Hudson Shakespeare Company

Last updated

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]

Contents

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 the 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 Hamilton Park gazebo jeh.jpg
Hamilton Park

Hoboken

Hackensack, New Jersey

Stratford, Connecticut

Kenilworth, New Jersey

Westfield, New Jersey

Fort Lee, New Jersey

Fort Lee Museum FortLeeMuseum 03.JPG
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, New Jersey

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, New Jersey.

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, New Jersey. [52]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson County, New Jersey</span> County in New Jersey, United States

Hudson County is the smallest and most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in the New York metropolitan area, the county seat is Jersey City, which is the county's largest city in terms of both population and area. The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bergen County, New Jersey</span> County in New Jersey, United States

Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located in the northeastern corner of New Jersey, Bergen County and its many inner suburbs constitute a highly developed part of the New York City metropolitan area, bordering the Hudson River; the George Washington Bridge, which crosses the Hudson, connects Bergen County with Manhattan. The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoboken, New Jersey</span> City in Hudson County, New Jersey, U.S.

Hoboken is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Hoboken is part of the New York metropolitan area and is the site of Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 60,419, an increase of 10,414 (+20.8%) from the 2010 census count of 50,005, which in turn reflected an increase of 11,428 (+29.6%) from the 38,577 counted in the 2000 census. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated a population of 57,010 for 2023, making it the 708th-most populous municipality in the nation. With more than 42,400 inhabitants per square mile (16,400/km2) in data from the 2010 census, Hoboken was ranked as the third-most densely populated municipality in the United States among cities with a population above 50,000. In the 2020 census, the city's population density climbed to more than 48,300 inhabitants per square mile (18,600/km2) of land, ranked fourth in the county behind Guttenberg, Union City and West New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weehawken, New Jersey</span> Township in Hudson County, New Jersey, US

Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the Hudson Waterfront and Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 17,197, an increase of 4,643 (+37.0%) from the 2010 census count of 12,554, which in turn reflected a decline of 947 (−7.0%) from the 13,501 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Lee, New Jersey</span> Borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, US

Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop The Palisades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackensack, New Jersey</span> City in Bergen County, New Jersey, US

Hackensack is the most populous municipality and the county seat of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The area was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921, but has informally been known as Hackensack since at least the 18th century. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 46,030, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 3,020 (+7.0%) from the 2010 census count of 43,010, which in turn reflected an increase of 333 (+0.8%) from the 42,677 counted in the 2000 census.

<i>Pericles, Prince of Tyre</i> Play written in part by William Shakespeare

Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio. It was published in 1609 as a quarto, was not included in Shakespeare's collections of works until the third folio, and the main inspiration for the play was Gower's Confessio Amantis. Various arguments support the theory that Shakespeare was the sole author of the play, notably in DelVecchio and Hammond's Cambridge edition of the play, but modern editors generally agree that Shakespeare was responsible for almost exactly half the play — 827 lines — the main portion after scene 9 that follows the story of Pericles and Marina. Modern textual studies suggest that the first two acts, 835 lines detailing the many voyages of Pericles, were written by a collaborator, who may well have been the victualler, panderer, dramatist and pamphleteer George Wilkins. Wilkins published The Painful Adventures of Pericles Prince of Tyre which is the prose version of the story, and drew from Lawrence Twines' The Pattern of Painful Adventures. Pericles was one of the seventeen plays that were in print during Shakespeare's life, and was reprinted 5 times between 1609 and 1635.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Jersey City, New Jersey-area railroads</span>

For the purposes of this article, the Jersey City area extends North to Edgewater, South to Bayonne and includes Kearny Junction and Harrison but not Newark. Many routes east of Newark are listed here.

<i>Elizabeth Rex</i> Play by Timothy Findley

Elizabeth Rex is a play by Timothy Findley. It premiered in a 2000 production by the Stratford Festival. The play won the 2000 Governor General's Award for English language drama.

Paterson Plank Road is a road that runs through Passaic, Bergen and Hudson Counties in northeastern New Jersey. The route, originally laid in the colonial era, connects the city of Paterson and the Hudson River waterfront. It has largely been superseded by Route 3, but in the many towns it passes it has remained an important local thoroughfare, and in some cases been renamed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Heights, Jersey City</span> District of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States

The Heights or Jersey City Heights is a neighborhood in Jersey City, New Jersey, located atop the New Jersey Palisades, along the west side of the Hudson River. It is bound by Paterson Plank Road on the north, Highway 139 on the south, Hoboken on the east, and the Hackensack River on the west. and Penhorn Creek on the west. Its postal area ZIP Codes are 07307, and portions of 07306.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gateway Region</span> Urbanized area of northeastern New Jersey, US

The Gateway Region is the primary urbanized area of the northeastern section of New Jersey. It is anchored by Newark, the state's most populous city. It is part of the New York metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackensack Plank Road</span>

