Hudson Shakespeare Company

The Hudson Shakespeare Company is a regional Shakespeare touring festival based in Jersey City in Hudson County, New Jersey that produces an annual summer Shakespeare in the Park festival and often features lesser done Shakespeare works such as The Two Noble Kinsmen and Timon of Athens.[1][2][3] The company also produces several modern day productions in non theatrical venues such as their courtroom shows of Inherit the Wind and A Few Good Men in the Hoboken Municipal Courtroom.[4] It produce a yearly educational program that ranges from student workshops to full length Shakespeare productions.[5]

History

In 1992, Jersey City native L. Robert "Luther" Johnson decided to mount a staged reading of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in Hamilton Park in Jersey City.[2] Having worked as a technical consultant for such companies as Riverside Shakespeare and New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players in New York, Johnson remarked "I noticed that when you were on one side of the Hudson you couldn't walk five feet without finding a company of actors doing Shakespeare, but on this side of the river there was nothing."[6] He partnered with several theatrical friends who he had worked with previously in such community theaters as the Park Players of Union City and Civic Theater of Hudson County in Jersey City for this first production under the banner of "Hudson Shakespeare Company", named after Hudson County. While this first production featured "13 people on stage and 5 in the audience,[6] he was undeterred and continued to produce Shakespeare under "Hudson Shakespeare Company" and modern works such as Driving Miss Daisy and Waiting for Godot under "Patchwork Theater Company".

In 1996, Johnson met fellow actor and director Jon Ciccarelli and the two reorganized all of the classical and modern productions under "Hudson Shakespeare Company". For the next few years, the company produced Shakespeare and modern programs in Jersey City and Hoboken and became the first theatrical company to produce a live theater showing at Hoboken's Frank Sinatra Park with another production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1998. In 2002, the company began touring to Hackensack, South Orange, and as far away as Stratford, Connecticut. Main stay venues such as Kenilworth and Fort Lee followed in 2004 and 2007 respectively.

Lesser Done Works

Hudson Shakespeare Company has become known for tackling lesser known works and questionable works of the Bard. According to Artistic Director, Jon Ciccarelli, "“Each season we try to produce at least one play that you’ve either never heard of or we put a different spin on known works of Shakespeare.”[7] Lesser known plays tackled by the company: Edward III (2016), Arden of Faversham, (2015) Henry VIII (2013), Cardenio (based on Double Falsehood) (2012), Timon of Athens (2011), Troilus and Cressida (2009), King John (2008), The Two Noble Kinsmen (2007), Coriolanus (2004), Cymbeline (2004 & 2014), Pericles (2006 & 2014), Titus Andronicus (2003 & 2013).[8][9]

Performance Venues

The following is a list of active venues where the company performs during an average run for a summer production.

Jersey City

Hamilton Park

Hoboken

Hackensack, NJ

Stratford, CT

Kenilworth, NJ

Westfield, NJ

Fort Lee

Fort Lee Museum

Monument Park at Palisade Avenue adjacent to the Fort Lee Museum. HSC produces programs in association with the Fort Lee Film Commission.

West Milford, NJ

Recent Productions

2016

2015

2014

2013

Educational Programs

Hudson Shakespeare Company conducts a yearly educational program that ranges from presentation of full Shakespeare shows to selected scene showcases to Shakespeare workshops and stage combat workshops. Shakespeare workshops have included:[44][45]

Among the educational institutions that the group has worked with are St. Mary's High School and Kenmare High School in Jersey City, Fort Lee High School, David Brearly Middle School (Kenilworth), David Schectner Middle School (West Orange), the Hackensack Cultural Arts Center/Hackensack High School and Misericordia University (Dallas, Pennsylvania).

Notable Mentions

In 1998, the company produced A Midsummer Night's Dream as the first live theatrical performance held at the newly dedicated Frank Sinatra Park in Hoboken, NJ.

