CAST ANNOUNCED for “the other Shakespeare in the Park”

Shakespeare Sports Theatre Company opens its SHAKESPEARE SUMMER TOUR with a new production of the Comedy of Errors directed by Michael Hagins; Adam Sherwin, stage manager, coming to a park or performance space near you!

SCHEDULES THUS FAR: Riverside Church July 17 @ 7 pm  RESERVE A SEAT

St. Francis Cabrini Shrine July 19 and 20 @ 4 pm  RESERVE A SEAT

Summit Rock in Central Park July 26 and August 2 — BOTH @ 2 PM  RESERVE A SEAT

Pat’s Lawn in Inwood Hill Park July 27 @ 2 pm  RESERVE A SEAT

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE

Shakespeare’s Hilariously Haywire “Comedy of Errors,” a frolicsome farce so fantastically foolish, it’s practically a recipe for roaring laughter! “The Comedy of Errors,” a play where mistaken identities run riot features the following cast: Vic Gitre, Charlie Keegan James, Emily Glaser, Jennifer Kim, Melissa Meli, Erica Gerold, Katie Freimann, Lila Ashley Meyers, Kasey Cznowski, Hayley Berketa, and Molly Feisher

Imagine, if you will, a bustling ancient Ephesus, where not one, but TWO sets of identical twins are about to stumble headlong into a hilarious hullabaloo! We’re talking Antipholus of Syracuse and his ever-so-loyal (and equally confused) servant, Dromio of Syracuse, who unwittingly wander into the very city inhabited by their spitting images, Antipholus of Ephesus and his own bewildered Dromio!

This uproarious rendition, brought to life by the visionary direction of Michael Hagins who is a celebrated Shakespearean artist in NYC with productions of Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night or What You Will, Titus Andronicus, King Lear, Othello, Julius Caesar, Pericles, King John, King Henry IV, Part 1, King Henry IV, Part 2, King Henry V, King Henry VI, Part 1, King Henry VI, Part 3, King Richard III, The Winter’s Tale, As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, The Comedy of Errors, The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice,Timon of Athens, All’s Well That Ends Well, Troilus and Cressida, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Henry VIII, Two Noble Kinsman, Cardenio\Double Falsehood, Edward III, Merry Wives of Windsor, Cymbeline, Richard II, Antony & Cleopatra, Coriolanus, Much Ado About Nothing, King Henry VI, part 2 and part 3, and Measure for Measure.

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE

Shakespeare’s Henry V is revived with a Sparkling New Production at the American Theatre of Actors

“We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers,” Henry V famously proclaims—and Sam Hardy, the actor who currently brings him to life, could well be addressing his castmates and crew of this accomplished production, now playing at the ATA as presented by Jonathan G. Power.

Henry V is the final piece in a tetralogy by Shakespeare that was basically the 16^th century stage version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was preceded by Richard II, Henry IV, Part 1, and Henry IV, Part 2. Henry V would have been a familiar character to theatre fanatics of the Renaissance, having appeared in Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 in youthful form as the wayward, tavern-loving Prince Hal.

This “sequel” depicts Hal/Henry (also known as “Harry”) rising to the throne with a new maturity. At the English court Henry is convinced after a discussion about land laws with the Archbishop of Canterbury (David Allard) that he has a claim to the Throne of France. Thus, he prepares to do battle with the French near Agincourt. His regiment is comparatively small, but the king is armed with a of heart and spirit that he is determined to share with his soldiers.

Shakespeare veteran Hardy is perfect in the title role; his commanding voice, powerful stage presence and impressive physicality adding an extra electricity to the Bard’s 1599(ish) play. He brings great poignancy to a sequence where Henry disguises himself to walk among his soldiers, in order to get to know them and bring them hope and encouragement.

One of the most popular of Shakespeare’s historicals, Henry V is engaging and witty throughout, with many humorous interludes and an incredibly quotable text. The actors handle the complex languages, lengthy soliloquies, and Bill’s famous wordplay with astonishing skill and a clear love for the source material; they also excel at the tricky, operatic fight sequences, which are expertly choreographed for this production. The English soldiers are in tan T-Shirts, the French in blue; and the overall dress is contemporary. Even with the large cast many of the actors play multiple roles, switching demeanors and characterizations with deftness.

Dustin Pazar is engaging as The Chorus (“Narrator”) as well as The Duke of Exeter, Noy Marom is Princess Catherine of France; in one of the play’s most amusing scenes she asks her maid Alice (Annie Unger) for a lesson in how to say a selection of English words, with Alice responding with rather suspect pronunciation. Marom also plays the conspiratorial Sir Thomas Grey, and Unger doubles as “the Boy,” page to comedic trio Pistol (Joe Patrick Marshall), Nym (Kieran Wylie), and Bardolph (Paul Maurizio). (These four characters also appear in multiple Shakespeare works.) The prolific Jane Culley (over 50 off and off-Broadway credits) is the Queen of France and also Pistol’s wife, Mistress Quickly. Producer Power appears as Henry’s counterpart on the chessboard, the King of France. Adam Lyons is very amusing as the French Herald, who periodically appears on the balcony to taunt the English warriors.

Dukes and Earls of course abound. Christian Miranda appears as both the Duke of Orleans and the Earl of Salisbury; Reese Villiger is the loyal Earl of Westmoreland;

For audiences unfamiliar, I’d equate the relationships among the characters to the conflicts, and camaraderie in another more recent hero’s journey, The Lord of The Rings franchise (subtracting magic rings and dragons, but adding the tennis balls that the Dauphin of France sends to his rival Henry as a gag gift). Cruz is an entertaining presence as the aggressive, always screaming Dauphin.

Directed with panache by ATA founder and artistic director James Jennings, Henry V makes great use of the multi-leveled, atmospheric John Cullum Theatre. Moving video backdrops portraying castles, battlefields and graveyards add a nice sense of place and time. As usual for this highly regarded entry into Shakespeare’s canon, this edition Henry V earns it’s 3-hour runtime, captivating throughout on its way to a rousing denouement.

Henry V runs at the ATA through April 19, 2025.