The Two Noble Kinsmen

 The Two Noble Kinsmen
Shakespeare in the Parking Lot
The Drilling Company
July 16, 2021 

Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot is back… and better than ever!  This summer they are presenting a glorious production of William Shakespeare & John Fletcher’s TheTwo Noble Kinsmen in two locations: the parking lot at the Clemente Cultural Center (107, Suffolk St. on the Lower East Side) and in Bryant Park (6^th Ave. & 42 St.).  Director Hamilton Clancy has gathered a remarkably sharp company of actors for this rarely seen Shakespeare piece.  It is not to be missed.

After Athens is victorious in war with Thebes, Duke Theseus (played by Lukas Raphael) imprisons two noble cousins, Palamon (played by Bradford Frost) and Arcite (played by John Caliendo).  From their prison window, Palamon and Arcite spot Emilia (played by Liz Livingston), who is the sister of Duke Theseus’ wife, Hippolyta (played by Kathleen Simmonds). Both men are enamored and begin arguing over the right to woo her affections.  When Arcite is released from prison and banished from Athens, he disguises himself and sneaks into court to get close to Emilia.  Meanwhile, the Jailors Daughter (played by Jane Bradley) falls madly in love with Palamon and helps him escape. 

Palamon and Arcite find each other in the woods.  Though happy to see one another, they continue to fight for the right to pursue Emilia.  When Duke Theseus discovers them fighting, they reveal their true identities and the reason for the fight.  Theseus sets a date for a duel between the two cousins.  He promises Emilia’s hand to the victor, and death to the loser.

The Jailor’s Daughter has gone mad in her unrequited love of Palamon.  Her father (played by David Marantz) consults a doctor (played by Mary Linehan) to cure her.  The Wooer of the Jailor’s Daughter (played by Remy Souchon) willingly plays his part in her cure. 

Arcite wins the duel for Emilia’s hand, then dies when falling from his horse.  Palamon gains his life and love, but loses his noble cousin and closest friend. 

Bradford Frost as Palamon & John Caliendo as Arcite
Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

Bradford Frost and John Caliendo bring humor and honesty to the complicated relationship between Palamon and Arcite.  One minute they are inseparable cousins and the next they are fighting to the death.  They create genuine characters, earnestly motivated by love and honor.  Liz Livingston is strong and resolute as Emilia.  Even though she is unwavering in her conviction not to marry either kinsman, she takes the responsibility of the duel very seriously.  Her deliberation is portrayed with high integrity and meticulous care.

Jane Bradley as the Jailer's Daughter
Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

Jane Bradley is mesmerizing as the Jailer’s Daughter.  The physicality of her character consumes her.  She opens her heart with unwavering trust and steadfast conviction.  The humor is brought to an even higher level in Mary Linehan’s impeccable portrayal of the Doctor, Remy Souchon’s winning portrayal of the Wooer of the Jailer’s Daughter, and David Marantz’s staunch portrayal of the Jailer.  Their characterizations are flawless and their timing is impeccable.   

Lukas Raphael is noble and proud as Theseus, and Kathleen Simmonds is regal and commanding as Hippolyta.  There are strong performances by Lizabeth Allen, Elowyn Castle, Ja’Quawn Turner, and Bob Arcaro, each creating numerous and distinct characters who engage the audience in the progress of the action. 

Director Hamilton Clancy and Assistant Director Karla Hendrick have outdone themselves with this production.  The Two Noble Kinsmen will be at Bryant Park on July 19, 20, & 21 at 7:30 PM, then back at the Clemente Cultural Center parking lot on July 28, 29, & 30 at 7:00 PM.  All performances are FREE.  No one does outdoor Shakespeare better that The Drilling Company.  Don’t miss it!  

Domenick Danza

Hamlet

Hamlet

The Drilling Company

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

July 28, 2018

Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

Celebrating their 24^th year of presenting free Shakespeare on the Lower East Side, The Drilling Company’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot production of Hamlet rings fresh, truthful, and alive.  Director Karla Hendrick trimmed down Shakespeare’s book, kept the action flowing, and guided the actors to dive deeply into the characters to deliver genuine performances.  Ms. Hendrick makes some bold and brilliant choices, especially in casting women in roles written for men, adding levels of humor and social commentary not normally seen in Hamlet.

Jane Bradley & Una Clancy
Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

Hamlet (played by Jane Bradley) is visited by the ghost of his father, King Hamlet (played by Bill Green).  He asks Hamlet to avenge his death.  The King was murdered by his brother, Claudius (played by Robert Arcaro), who then married the anguished Queen, Gertrude (played by Una Clancy).  Claudius now wears the crown and plots to get rid of Hamlet.  Hamlet feigns madness in order to prove the ghost’s message and plan his revenge.  

