The Taming of the Shrew!!!
For those of you who've been living under a Yule log for the past few weeks, here are the details! HID's second production in our effort to present the entire canon of William Shakespeare in chronological order goes up December 13th. We'll be performing at the 133rd St. Arts Center in Manhattan, and you can reserve a ticket (or twenty) here: Taming of the Shrew Tickets!
But let's not get ahead of oursleves. In order to make this show a properly-funded reality, we need your help to finish up our Kickstarter campaign! We have some fabulous incentives, and anything you can donate really does help. Find your way into our hearts here: HID Kickstarter
But let's get even less ahead of ourselves. Before you wrap our presents, you'd obviously like to meet the shining faces you'll be bringing to the stage! Well, without further ado, let's meet the festive cast and crew of The Taming of the Shrew!
(Appearing in alphabetical order for the sake of ego)
Tiffany will be portraying the female love interest in this classic clash, Katharina "Kate the Curst" Minola. Tiffany herself is actually very amiable and has her theatrical roots spread severally about the city of New York. As an alumnus of NYU's Stella Adler Studio and office/reservations manager of Sleep No More, she's been an active part of NYC's arts community for years. She even has the Hamlet leggings to prove it.
Jessica Cermack - Baptista Minola
Odds are, if you've ever seen a production of Taming, you've seen the role of Baptista Minola swapped from father figure to mother dearest. And if you've ever seen Jessica perform, you'd understand why we followed that trend. With international training in England and Russia, she is a great fit for the mother of these dueling daughters.
If you're looking for the role of Biondella in your copy of the first folio, you'll be sadly disappointed. That's right, April was so charming in her audition that we swapped the role of Biondello for one with a more feminine ending. Also, her special skills specifically list "ululating", so be sure to ask her about that.
Let it be made clear, Zack Friedman is neither an old man, nor a woman. But with the significant acting chops you've come to expect from a HID production, you'll be amazed to see him play both! To be fair, he just played a Wall in Midsummer Night's Dream at the Secret Theatre, and he basically blended in with the scenery! ...wait.
If you remember anything from Hamlet Isn't Dead's production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, you probably remember Travis as the hilariously inventive track of Thruio/Lance/Eglamour. We were almost hesitant to cast him in Taming fearing he would completely steal the show again. But this Texan-born LIPA grad is so versatile, it was a risk we were willing to take.
This is not David's first appearance in The Taming of the Shrew. In 2004 he stretched himself into the role of Gremio, and he first tackled Petruchio in 2008. Since then he's had recurring dreams of reprising the role, which are finally coming true this December. Let's just hope, for the audience's sake, he's wearing more onstage than he is in said dreams.
Kevin plays Petruchio's servant Grumio, but as a married man, he knows all about that sort of life. (Ba-dum chh!) Over the years, he has received many awards, such as the Kennedy Center ACTF Irene Ryan award and the Amy Boe Memorial Character Actor Scolarship. In our production, we've awarded him Most Likely to Suffer a Concusion from having His Cute Little Face Squeezed So Hard.
Samantha Morrice - Bianca
Samantha plays Biana, Katherine the curst's younger, more beautiful, more desired sister. But don't let us decide for you! If she looks familiar in this headshot, she has been in New York City for the past six years, from her days at NYU to her inception within HID. Come tell her hello!
It's easy to cast Nicholas as a romantic lead; a point he proved valiantly as Valentine in HID's Two Gentlemen of Verona. In this show, however, Nick has the opportunity to show off another shade of his talent by playing two somewhat silly character roles. Be sure to watch carefully during the show. With his ninja-like acting skills, he may be sitting right next to you.
Lucentio, in our production at least, isn't exactly the brightest bulb on the holiday shrub. How does Dave pull off the dumbfounded looks and long lapses in understanding needed for such a role? With a little thing called "acting." He may be build like Adonis' younger brother, but you'll be amazed at how light he appears on his feet and in his mind.
Luke Wise - Tranio
As one of Shakespeare's more intelligent servingmen, Tranio is greatly served by this "Wise" actor. From what we've seen so far, Luke is wise-cracking, wise-beyond-his-years, and likewise a looker. And we're almost positive he's never heard any of those jokes before.
Now, seriously, how can you deny those faces anything? And if somehow you can, check out our promotional video featuring some furry friends of ours and try to say no to them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwcnG9R1IFs&feature=youtube_gdata_player
We literally could not survive as a company without your support. Thank you for everything you've done and will continue to do, whether that's donating, telling a friend about us, or simply Liking us on Facebook. Stay tuned for more updates on our process and we'll see you in December!
Merry HIDmas to all, and to all a good night!
-The HID Crew
