#1
The Henry Street Settlement/Abrons Arts Center
466 Grand Street, NYC 10002
downtownintheround@gmail.com
The Henry Street Settlement/Abrons Arts Center
In conjunction with Daniel Gallant
presents
DOWNTOWN IN THE ROUND:
Shakespeare and Sophocles in the Summer
The Tempest
Directed by Michael Raver
Shakespeare's greatest romance play is infused with sorcery, intrigue, slapstick and sensuality. Exiled duke Prospero conjures spirits and storms as his daughter falls in love with a shipwrecked nobleman and his prisoner Caliban plots revenge.
Sat, July 21; Wed, August 1; Sat, August 4; Wed, Aug 15; 7PM
Antigone
Directed by Harriet Spitzer-Picker
Sophocles' epic tragedy pits family loyalty against the rule of law. Oedipus' daughter Antigone clashes with King Creon over the fate of her brothers and the future of a nation.
Wed, July 25; Sat, July 28; Wed, Aug 8; Sat, Aug 11; 7PM
All performances are free of charge and will take place at the Henry Street Settlement's outdoor amphitheatre, at 466 Grand Street.
Daniel Gallant is the Director of Theater Programming at the 92nd Street Y's Makor/Steinhardt Center. He has staged performances, workshops and readings of numerous new plays and moderated interviews and panel discussions with artists such as Tony Kushner, Wendy Wasserstein and Norman Mailer. Daniel recently co-produced and directed Five Story Walkup (at the 13th Street Rep), a production of new short plays and monologues by dramatists including John Guare, Neil LaBute and Clay McLeod Chapman.
Michael Raver is a founding member of New Company Theatre. He graduated with honors from Pace University 's Drama program, where he directed and assistant directed a number of shows while pursuing an acting degree. Past projects include Terrence McNally's A Perfect Ganesh, an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost, A.A. Milne's The Ugly Duckling, as well as original works.
Harriet Spitzer-Picker has appeared in many off and off-off-Broadway productions. Her acting credits include Kerouac, Macbeth, and Wiseacre Farm. She has also directed numerous productions, including Faces of War (at the Makor/Steinhardt Center of the 92nd Street Y), Divided the Living child, The Biz, Personal Response, and Blackberry Tea. Harriet is Co-Artistic Director of Bima-NY, a Jewish theatre company in NYC. Harriet is also a faculty member at Henry Street Settlement Abron's Art Center. She holds a BFA in Theatre from Pace University and an MA in Educational Theater from New York University.
The Grand Street News ran a preview of Downtown in the Round as its July cover story; here are excerpts from the article:
Antigone on the Steps
The Abrons Amphitheater summer program offers classical treats as they're meant to be experienced – up close and for free
By Rachel Fershleiser
Summer in the city means movies in Bryant Park, in Hudson River Park, and at Brooklyn's Habana Outpost. It means Shakespeare both in The Park and in The Parking Lot. It means more entertainment options every night of the week, many of them al fresco and free of charge. It takes a special offer to compete in this crowded marketplace, but this summer, Henry Street Settlement's Abrons Arts Center has just the ticket.
Most neighborhood residents know the broad curved staircase that spans the Arts Center's Grand Street facade. But though it's a pleasant place to sit, it's rarely used in its theatrical function—as an amphitheater. This July, all that changes, when the Henry Street Settlement and producer Daniel Gallant present DOWNTOWN IN THE ROUND: Shakespeare and Sophocles in the Summer.
[Director] Harriet Spitzer- Picker grew up on the Lower East Side and attended Henry Street programs, a personal history that makes her newest project, directing July's outdoor production of Antigone, all the more meaningful.
"I remembered the play from college. I loved that it had strong female characters; we don't see that enough," she says, adding, "Doing Greek plays in an amphitheatre is just so perfect."
Spitzer-Picker also admires the Sophocles work for being rich and thought provoking, allowing viewers to draw any parallels they like.
Daniel Gallant, Director of Theater Programming at Makor and a producer of these new amphitheater shows, is quick to compare Antigone's time to present-day politics.
"It certainly has resonance with the Iraq War and modern conflicts between familial adherence and political obligation," he says. "We're in a political dynasty of sorts—the Bush Dynasty."
Gallant is especially excited to present Shakespeare's The Tempest in repertory with Antigone. He likes that the play is a romantic, rather than entirely comedic or tragic, entry in the Shakespeare cannon, and that ultimately both plays are about power.
"A big parallel is the centrality of a ruling character figuring out how to rule with no checks and balances except morality," Gallant continues. "Use of power is such a relevant theme today, nationally of course, but also locally. And now we're coming into a presidential campaign after a leader who so centralized power."
Politics aside, the real goal of Antigone and The Tempest in the Abrons amphitheater is community. Casts of seasoned New York actors and fresh new talent will perform Wednesday and Saturday nights, ensuring the neighborhood's observant Jewish population, too, can make it to either play.
"I envision it working as a very free environment," says Spitzer-Picker. "I hope people will bring food and picnic, bring small children who will only watch part of the show, come and go as they please—almost like a drive-in. Others will walk by, notice something going on and stop, find that we've piqued their interest."
