It's disappointing that most people intersect with famed English playwright William Shakespeare in high school English and then only reference The Bard when playing pub trivia.
Play On Shakespeare, the not-for-profit organization dedicated to exploring the world of Shakespeare in performance through translation and adaptation, has been working diligently to change that perspective.
Building upon Play On Shakespeare’s mission to enhance the understanding of Shakespeare’s plays in performance, Play On Podcasts
bring timeless tales directly to modern audiences. The series –
presented by Next Chapter Podcasts in partnership with Play On
Shakespeare – has released Macbeth, Pericles, A Midsummer Night’s Dream,
and Coriolanus amongst various other titles over the last few years.
Play On Podcasts recently won two Signal Awards – for Best Original Music/Score (Gold) and for Best Scripted Fiction (Silver). Play On Podcasts also recently won at The Ambies – for Best Original Score and Music Supervision [Lindsay Jones for Othello].
This
fall, Play On Podcasts releases Julius Caesar in a modern verse
translation by Shishir Kurup. Episode 1 will drop on October 14.
Listen here.
For those who enjoy live performances, Play On Shakespeare has announced its Fall 2024 Season.
Fall 2024 Season:
Coriolanus
Presented by Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Portland Center Stage
Produced in association with upstart crow collective and Play On Shakespeare
Now through October 13
Translation: Sean San José
Adaption and Direction: Rosa Joshi
Location: Thomas Theatre [Ashland, OR]
When civil unrest wracks Rome as the famine-ravaged underclass battle the ruling elite, a war hero steps into the spotlight to serve his nation—only to turn on it and seek its overthrow. Shakespeare’s rarely produced tragedy comes to visceral life in a powerful, movement-focused production featuring a cast of female and non-binary actors.
More information here.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Great Lakes Theater in partnership with Idaho Shakespeare Festival
October 4 - 27
Translation: Jeff Whitty
Direction: Sara Bruner
Location: Great Lakes Theater - Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square [Cleveland, OH]
An exhilarating night of midsummer madness, this magical comedy brims with mistaken identity, mismatched lovers, and mischief-making fairies. This modern verse translation of Shakespeare’s comic masterpiece ensnares two pairs of lovers and a rustic troupe of would-be actors in a forest full of comedic adventure. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a joyful celebration of love lost, transformed, and restored that casts a powerfully pleasing spell.
More information here.
The Winter’s Tale
Presented by 1623 Theatre Company
December 6 - January 11
Translation: Tracy Young
Adaptation and Direction: Ben Spiller
Location: Attenborough Arts Centre (throughout December) [Leicester, UK]
Location: Derby Theatre Studio (throughout January) [Derby, UK]
It’s the toughest winter ever in Sicilia Court, a rundown council estate still waiting to be leveled up. High costs and low wages mean cold homes, hungry stomachs, and desperate minds. It’s impossible for anyone to hold their nerve here. When the king of the estate accuses his wife of cheating, he shames her in public and threatens anyone who dares to challenge him. As jealousy and rage spiral out of control, unthinkable cruelty takes over the estate and everything falls apart. Is there any hope that the truth will out, and will the community ever recover? The Winter's Tale is co-created by a team of Deaf, disabled, LGBTQ+, global majority, neurodivergent, and working-class theater-makers.
More information here.
ACMRS Press [Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies] has released all of Play On Shakespeare’s translations in print (39 titles).
Play On Shakespeare’s DEMOS project is available on YouTube. The DEMOS project is a series of vibrant, short films that demonstrate side-by-side performances of Shakespeare’s original text and the modern translations featuring extraordinarily talented actors with a wealth of experience performing Shakespeare.
MORE ON PLAY ON SHAKESPEARE:
Play On Shakespeare is a non-profit company promoting and creating contemporary modern translations of Shakespeare’s plays. Play On Shakespeare partners with artists and organizations across the globe to deliver and advocate for these translations through theatrical productions, podcasts, and publications. For more information, visit playonshakespeare.org. Play On Shakespeare is made possible through the generous support of the Hitz Foundation.
The Hitz Foundation has projects in science, the arts, and the environment throughout the world. In addition to Play On Shakespeare and Play On Podcasts, the foundation funds Global Digital Heritage which captures state-of-the-art 3D models of museum collections and heritage sites and shares them with the world at no cost.
Before I go, here's some Shakespeare knowledge you can use to impress your friends. "According to a report by Priceonomics, A Midsummer Night's Dream gets the most professional performances nowadays. The website Shakespearances documented nearly every professional Shakespeare production around the world, and A Midsummer Night's Dream accounted for more than 7% of all Shakespeare performances. (Together, Parts 1 and 2 of Henry VI were the least performed."
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