In 2005, company founder L. Robert Johnson was honored with the "Everyday Hero Award" by the newspaper The Jersey Journal. These awards and related feature article chronicle everyday citizens of Hudson County with outstanding contributions to their communities. In Mr. Johnson's case it was for his founding of Hudson Shakespeare Company and promotion of Shakespeare in Hudson County along with spearheading several educational programs mentoring novice acting students.[47]

In 2009, the company was nominated for several awards including for stage fight choreography and costuming in the New York Midtown International Theatre Festival for its production of The Sword Politik by Jon Crefeld.[48]

The company was noted in the New Cambridge edition (2012) of The Two Noble Kinsmen as one of several companies throughout the world that had produced the little done play.[49]

New Jersey City University professor, James Broderick, profiled several Hudson Shakespeare Company actors in his book Greatness Thrust Upon Them: Non-Professional Actors and Directors Discuss Their Encounters with Shakespeare. (2014). The book chronicled the actors' first experiences with the Bard, the intimidation and overcoming these hurdles to fully embrace the work and how it shaped their semi-professional and professional careers[50][51]

In 2015, the company produced Arden of Faversham as the first live show for the newly opened Atlantic Street Park in Hackensack, NJ.[52]

References

  1. Brown, Bridget (September 11, 2014). "10 British Things About Hudson County, NJ". BBC America. Retrieved 2014-09-18. Established in 1992, the Hudson Shakespeare Company has produced over 100 productions and is still going. The touring company performs in parks, at schools, and even courtrooms, visiting Hoboken and Jersey City in Hudson County. Shakespeare in the Park typically ends after the warm months, but Hudson Shakespeare Company has a fall season....
  2. 1 2 "Hudson Shakespeare Company". Hudson Shakespeare. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
  3. "Hudson Shakespeare group ends season with 'Timon of Athens'". The Jersey Journal. August 12, 2011. Retrieved 2014-09-28. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  4. Schwaeble, Diana (August 22, 2006). "You can't handle the truth! Shakespeare Co. to perform 'A Few Good Men'". Hudson Reporter. Retrieved 2014-09-28.
  5. Sico, Chris (April 12, 2008). "Fort Lee Theater Program Is No "Comedy Of Errors"". New York 1 News (NY1). Retrieved 2014-09-28.
  6. 1 2 Duger, Rose (October 3, 2005). "Bringing the Classics to the People". The Jersey Journal.
  7. 1 2 Wright, Alyssa (August 2, 2012). "Land of the lost?". The Hudson Reporter. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
  8. Minton, Eric. "Readings Give "Apocrypha" Titles a Tryout". http://www.shakespeareances.com/. External link in |website= (help)
  9. Beckerman, Jim (August 7, 2012). "Shakespeare troup staging play in Fort Lee, Hackensack with dubious DNA http://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/hudson-shakespeare-company-performs-cardenio-in-fort-lee-and-hackensack-1.428682#sthash.h2t0p0NL.dpuf". The Record of Bergen County. northjersey.com. External link in |title= (help)
  10. "Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association Newsletter" (PDF). Retrieved June 2014. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  11. "Hoboken - Theater in the Park".
  12. "Hackensack Shakespeare in the Park". Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  13. "Stratford Library Summer Newsletters".
  14. "Bard on the Boulevard: Twelfth Night".
  15. "Shakespeare in the State Park 2014".
  16. "Hudson Shakespeare Company Presents "Richard II"". New Jersey Stage. Winetime Publishing.
  17. "Shakespeare's Lost History Romance tours in July". New Jersey Stage. Winetime Publishing.
  18. "Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale' coming to the Kenilworth Library on April 7". nj.com. Cranford Chronicle.
  19. "Hudson Shakespeare Company season opens at Stratford Library". ctpost.com. Connecticut Post.
  20. "Shakespeare's 'The Murder of Thomas Arden of Faversham' coming to Kenilworth Library, July 20". nj.com. Suburban News.
