Season Three: Boundless as the Sea July 2010 |
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 A Letter from Dan
Dear Friend,
We have some outstanding, brisk summer reading for you. It's our Annual Report on our Education and Performance Programs. It's only one page, but its numbers represent an impressive community response. Here are four highlights I'd like to trumpet:
* TSC's education programming increased by more than 300%
over our first season;
* Nearly 9,000 children and teachers have participated in playshops,
seen special matinees, and received interactive Study Guides in the
last two years;
* More than 10,000 audience members have attended three productions;
* A $1.2 million economic impact by TSC has been enjoyed by our community.
But here's my favorite figure: more than one-half of our recent audiences are aged 22 years and younger. Can you imagine that?
And it was our audience of 18 years and younger who said they wanted to see us produce Othello and Romeo and Juliet. They weren't to be denied.
Imagine our children bringing us to Shakespeare, bringing Shakespeare home, demanding more Shakespeare, or, as they are currently doing in our extraordinary Summer Camps, coming early and staying late because Shakespeare has awakened them...usually to themselves. Imagine.
I am also heartened to observe that the number of Shakespeare productions to be produced by theatres in the Memphis area during the upcoming season is going to double those produced in all of the previous three years. I've been asked often this month how I feel about that. My response is Jaques' first words of As You Like It: "More...More...MORE!"
Much love,
Dan
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 The Cast of Othello
TSC's Othello will play inside St. George's Church in Germantown October 5-17. Our Free Will Kids' Night returns to Thursdays at 7:00 pm, and Sunday Matinee performances will once again offer a pre-show discussion and post-show talk-back with cast members and the director.
Re-joining us in the title role that has won him critical, international acclaim is Johnny Lee Davenport (Oberon in TSC's A Midsummer Night's Dream, pictured left). Also returning to us are Tony Molina
(Bottom in last season's Dream) as Othello's Lieutenant Cassio, and Vanessa Morosco (Cassius in Julius Caesar) as Emilia, the long-suffering wife to Iago.
Other familiar faces you'll know from TSC and Memphis theatre are Jason Hansen (Wall in Dream) as Lodovico, Michael Khanlarian (Starveling in Dream) as the love-sick Roderigo, and Stuart Heyman (Corin in As You Like It) as Brabantio. New to TSC are Memphis actors Matt Cruise as Montano and Shaleen Cholera as Gratiano.
New to TSC and to Memphis are New Yorkers Paul Bernardo as the scheming Iago and Katharine Abbruzzese as Desdemona.
The production team includes Bruce Bui (Costume Designer), Bill Short (Scenic Designer), Frank Williams (Technical Director), Slade Kyle (Fight Choreographer), and Dan McCleary (Director).
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 60% Off Othello Pre-Sale for Newsletter Fans Only!
Before tickets go on sale to the general public for Othello, TSC is offering a 24-hour discounted pre-sale for one performance only - the Sunday, October 10 matinee at 2:00 pm.
You will have exclusive first access to these reduced price tickets starting at 12:01 am August 3! These tickets are the best deal that will be offered for the show, so take advantage of your 24 hours! Reminder: starting August 4 the site is open to the general public.
Tickets may be purchased by calling
TSC's Box Office at 901-759-0604 Monday - Friday from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, stopping by the
Historic Train Depot in Germantown, or logging onto tnshakespeare.tix.com.
Limit of 10 tickets, offer ends 12:01 am August 5, all seating is
general admission, all transaction fees still apply. |
 Summer Camp Success
Students from all over the Mid-South are "playing their hearts out" and wowing parents, teachers, and TSC company members with their courageous enthusiasm in playing Shakespeare. They have ten days during the Young Player's Training Institute (YPTI) to dive into the world of Shakespeare with Elizabethan
Dance, Movement, two forms of Stage Combat: Quarterstaff and Open-Hand combat, Text Work, Soliloquy, and Scene Play.
"This has been an amazing experience. Shakespeare's
text is so alive and open. In the last few days I have
been thinking differently, and I feel so great about myself."
- Sarah Miller, 13 years old
"In just a short amount of time, I've managed to
learn a colossal amount of new stuff, and I'm amazed at how much has
changed about me in just five days!"
- Rachel Hoffman, 17 years old
"I've never done anything like this and it has
changed me as a person and as an actor."
- Madeline Fisher, 12 years old
Students will share what they have created and discovered in playing with Shakespeare through a "Shakespeare-Sharing," which highlights what they have enjoyed most about their YPTI experience.Up next, members of TSC's first Young Company will spend an intense two weeks in a rigorous process that will help them build upon essential acting
techniques while taking personal ownership of Shakespeare's text. The Young Company is developed for serious actors age 18-21, and will culminate in an evening performance on August 6 for the entire community. |
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Othello is funded
under an agreement with the TENNESSEE ARTS COMMISSION.
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Behind the Scenes
Bruce Bui
(Costume Designer) Bruce is very excited to be
a part of Tennessee Shakespeare Company's third season. Other TSC credits: A Midsummer Night's Dream and Julius Caesar.
Originally
from Southern California, Bruce now lives in Memphis, and is going into his
tenth season as the Wardrobe Director and Resident Costume Designer for Ballet
Memphis. His works can be seen regularly on the Orpheum stage and
numerous other venues around the Mid-South, and has been praised as "dazzling"
by Critical Dance Magazine, and a "Master of Chiffon" by the Commercial
Appeal.
He has also worked with companies such as The Western Stage (Always Patsy Cline), Cabrillo Musical
Theatre (Funny Girl), Santa Susanna
Repertory Theatre (Shiloh, War of the
World), and Kingsmen Shakespeare Company (As You Like It), among others.
Some of his specialty garments
can be seen on Mrs. Tennessee for Mrs. America 2005, At Home Tennessee
Magazine's featured wedding issue 2007, and The Memphis Mystic Krew 2005
court.
When not working behind the scenes, Bruce enjoys acting on stage,
and has been in numerous productions with Emerald Theatre Company.
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