This article can be found in its entirety at http://www.grandstreetnews.com/scripts/grand/paper/Article.asp?ArticleID=584
Posted: 7/13/07 at 12:17pm
The Henry Street Settlement/Abrons Arts Center
466 Grand Street, NYC 10002
downtownintheround@gmail.com
The Henry Street Settlement/Abrons Arts Center
In conjunction with Daniel Gallant
presents
DOWNTOWN IN THE ROUND:
Shakespeare and Sophocles in the Summer
The Tempest
Directed by Michael Raver
Shakespeare's greatest romance play is infused with sorcery, intrigue, slapstick and sensuality. Exiled duke Prospero conjures spirits and storms as his daughter falls in love with a shipwrecked nobleman and his prisoner Caliban plots revenge.
Sat, July 21; Wed, August 1; Sat, August 4; Wed, Aug 15; 7PM
Antigone
Directed by Harriet Spitzer-Picker
Sophocles' epic tragedy pits family loyalty against the rule of law. Oedipus' daughter Antigone clashes with King Creon over the fate of her brothers and the future of a nation.
Wed, July 25; Sat, July 28; Wed, Aug 8; Sat, Aug 11; 7PM
All performances are free of charge and will take place at the Henry Street Settlement's outdoor amphitheatre, at 466 Grand Street.
Daniel Gallant is the Director of Theater Programming at the 92nd Street Y's Makor/Steinhardt Center. He has staged performances, workshops and readings of numerous new plays and moderated interviews and panel discussions with artists such as Tony Kushner, Wendy Wasserstein and Norman Mailer. Daniel recently co-produced and directed Five Story Walkup (at the 13th Street Rep), a production of new short plays and monologues by dramatists including John Guare, Neil LaBute and Clay McLeod Chapman.
Michael Raver is a founding member of New Company Theatre. He graduated with honors from Pace University 's Drama program, where he directed and assistant directed a number of shows while pursuing an acting degree. Past projects include Terrence McNally's A Perfect Ganesh, an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost, A.A. Milne's The Ugly Duckling, as well as original works.
Harriet Spitzer-Picker has appeared in many off and off-off-Broadway productions. Her acting credits include Kerouac, Macbeth, and Wiseacre Farm. She has also directed numerous productions, including Faces of War (at the Makor/Steinhardt Center of the 92nd Street Y), Divided the Living child, The Biz, Personal Response, and Blackberry Tea. Harriet is Co-Artistic Director of Bima-NY, a Jewish theatre company in NYC. Harriet is also a faculty member at Henry Street Settlement Abron's Art Center. She holds a BFA in Theatre from Pace University and an MA in Educational Theater from New York University.
The Grand Street News ran a preview of Downtown in the Round as its July cover story; here are excerpts from the article:
Antigone on the Steps
The Abrons Amphitheater summer program offers classical treats as they're meant to be experienced – up close and for free
By Rachel Fershleiser
Summer in the city means movies in Bryant Park, in Hudson River Park, and at Brooklyn's Habana Outpost. It means Shakespeare both in The Park and in The Parking Lot. It means more entertainment options every night of the week, many of them al fresco and free of charge. It takes a special offer to compete in this crowded marketplace, but this summer, Henry Street Settlement's Abrons Arts Center has just the ticket.
Most neighborhood residents know the broad curved staircase that spans the Arts Center's Grand Street facade. But though it's a pleasant place to sit, it's rarely used in its theatrical function—as an amphitheater. This July, all that changes, when the Henry Street Settlement and producer Daniel Gallant present DOWNTOWN IN THE ROUND: Shakespeare and Sophocles in the Summer.
[Director] Harriet Spitzer- Picker grew up on the Lower East Side and attended Henry Street programs, a personal history that makes her newest project, directing July's outdoor production of Antigone, all the more meaningful.
"I remembered the play from college. I loved that it had strong female characters; we don't see that enough," she says, adding, "Doing Greek plays in an amphitheatre is just so perfect."
Spitzer-Picker also admires the Sophocles work for being rich and thought provoking, allowing viewers to draw any parallels they like.
Daniel Gallant, Director of Theater Programming at Makor and a producer of these new amphitheater shows, is quick to compare Antigone's time to present-day politics.
"It certainly has resonance with the Iraq War and modern conflicts between familial adherence and political obligation," he says. "We're in a political dynasty of sorts—the Bush Dynasty."
Gallant is especially excited to present Shakespeare's The Tempest in repertory with Antigone. He likes that the play is a romantic, rather than entirely comedic or tragic, entry in the Shakespeare cannon, and that ultimately both plays are about power.
"A big parallel is the centrality of a ruling character figuring out how to rule with no checks and balances except morality," Gallant continues. "Use of power is such a relevant theme today, nationally of course, but also locally. And now we're coming into a presidential campaign after a leader who so centralized power."
Politics aside, the real goal of Antigone and The Tempest in the Abrons amphitheater is community. Casts of seasoned New York actors and fresh new talent will perform Wednesday and Saturday nights, ensuring the neighborhood's observant Jewish population, too, can make it to either play.
"I envision it working as a very free environment," says Spitzer-Picker. "I hope people will bring food and picnic, bring small children who will only watch part of the show, come and go as they please—almost like a drive-in. Others will walk by, notice something going on and stop, find that we've piqued their interest."
This article can be found in its entirety at http://www.grandstreetnews.com/scripts/grand/paper/Article.asp?ArticleID=584
