King and Queen of the Fairies are embroiled in their own battles in the same woods, and Fairy royalty does not fight fair. Add an impending royal wedding, some working men rehearsing an amateur play and more than a dash of moonlight, and you get Shakespeare s magical comedy of midsummer. Monday, August 8, 2016 6:00 p.m. Flushing 41-17 Main Street 718-661-1200 TALKING SHAKESPEARE Lenny Banovez, Artistic Director of TITAN Theatre Company will give a behind-the-scenes look at Troilus and Cressida; Pericles, Prince of Tyre; and A Midsummer Night s Dream, and discuss modern interpretations of these classic plays. SHAKESPEARE 1564-1616
Queens Library ABOUT TITAN THEATRE COMPANY Conceived with the goal of breathing new life and clarity into classical works of theatre through visceral, challenging, ensemble-driven productions, TITAN Theatre Company began performing in 2009 in a Tex-Mex bar and restaurant in Long Island City, Queens. Since then, TITAN s signature work which includes distinguished takes on a variety of Shakespeare s plays has been embraced by audiences from all walks of life. TITAN is a proud contributing member of the exciting and innovative hotbed that is the Queens theater scene, and is now the official theater company in residence at Queens Theatre, the premier performing arts venue in Queens. For more information, visit www.titantheatrecompany.com. MISSION OF TITAN THEATRE COMPANY TITAN Theatre Company is committed to breathing new life and clarity into classical works of theater, exploring new and contemporary language plays and delivering adventurous theatrical experiences to our audiences. Through this work we strive to foster an environment for artists and audiences alike to rediscover the boundaries of live performance in an atmosphere of creativity, collaboration and respect. Photo Credit: Chasi Annexy
1337-8/15