Susquehanna Shakespeare Festival News

PRESS RELEASE:

Free Shakespeare in the Park will be returning for a second season.  Susquehanna Shakespeare Festival will be offering The Vagabonde Romeo and You Know Who; a Comedy,  in Danville's memorial Park as part of the MARC concert series (remember to bring your own chair, or blanket!)  Family friendly performances will begin at 6:30 P.M. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday JUNE 16th, 17th, 18th, and again the following week, JUNE 23rd, 24th and 25th.  this delicious rethinking of the Bard's classic love story is full of word-play, sword-play, and of course- the wild passion of young love.
    Last summer the company presented The Vagabonde Tempest, a laugh-filled adaptation of Shakespeare's final play to a wonderful community response.  The Vagabonde Romeo and You Know Who is another small-cast adaptation written and directed by founding Artistic Director, and award-winning playwright, Tania Myren.  The adaptation has updated humor, and a pre-show in which you meet the always starving actors and find out that they're putting the show on to try and collect enough money to make July rent.
    The company includes some familiar faces.  Dan Acor who played Ferdinand and the King of Naples last summer will be returning to play Romeo and Abrahamlet.  Kate Hughes, last year's Miranda, will be this year's Juliet.  Steve Tipton who played Ariel and Sebastian last season, will play Mercutio and Lord Capulet this season.  And Danville High School student, Kaziah Myren-Zobel, who played Sofia last summer, will play Vo this summer.  The company is rounded out by area actors Ian Lowe- in the roles of Ben and the friar; and Michael Tkatch playing Sampson, Nurse, Prince and Paris.
    This summer the production has been enriched by an apprentice company of talented Danville High School students.  Alec Hettinger will be appearing in the role of Tybalt; Megan Sabers will play Lia, and Sara Tessarvich will appear in the role of Gwendolyn.   
    The mission of the festival is to provide a uniquely American approach to Shakespeare that will resonate with today's audiences while entertaining the whole family.  The festival is especially dedicated to the children of Danville who gather in the park to watch rehearsals.


Romeo and You Know Who cast members: Michael Tkatch, Steve Tipton, Kate Hughes, Ian Lowe, & Dan Acor

From The Daily Item, May 28, 2009:

Shakespeare Festival: A storm is brewing
Re-interpretation of 'The Tempest' coming to Danville
DANVILLE-- The newly-formed Susquehanna Shakespeare Festival is coming to Danville's Memorial Park for a re-interpretation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest." Directed by Tania Myren, Danville resident and Shakespeare aficionado, this production of "The Vagabonde Tempest" will be performed at 7 p.m. June 12-13 and June 19-20 as part of the MARC concert series. Admission is free.
     Both young and old will enjoy this open-air frolic as a ship carrying Italian nobles goes down in a storm off the shores of an enchanted island and its survivors must make their way home from this place of monsters and magic.
     This will be the first performance of the Susquehanna Shakespeare Festival, created by Myren, who also teaches at Marywood University. Myren received professional training at SUNY Purchase, and went on to a career as an actress in regional theater, Off-Broadway, Broadway and television productions.
     The cast of "The Vagabonde Tempest" combines both local and out-of-state talent. Dan Acor, Steve Tipton, and Elizabeth Nowry are pursuing theater degrees at Bloomsburg University and have appeared in Bloomsburg Theater Ensemble (BTE) productions. Kate Hughes is a graduate of the Bloomsburg program, she and John Jacobson have also worked with BTE. Sigrid Heath joins the cast from New York, and Kaziah Zobel is a student at Danville High     School.

Shakespeare Comes to the Valley

   Tania Myren brings thirty years of professional experience in theatre and performing arts to her role as Artistic Director of the Susquehanna Shakespeare Festival. .
   Ms. Myren began her career as an actress both on and off Broadway, and in regional theaters across the country, having received a BFA from the professional actor training program at SUNY Purchase. She is an award-winning, published, produced playwright, an experienced director and a professor at Marywood University in Scranton PA. She has an MFA in playwriting from UC Los Angeles, and a PhD (abd) in theatre from UC Santa Barbara.
   She fell in love with Shakespeare in high school, and his works have remained an abiding passion. It is this passion that motivated her to create the Susquehanna Shakespeare Festival in Danville. Bringing live theater to Danville coincides with the goals of the Town Council's "Revitalize Danville" initiative, and most performances will be free or low-cost to the public. Ms. Myren has already put together a robust inaugural season including a summer series of free performances of Shakespeare's The Tempest in Danville's Memorial Park, some Scary Shakespeare to celebrate Halloween, Shakespeare's classic comedy, 12th Night, for the holiday season, a fundraising event, and a new play by a tri-state area author.

Photos
Upper: Sigrid Heath as Prospera in The Vagabonde Tempest, '09 season
Lower: Steve tipton & Dan Acor in The Vagabonde Tempest, '09 season