Jane Bradley is remarkable as Hamlet.  Her melancholy is heartfelt and her madness is cunning.  She takes the audience deeply into Hamlet’s inner thoughts during the soliloquies, bringing nuance and clarity to every word.  Gracie Winchester is charming and coy as Ophelia.  The audience feels for her when she is rejected by Hamlet.  She and Ms. Bradley develop a warm, tender, and truthful connection.  When Hamlet arrives at Ophelia’s burial, Ms. Bradley creates a genuine moment of sorrow and heartache.  

Jane Bradley as Hamlet
Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

Robert Arcaro and Una Clancy both have a strong presence as Claudius and Gertrude.  Their relationship and position are real, and the tensions between them and Hamlet is tangible.  Elowyn Castle is powerful as Laertes and Ophelia’s mother, Polonia.  The famous advice to Laertes speech is touching and heartfelt.  She then transitions into a political manipulator when playing scenes with Claudius and Gertrude.  John Caliendo delivers an honest performance as Laertes.  The relationship he and Ms. Winchester create as brother and sister is playful and caring.

Aly Byatt and Lulu Fairclough-Stewart bring a humorous aspect to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlets friends from school.  Together the three women have the timing, humor, and bite of set of mean girls.  Strong performances are also delivered by Bill Green, Dan Teachout, Kendra Lee Oberhauser, Niamh Ryan, Colleen Cosgrove, and Margo Tillstrom.

The final performance of Hamlet was July 28.  If you missed it, don’t dismay.  There is one more show in The Drilling Company’s Summer Shakespeare Season.  Macbeth will be performed at Bryant Park on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00 PM from August 24 through September 8.  It is sure to be a great production.  Yes, it is FREE, so don’t miss it!

Domenick Danza

Gabriel: A Polemic

Gabriel: A Polemic

The Drilling Company

North of History

March 10, 2018

Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

In her play, Gabriel: A Polemic, playwright C. Denby Swanson exuberantly explores the concept of free will.  The Drilling Company production, now running at North of History, invites the audience into Ms. Swanson’s well developed debate by gathering us around the dinner table with the characters.  The intimate setting, honest performances, and precise direction beautifully blend to make a highly engaging experience.  Director Hamilton Clancy builds the conflicts in Ms. Swanson’s skillful writing with the volatility, faith, and genuine affection that the characters have within their hearts.

Susan (played by Jane Bradley) invites her sisters in faith, Brenda (played by Rachel A. Collins) and Jennifer (played by Brandi Varnell), to Christian Sabbath dinner.  Her topic for discussion is free will.  More specifically: Did the Virgin Mary have free will when Angel Gabriel announced to her she was with child?  Jennifer adamantly quotes the bible to answer Susan’s question.  Brenda has a naive faith in Jennifer’s citations.  Susan is clearly experiencing a crisis of faith.  Six month earlier, she had a miscarriage and continually brings up the hurtful fact that all three of them are unable to bear children.  When Louise (played by Elaine Ivy Harris) arrives, who has been absent from their sisterhood for a number of months, she is pregnant and unmarried.  The four women face their fears, doubts, and resentments as their debate gets personal and heated.

Jane Bradley, Brandi Varnell, Rachel A. Collins, & Elaine Ivy Harris
Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

Jane Bradley portrays Susan with a dexterous balance of cynicism and hope.  Her actions are fueled by a deep longing for support, understanding, and forgiveness.  The reveal of the specific cause of her crisis is genuine and heartbreaking.  Elaine Ivy Harris is honest and open as Louise.  She is vulnerable in her opening monologue, then skillfully transitions her demeanor when confronted by her sisters at the dinner table.  This creates a clear and emotional arc for her character.  Brandi Varnell’s Jennifer is resolute and impassioned.  She vehemently takes on Susan’s challenge and has no trouble judging Louise’s situation.  Ms. Varnell takes the character to her breaking point.  She finally waivers, but never fully relinquishes her point of view.  Rachel A. Collins’ portrayal of Brenda is fresh and trusting.  When the character finally breaks out of her passive exterior toward the end of the play, we see the depth of her optimism, dedication, and true belief. 

Playwright C. Denby Swanson
Photo courtesy of C. Denby Swanson

C. Denby Swanson wrote four extraordinary characters.  They are intelligent, zealous, and complex.  Mr. Clancy keeps the action focused so you can appreciate the polemic (a passionate, strongly worded, and often controversial argument) from all sides.  Gabriel: A Polemic is playing through March 26 at North of History (445 Columbus Ave., between 81^st and 82^nd St., NYC).    Get your tickets on smarttix and be prepared to have your point of view challenged.

