Bay Ridge

Shakespeare theater company offers ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in 1-hour

July 29, 2014 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Cast members rehearse a scene from “Romeo and Juliet.”
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The Bard is getting bouncy!

A Bay Ridge-based theater company is shaking up Shakespeare by presenting a truncated, one-hour version of the Bard’s classic “Romeo and Juliet” in a special day of Shakespeare in the Park on Saturday.

BrooklynONE Productions, headed by executive director Anthony Marino, will perform Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-crossed young lovers as part of the Brooklyn Shakespeare Festival in the Park in Owl’s Head Park on Colonial Road and 68th Street on Saturday, Aug. 2, starting at noon.

“We made it an hour because we wanted to make it accessible and we wanted to have multiple showings. We condensed it down, but you still get the whole story. You get the full experience,” Marino told the Brooklyn Eagle on Tuesday. Marino, a co-founder of brooklynONE Productions, is the play’s producer.

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“Romeo and Juliet,” directed by Gianna Cioffi, will be presented at noon, 2:45 p.m. and again at 6 p.m. The production coordinator is Dylan Kaye.

“It’s New York. It’s Shakespeare. It’s the park. You can’t ask for anything more,” Marino said.

The park’s overlook, where the performances will take place, is a perfect natural setting for a play, Marino said. “It’s almost like a natural stage. The trees frame the area perfectly,” he said.

The show is free. But seating is limited. Fans are urged to bring a chair or a blanket to the park.

As an added treat, another theater company will also be in Owl’s Head Park that day. Underling Productions, a classical theatre company, will be performing “Robin Hood” at 4:30 p.m.

In between shows there will be live musical performances by the Brooklyn Bards on guitar and flute.

The shows are being presented through a grant from Councilman Vincent Gentile (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst).

It should be a fun day in the park for the entire family, according to Marino, who said there will also be arts and crafts for children, face painting, mural painting and a juggler.

Several popular Bay Ridge eateries, including Robicelli’s Bakery, The Lockyard and The Pig Guy NYC, will be at the park to sell their delicious food.

More information on brooklynONE Productions can be found at www.brooklynONE.org.

 


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