For Immediate Release
Contact: Theresa M. MacNaughton, tmacnaughton@hartfordstage.org
Office: 860-520-7114
Hartford Stage announces cast
and performance dates for Breakdancing Shakespeare: Twelfth Night
Hartford, CT, July 11, 2018 - Hartford Stage, in conjunction with the Greater Hartford Arts Council's Neighborhood Studios, has announced the cast for Breakdancing Shakespeare: Twelfth Night. Performances will be at Hartford Stage on Friday, August 3, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, August 4, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The cast of Breakdancing Shakespeare: Twelfth Night includes Samantha Acosta, 16, of Hartford, as Olivia; Isaiah Artis, 16, of East Hartford, as Antonio; Auna Foster, 17, of Hartford, as Maria; Jerry Hamilton, 17, of Hartford, as Malvolio; Ve’Shawn Henry, 16, of East Hartford, as Curio/2nd Officer; Glendale Jones, 14, of Windsor, as Sebastian; Emily Langin, 15, of West Simsbury, as Feste/Clown; Cyana Lindsay, 14, of Windsor, as Fabian; Aaliyah Norton, 15, of West Hartford, as Gentlewoman; Pattianne Olsen, 16, of East Hartland, as Gentlewoman; Alana Morgan, 19, of Hartford, as Viola; Diego Pichay, 18, of South Windsor, as Toby Belch; Danexi Perez, 16, of Hartford, as Captain/First Officer; Jessie Robie, 15, of Windsor, as Gentlewoman; Giovanni Simmons, 17, of East Hartford, as Duke Orsino; Shantall Teran, 16, of Hartford, as Gentlewoman; Randy Torres, 17, of Hartford as Valentine/Priest; and Jamieson Vick, 15, of East Granby, as Sir Andrew.
One of William Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, Twelfth Night is an intoxicating blend of love, confusion, mistaken identities, and joyful discovery. The cast of Breakdancing Shakespeare will recreate a modern hip-hop telling of this timeless tale, infusing Shakespeare’s original text with contemporary music and dance.
"We thought Twelfth Night the obvious choice to celebrate our 12th year of Breakdancing Shakespeare; and, with such a talented diverse cast, it is already shaping up to be something extraordinary," said Nina Pinchin, Associate Director of Education at Hartford Stage and director of Breakdancing Shakespeare: Twelfth Night.
The script for Breakdancing Shakespeare: Twelfth Night is adapted by Scott Bartelson, Hartford Stage Management Associate. Pinchin will helm the production, assisted by former Breakdancing Shakespeare cast members Brandon Couloute as choreographer and Gina Salvatore as stage manager.
General admission tickets for Breakdancing Shakespeare: Twelfth Night are $10 and can be purchased by calling through the Hartford Stage Box Office at 860-527-5151 or online at http://www.hartfordstage.org/education/bds.
To learn more about Breakdancing Shakespeare, visit http://www.hartfordstage.org/education/bds or contact Robert Reader, Education Programs Manager, at 860-520-7263 or rreader@hartfordstage.org. To learn more about Neighborhood Studios, visit https://letsgoarts.org/NeighborhoodStudios.
HARTFORD STAGE
Now in our 55th season, Hartford Stage is under the leadership of Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and Managing Director Michael Stotts. One of the nation’s leading resident theatres, Hartford Stage is known for producing innovative revivals of classics and provocative new plays and musicals, including 73 world and American premieres, as well as offering a distinguished education program, which reaches close to 21,000 students annually.
Since Tresnjak’s appointment in 2011 the theatre has presented the world premieres of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder on Broadway, winner of four 2014 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical by Tresnjak; Rear Window with Kevin Bacon; the new musical Anastasia by Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens; Quiara Alegría Hudes’ Water by the Spoonful, winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama; Breath & Imagination by Daniel Beaty; Big Dance Theatre’s Man in a Case with Mikhail Baryshnikov; and Reverberation by Matthew Lopez.
Hartford Stage has earned many of the nation’s most prestigious awards, including the 1989 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Other national honors include Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, OBIE, and New York Critics Circle awards. Hartford Stage has produced nationally renowned titles, including the New York transfers of Enchanted April; The Orphans' Home Cycle; Resurrection (later retitled Through the Night); The Carpetbagger's Children; and Tea at Five.
The leading provider of theatre education programs in Connecticut, Hartford Stage’s offerings include student matinees, in-school theatre residencies, teen performance opportunities, theatre classes for students (ages 3-18) and adults, afterschool programs and professional development courses.
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