Domenick Danza

Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night

The Drilling Company

Bryant Park Shakespeare

July 29, 2017

 

Photo courtesy of Bryan Park Shakespeare

The Drilling Company’s production of Twelfth Night fills Bryant Park with laughter and frivolity.  Director Jane Bradley sets her groovy rendition amid the 1960s free-loving sexual revolution.  Her eye for detail brings out the romantic comedy in Shakespeare’s bawdy, error filled, classic tale.  Her staging and timing keep the action flowing smoothly and the laughs erupting spontaneously.  According to her program notes, Ms. Bradley’s goal was to create a setting that is “peculiar, outrageous, and above all else, a delightful escape,” and she gallantly succeeds.  

Viola (played by Natalie Smith) washes up on the shores of Illyria after her ship is lost at sea.  She disguises herself as a man, Cesario, in order to present herself to Orsino (played by Emmanuel Elpenard), the Duke she remembers as a friend of her deceased father.  Orsino takes her in his service and sends her to deliver a message to his love, Countess Olivia (played by Kathleen Simmonds).  Olivia, uninterested in Orsino, is madly attracted to Cesario, and begins to pursue him, not realizing he is a she.  Meanwhile, her loyal steward, Malvolio (played by Lukas Raphael), is taunted by adversaries in courts, causing him to make a fool of himself to the Countess.  When Viola’s twin brother, Sebastian (played by Brandon Reilly), arrives in Illyria, he is mistaken for the disguised Viola, adding mayhem to the identity confusion. 

The cast of Twelfth Night
Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

This cast builds relationships that make the production ring true on many levels.  Emmanuel Elpenard is romantic, beguiling, and commanding as Duke Orsino.  He creates a strong bond with Natalie Smith’s Viola.  She is charming and resourceful, and keeps the audience absorbed and engaged throughout the show.  Kathleen Simmonds shines in her interpretation of Olivia.  She is dark, sexy, and bold, and equally matched by Lukas Raphael as Malvolio.  His skill gives him the range to play Malvolio’s serious, egotistical side and then effortlessly hit the comic timing in the later scenes.  Jack Socket (Sir Toby), Jarrod Bates (Sir Andrew), Haylee Louise Simmonds (Maria), and Rachel A. Collins (Fabian) deliver the laughs with warmth and heart by building honest camaraderie among their characters.  Rachel A. Collins’ physical characterization of Curio, a small role in two short scenes early in the play, is superb.  Brandon Reilly and Arif Silverman have a strong chemistry as Sebastian and Antonio that heightens the humor in the final scene as true identities are revealed.

Unfortunately, Twelfth Night only ran for one weekend in Bryant Park.  You will, however, have three weekends to see the upcoming production of The Tempest.  It opens August 25 and runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00 PM through September 9.  It will be directed by Lukas Raphael, and is sure to be captivating.

Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

In addition, be sure to see The Drilling Company’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot production of Henry VI Part 3, directed by Artistic Director Hamilton Clancy.  It runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:00 PM through Aug. 12 at the Clemente Cultural & Educational Center Parking Lot.  Check the website for directions (shakespeareintheparkinglot.com).  All these shows are FREE.  You have no excuse not to attend. 

Domenick Danza

Phantasmagoria; or Let Us Seek Death!

Phantasmagoria; or Let Us Seek Death!

La Mama

October 29, 2016

Photo courtesy of LaMama

Phantasmagoria; or Let us seek Death! is a haunting way to celebrate Halloween.  Playing at LaMama through November 6, the show explores the creative mind of Mary Shelley as she focuses the challenges and experiences of her life into her masterpiece Frankenstein.

In Act I the ensemble sets up an atmosphere of artistic freedom and sexual promiscuity as they portray the lives of Mary Shelley (played by Jane Bradley), Claire Clairmont (played by Katie Melby), Percy Shelley (played by Demetrius Stewart), Lord Byron (played by Equiano), and Doctor Polidori (played by Andrew Lynch).  The play gets dark in Act II as Mary Shelley’s character from her classic novel envelopes her thoughts and takes over the stage.  The team of Randolph Curtis Rand (director) and Chana Porter (playwright) have a strong passion and deep understanding of this history and material.  The puppetry, by Benjamin Stuber, creates a sense of mystery and terror.

Jane Bradley & Demetrius Stewart
Photo courtesy of La Mama

Jane Bradley is charming and light hearted as Mary Shelley in Act I, then grim and brooding as the voice of the monster in Act II.  Her vocal authority is mesmerizing.  Every gesture and detail of her characterization draws you in to a deeper sense of consciousness.  Demetrius Stewart is easy going and irresponsible as Percy Shelley, then haunted and distraught as Victor Frankenstein.  Equiano is bold and brazen as Lord Byron, commanding and manipulating the lives and emotions of those around him.

