THE SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY OF AMERICA INC

THE SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY AND THE PUBLIC THEATER JOINED FORCES IN 2017 TO CO-CREATE THE PUBLIC SHAKESPEARE INITIATIVE, A MULTIFACETED RANGE OF PROGRAMMING DEDICATED TO PROVIDING ALL NEW YORKERS WITH ACCESS TO SHAKESPEARE'S BELOVED WORKS. IN 2024 THIS PARTNERSHIP CENTERED AROUND THE HUNTS POINT CHILDREN'S SHAKESPEARE ENSEMBLE (HPCSE) MEMBERS AND THE TEACHERS, FACILITATORS, AND PRODUCTION STAFF THAT GUIDED THEIR DEVELOPMENT. HPCSE IS A YEAR-LONG AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM THAT BRINGS THE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE TO 4TH, 5TH, AND 6TH GRADE STUDENTS ACROSS THE HUNTS POINT NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE SOUTH BRONX. THIS AMBITIOUS UNDERTAKING, LED BY THE PUBLIC AND THE HUNTS POINT ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN (HPAC), BUILDS COMMUNITY BETWEEN STUDENTS FROM FOUR SEPARATE SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE BRONX AND DEVELOPS VITAL COMMUNICATION AND CREATIVE SKILLS THROUGH THE STUDY AND PERFORMANCE OF A SHAKESPEARE PLAY. THE ENSEMBLE MEETS 3 TIMES PER WEEK FOR 8 MONTHS, WORKING WITH A TEAM OF TEACHING ARTISTS TO MAKE SHAKESPEARE'S ORIGINAL TEXT THEIR OWN, CULMINATING IN A FULLY STAGED PRODUCTION PERFORMED BOTH AT A VENUE IN THE HUNTS POINT COMMUNITY AND ONSTAGE AT THE PUBLIC. IN THE 2023-2024 SEASON, STUDENTS STUDIED AND DEVELOPED PERFORMANCE SKILLS BASED AROUND SHAKESPEARE'S ETERNAL TRAGEDY, HAMLET, CULMINATING IN THE STUDENTS CRAFTING AND PERFORMING A FULLY STAGED PRODUCTION OF THE PLAY AT THE BRONX ACADEMY FOR MULTI-MEDIA ON MAY 17, 2024 AND AT THE MARTINSON THEATER IN THE PUBLIC'S ASTOR PLACE FLAGSHIP ON MAY 19, 2024 FOR AN AUDIENCE OF ROUGHLY 500 FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS, AND TEACHERS. IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC SHAKESPEARE INITIATIVE, THE MOBILE UNIT RETURNED IN 2024 WITH AN EXPANDED TOUR OF THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, CONCEIVED BY DIRECTOR REBECCA MARTNEZ AND COMPOSER JULIN MESRI. NOMINATED FOR A 2024 DRAMA DESK AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ADAPTATION, THE MOBILE UNIT'S BILINGUAL THE COMEDY OF ERRORS EMBRACED CONTEMPORARY MUSIC STYLES FROM LATIN AMERICA IN A TALE OF SEPARATION AND REUNION. FEATURING LIVE ACTOR-MUSICIANS, THIS MODERN MUSICAL ADAPTATION BROUGHT A VIBRANT ENERGY TO AN AGE-OLD TALE OF TWO SETS OF TWINS SEPARATED BY STORMY SEAS AS THEY OVERCOME A BAFFLING CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY-AND THE MAYHEM AND HILARIOUS CONFUSION THAT FOLLOWS. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NYC PARKS' ARTS, CULTURE & FUN SERIES, THE NYC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, THE SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY, AND OTHER KEY MOBILE UNIT PARTNERS, THE COMEDY OF ERRORS TOURED BOTH OUTSIDE AND INDOORS AT PUBLIC PLAZAS, PARKS, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS ACROSS THE FIVE BOROUGHS AS PART OF THE PUBLIC'S COMMITMENT TO BRING FREE THEATER TO ALL AND ENRICHING ITS ENGAGEMENT WITH COMMUNITIES AROUND NYC.