  21. Hortillosa, Summer Dawn. "'Twelfth Night'--with a twist--coming to Jersey City, Hoboken". Jersey Journal. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  22. Myers, Joe. "Actor directing 'Twelfth Night' at Stratford Library". Connecticut Post. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  23. Hartman, Kate (July 2014). "Shakespeare's 'Cymbeline', in Wild West Setting, Coming in Stratford". Connecticut Magazine.
  24. Myers, Joe (July 22, 2014). "Hudson touring company plays Stratford". Connecticut Post.
  25. "Shakespeare's 'Pericles' comes to Kenilworth August 14". The Cranford Chronicle. July 29, 2014. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  26. Rodas, Steven (August 1, 2014). "'Pericles' lined up for Jersey City, Hoboken parks". The Jersey Journal.
  27. "FREE TRAVELING SHAKESPEARE @ VARIOUS DATES & PARK VENUES AROUND NORTH JERSEY". NJ Arts maven. July 31, 2014. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  28. Piccirillo, Ann (April 13, 2013). "Theatrical Performance of 'Inherit the Wind' to be Performed at Borough Hall". Fort Lee Patch.
  29. "'Cyrano' kicks off Shakespeare series in Kenilworth". Cranford Chronicle. July 17, 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  30. Heck, Charles (June 10, 2013). "The Hudson Shakespeare Company performs 'Cyrano de Bergerac' open-air in Hoboken, Jersey City". The Jersey Journal.
  31. Ki, Alyssa (June 24, 2013). "Hudson Shakespeare Company performs Cyrano de Bergerac on June 24, 2013". The Jersey Journal.
  32. Morris, Paige (July 12, 2013). "Shakespeare's 'Henry VIII' moves into Hudson County parks". The Jersey Jouranl.
  33. "Shakespeare troupe presents "Henry VIII" in Stratford". Miford-Orange Bulletin. July 11, 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  34. "Shakespeare's Henry VIII comes to Stratford Library". patch.com. July 8, 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  35. "Shakespeare in the Park". Fort Lee Suburbanite. July 20, 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  36. "SEE SHAKESPEARE OUTDOORS IN HOBOKEN AND JERSEY CITY THIS MONTH". njartsmaven.com. July 10, 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  37. "Shakespeare in the Park". The Record of Bergen County. July 16, 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  38. "'Bard on the Boulevard' in Kenilworth presents 'Macbeth' with a steampunk twist". Cranford Chronicle. July 29, 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  39. Hortillosa, Summer Dawn (July 30, 2013). "Hudson Shakespeare Company's Steampunk 'Macbeth' Touring JC and Hoboken". Jersey City Independent.
  40. "Theater in the cemetery this weekend 'Macbeth' with Steampunk twist". The Hudson Reporter. August 18, 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  41. "Fear Shakespeare's blood-soaked 'Titus'". The Jersey Journal. October 18, 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  42. Herrick, Timothy. "Graveyard Titus: Lite & Dark". Timothy Herrick. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  43. ""Titus Andronicus" - performance by Hudson Shakespeare Company". Springfield Patch. October 21, 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  44. "Fort Lee Theater Program Is No "Comedy Of Errors"". New York One (NY1). April 12, 2008.
  45. McKenzie, Criss (May 3, 2011). "Shakespeare in the Fort Lee High School Auditorium". Fort Lee Suburbanite.
  46. ALMENAS, MAXIM (April 30, 2010). "A Lesson in Shakespeare". Fort Lee Suburbanite.
  47. Duger, Rose (October 3, 2005). "Everyday Hero Award: Bringing Classics to the Masses". Jersey Journal.
  48. "MITF would like to congratulate its 10th season award winners!". http://www.midtownfestival.org/. External link in |website= (help)
  49. Turner, Robert Kean (2012). New Cambridge "Two Noble Kinsmen". Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 225. ISBN 0521686997.
  50. Broderick, James (2014), Greatness Thrust Upon Them: Non-Professional Actors and Directors Discuss Their Encounters with Shakespeare, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, ISBN 9781499268317
  51. Ciccarelli, Jon (July 16, 2014). "Jersey City Professor Profiles Hudson Shakespeare Actors About How the Bard has Affected Their Lives.". Patch. Retrieved 2014-09-29.
  52. "13th Annual City of Hackensack Shakespeare in the Park Series:". hackensack.org. Town of Hackensack.
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