This production offers a psychological insight into the life of Mary Shelley.  The dichotomy of her thoughts and experiences are explored.  The potent affect this has on her creative writing is brought to light.  It brings great understanding as to why Frankenstein is a classic work with many levels that continue to both frighten and amuse.

 

Domenick Danza

The Merchant of Venice – Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

The Merchant of Venice – Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

The Drilling Company

August 4, 2016

Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

The Drilling Company’s Shakespeare in the Parking Lot production of The Merchant of Venice is vibrant and moving.  Artistic Director Hamilton Clancy and Director Ezra Barnes have assembled a brilliant cast to bring life to this poignant and meaningful Shakespeare play.  This production has the quick and tight pace that is a trademark of The Drilling Company Parking Lot experience.  Shakespeare’s words echo with significance in the open parking lot space.  The strength of this production is the humor, which does not come from joy, but from cunning, trickery, and irony.

Jane Bradley skillfully plays Portia as a strong woman who uses her wit and charm to obtain what she wants, which is to wed Bassanio (played by Adam Huff).  She then uses her intelligence to help him save his friend Antonio (played by James Davies) from the bond held by Shylock (played by Dave Marantz).  She achieves her objective on all accounts, but, along with Nerissa (played by Amanda Cate Fuller) and Jessica (played by Lauriel Friedman), gains nothing more than an understanding that their men are deeply flawed in the ability to live by their word.

Jane Bradley, Dave Marantz, & James Davie
Photo courtesy of The Drilling Company

The theme of the value of your word rings loudly in this production.  Conflicts arise when the men give their word, whether it is in matters of finance, business, or love, and are not willing or able to follow through on it.  It is the women who succeed in following through, yet their place in society does not allow them much credit.  At least their place is higher than that of Shylock, who loses everything, yet is considered saved by the social standard of the time period.

Jane Bradley delivers a powerful and charming performance as Portia.  Dave Marantz portrays Shylock as a solid business man who is broken by the loss of his daughter.  Adam Huff is bold and alluring as Bassanio.  Eric Paterniani is enchanting and commanding as Lancelot.  There are strong performances from James Davies, Amanda Cate Fuller, Aly Bryant, Michael Sazonov, Michael Vincent Carrera, Lauriel Freidman, Warren Jackson, Wayne Willinger, Israel Hillary, and Richard M. Steele.

If you have not read my post about the Shakespeare’s Globe production of The Merchant of Venice at Lincoln Center Festival, please look at my July 22 posting.  Both of these productions are amazing.  They are filled with similarities and differences that are stunning to compare.  Be sure to see this Shakespeare in the Parking Lot production.  It runs for one more weekend, July 12, 13, and 14 at 8:00 PM.  These performances are FREE.  The Parking Lot is located at 114 Norfolk Street (east side of Norfolk Street between Delancey and Rivington Streets), behind The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center.  Post your comments here and join the conversation about this powerful and relevant classic play.

Domenick Danza

As You Like It

As You Like It

The Drilling Company

Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

July 11, 2015

Photo courtesy of
The Drilling Company

There is only one thing better than free outdoor Shakespeare in New York City, and that is free outdoor Shakespeare produced by The Drilling Company and performed in the middle of a New York City parking lot.  As You Like It marked the opening of Shakespeare in the Parking Lot’s twentieth season and was greeted with an enthusiastic audience reaction.  The Drilling Company consistently and successfully creates an intimate performing venue in an open, public space where everyone can experience and appreciate the poetry of classic theatre.

Artistic Director Hamilton Clancy is an expert in making Shakespeare accessible in this informal setting.  He has gathered together an extremely skilled ensemble of sixteen actors who bring heart and soul to this venture.  Highlights are Jane Bradley’s Rosalind paired with Ahmed A. Kouddous’ Orlando, and matched by Elaine Ivy Harris’ Celia.  Scott Baker delivers a touching Seven Ages of Man Speech, while Bill Green depicts tenderness in the manservant Adam.  Alessandro Colla and Hayley Louise Simmonds are both vibrant as Touchstone and Audrey.  Eric Paterniani will

The cast of As you Like It
Photos courtesy of The Drilling Company

make you laugh as both LeBeau and William.  Brandon Reilly’s idealistic Silvius plays well against Rachel Collins’ vivacious Phoebe.  All in all, the cast is astounding.

For those of you who have experienced Shakespeare in the Parking Lot before, you need to know they have changed locations.  The new parking lot is behind The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center (located at 114 Norfolk Street - east side of Norfolk Street between Delancey and Rivington Streets).  As You Like It runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 PM through July 25, followed by three weeks of Macbeth.  The Drilling Company is also

Shakespeare in the parking Lot
Photo courtesy of Eric Paterniani

producing Romeo & Juliet at Bryant Park from July 17 through August 2.  All performances are FREE!  Take advantage of these great opportunities to see quality work by a quality company.

Domenick Danza