The Hackensack Plank Road, also known as Bergen Turnpike, was a major artery which connected the cities of Hoboken and Hackensack, New Jersey. Like its cousin routes, the Newark Plank Road and Paterson Plank Road, it travelled over Bergen Hill and across the Hackensack Meadows from the Hudson River waterfront to the city for which it was named. It was originally built as a colonial turnpike road as Hackensack and Hoboken Turnpike. The route mostly still exists today, though some segments are now called the Bergen Turnpike. It was during the 19th century that plank roads were developed, often by private companies which charged a toll. As the name suggests, wooden boards were laid on a roadbed in order to prevent horse-drawn carriages and wagons from sinking into softer ground on the portions of the road that passed through wetlands. The company that built the road received its charter on November 30, 1802. The road followed the route road from Hackensack to Communipaw that was described in 1679 as a "fine broad wagon-road."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Waterfront</span> Place in Hudson and Bergen

The Hudson Waterfront is an urban area of northeastern New Jersey along the lower reaches of the Hudson River, the Upper New York Bay and the Kill van Kull. Though the term can specifically mean the shoreline, it is often used to mean the contiguous urban area between the Bayonne Bridge and the George Washington Bridge that is approximately 19 miles (31 km) long. Historically, the region has been known as Bergen Neck, the lower peninsula, and Bergen Hill, lower Hudson Palisades. It has sometimes been called the Gold Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulls Ferry</span> Populated place in Hudson County, New Jersey, US

Bulls Ferry is an area along the Hudson River, just north of Weehawken Port Imperial in the towns of West New York, Guttenberg and North Bergen in New Jersey. It takes its name from a pre-Revolutionary settlement belonging to the Bull family, who operated a row-and-sail ferry to the burgeoning city of New York across the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palisade Avenue (Hudson Palisades)</span>

Palisade Avenue is the name given to a historic road which parallels the eastern crest of Hudson Palisades in northeastern New Jersey. It travels between Jersey City and Fort Lee, passing through Jersey City Heights, North Hudson, and Cliffside Park, with various parts carrying Hudson and Bergen county route designations. The avenue re-aligns itself at several places along its route as it crosses traditional municipal boundaries created in the 19th century. As a primary route running along the top of the Hudson Palisades, many segments offer scenic views of the Hudson River and the New York skyline. Since 2020 there is proposed state legislation to restrict building heights that would rise above the cliffs on the eastern side of Palisade Avenue along the entire corridor from Jersey City to Fort Lee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shakespeare in the Park festivals</span> Outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeares plays

Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park, originally created by Joseph Papp. This concept has been adapted by many theatre companies, and over time, this name has expanded to encompass outdoor theatre productions of the playwright's works performed all over the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson Classical Theater Company</span>

The Hudson Classical Theater Company, formerly known as Hudson Warehouse is known for presenting outdoor theatre, including Shakespeare. They perform three outdoor plays in the summer months in Riverside Park and fall/winter productions at Goddard Riverside's Bernie Wohl Center. Known as "The Other Shakespeare in the Park," the company was founded in 2004 by Nicholas Martin-Smith, who serves as its artistic director. In 2021 it was renamed as Hudson Classical Theater Company.

A Shakespeare festival is a theatre organization that stages the works of William Shakespeare continually.

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.
  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". www.shakespeareances.com.
  9. Beckerman, Jim (August 7, 2012). "Shakespeare troup staging play in Fort Lee, Hackensack with dubious DNA". The Record of Bergen County. northjersey.com.
  10. "Hamilton Park Neighborhood Association Newsletter" (PDF). Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  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. 11 March 2015.
  19. "Hudson Shakespeare Company season opens at Stratford Library". ctpost.com. Connecticut Post. 22 June 2015.
  20. "Shakespeare's 'The Murder of Thomas Arden of Faversham' coming to Kenilworth Library, July 20". nj.com. Suburban News. 15 July 2015.
  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.
  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.
  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.
  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 Journal.
  33. "Shakespeare troupe presents "Henry VIII" in Stratford". Miford-Orange Bulletin. July 11, 2013.
  34. "Shakespeare's Henry VIII comes to Stratford Library". patch.com. July 8, 2013.
  35. "Shakespeare in the Park". Fort Lee Suburbanite. July 20, 2013.
  36. "See Shakespeare Outdoors in Hoboken and Jersey City This Month". njartsmaven.com. July 10, 2013.
  37. "Shakespeare in the Park". The Record of Bergen County. July 16, 2013.
  38. "'Bard on the Boulevard' in Kenilworth presents 'Macbeth' with a steampunk twist". Cranford Chronicle. July 29, 2013.
  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.
  41. "Fear Shakespeare's blood-soaked 'Titus'". The Jersey Journal. October 18, 2013.
  42. Herrick, Timothy (25 October 2013). "Graveyard Titus: Lite & Dark". Timothy Herrick. Retrieved 2014-09-30.
  43. ""Titus Andronicus" – performance by Hudson Shakespeare Company". Springfield Patch. October 21, 2013.
  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!". www.midtownfestival.org.
  49. Turner, Robert Kean (2012). New Cambridge "Two Noble Kinsmen". Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 225. ISBN   978-0521686990.
  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.