SHRUNKEN SHAKESPEARE COMPANY TO PRESENT
WHAT WE KNOW:
AN AMERICAN RETELLING OF CHEKOV’S THREE SISTERS
DECEMBER 4 - 20, 2014 AT ACCESS THEATER
Shrunken Shakespeare Company (Yvonne Cone and Jennifer Martina, Co-Producing Artistic Directors) will present the world premiere of What We Know: An American Retelling of Chekhov’s Three Sisters December 4 through 20, 2014 at Access Theater’s Gallery (380 Broadway at White Street). Matthew MacNelly directs.
Civilized people are their own worst enemies. In this acerbically witty, sometimes jaded, yet always hopeful new play based on Chekhov's Three Sisters, nine actors explore the thrills, anguish and utter ridiculousness of every day life and relationships.
A new devised piece created by members of Shrunken Shakespeare Company; What We Know is an exploration in the beautiful and sometimes harsh complexity of human relationships and the parallels between Chekhov's society and our own. The ensemble has created an all new script and original music, incorporating their own experiences and personalities to build a uniquely personal theatrical experience.
The cast includes Jennifer Allcott (Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare Santa Cruz), Eric Chase (Real Danger, Emerging Artists), Yvonne Cone (Lear opposite Paul Sorvino), Robert Davenport (“Twin Peaks”, The Chocolate War), Sara Dobrinich (The Gefiltefish Chronicles), Kelsey Kurz (Broadway: Merchant of Venice), Matthew MacNelly (Glengarry Glen Ross, La Jolla Playhouse), Jennifer Martina (Lear opposite Paul Sorvino) and Michael Moreno (Twelfth Night, Queens Players).
Shrunken Shakespeare Company is known for its inventive take on classical plays, including its recent Lear, adapted and directed by Paul Sorvino; The Two Gentlemen of Verona set in a dive bar and A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Hipster Circus.
Previews of What We Know begin December 4, 2014 before an official press opening on December 8th. Performances continue through December 20th, with a varied schedule at the Access Theater’s Gallery (380 Broadway, at White Street. Subway: N/R or 6 to Canal).
Tickets are $18 and may be purchased at https://www.artful.ly/store/events/4391. For more information, visit www.shrunkenshakespeare.com.
Shrunken Shakespeare Company (SSC) is committed to bringing classical theatre with a contemporary edge to the New York theatre community. Creating irreverent, innovative, ensemble-driven theatre that incorporates various types of performance is essential in the development of each production.
We condense, adapt, and devise in order to make each piece relatable to a modern audience while staying true to the spirit of each text and playwright. Whether it’s a new translation, adaptation, or a combination of found and new text, we aim to create a relationship between actors and audience. The result: walking away with both a profound understanding of the play and an exciting new perspective of what classical theatre means today.
For most of our projects we choose the space before we choose the play so that each piece is tailored specifically to the space or venue where it is performed. Ultimately, the site becomes the set.
Development is a necessity.
Minimalism is our friend.
Imagination is the key.
Yvonne Cone (Co-Producing Artistic Director). Off-Broadway, New York & Regional: SSC's Midsummer (Helena), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Silvia), Kill Shakespeare (Juliet), Lear (Cordelia, opposite Paul Sorvino), The Sneeze (The Pearl Theatre, U/S), Firebird (La Mama ETC), Gymnos - NYIT Best Choreography (HERE Arts), Platonov (Columbia Stages), Spoon River Anthology (Columbia Stages), The Barrow Group Theatre Company, Shakespeare & Company, Maryland Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Orange County, Colonial Theatre-Shakespeare in the Park, American Shakespeare Center. Some of her favorite roles include Miranda in The Tempest, Alice in Henry V, and Moth in Love’s Labour’s Lost. She has a BFA in Theatre Performance from Chapman University and is an alumnus of Shakespeare & Company. She is a teaching artist with Off-Broadway’s Classic Stage Company. Yvonne is the Co-Founder and Co-Producing Artistic Director of Shrunken Shakespeare Company.
Jennifer Martina (Co-Producing Artistic Director). New York & Regional: SSC's Midsummer (Titania), Two Gentlemen of Verona (The Duchess), Kill Shakespeare (Lady Macbeth), Lear (Ensemble), Oklahoma! (Spanish Lyric Theater), Cinderella (A.F.T.), Verdi’s Aida (Tampa Opera), Sylvia Plath in Sylvia and Ted (London Workshop),The Pulp Variety Streamcast. She earned a BA in Performing Arts at The University of Tampa and spent many years in the musical theater world. Jennifer developed a passion for classic plays and creating new work with dynamic artists and writers. She is the Co-Founder and Co-Producing Artistic Director of Shrunken Shakespeare Company and is thrilled to present their fifth stage production and first original piece.
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