Here’s one for those of you looking for a show for the whole family this summer. Rogue Artists Ensemble is bringing its hit Shakespeare project Shakespeare(ish) to the 2015 Hollywood Fringe Festival, running June 8 – 28 at Theatre Asylum (The Elephant Space) in Hollywood. Shakespeare(ish) is twisted love poetry on the edge of madness and merriment – a sword fight with masked kings, prophesying puppets and singing clowns. In this hyper-fun, hyper-family-friendly performance, Rogue Artists Ensemble digs down to the heart of the Bard, sharing the joys, the sorrows and the non-stop action of the greatest playwright of all time.
“We’ve drawn on nearly twenty of Shakespeare’s plays, singing the text, manipulating it with computers, altering words into rhythmic music, even rapping text to a home-brewed beat box score,” says director Sean T. Cawelti. “The show is manic, musical, incredibly colorful and irreverent. We want to reinvigorate the Bard, to make him even more accessible for all ages.”
Rogue Artists Ensemble differs from other theater companies in that it’s run by a collective of multi-disciplinary artists and designers rather than by actors, writers or directors. By combining ancient storytelling techniques (music, dance, masks, puppetry) with modern technology (digital media, special effects and theatrical illusions), the Rogues cultivate a unique style of live performance unlike any other. They define the combined use of these and other underrepresented art forms as Hyper-theater. Since 2002, the Rogues have created over a dozen original new works and collaborated with hundreds of artists and community members.
SHAKESPEARE(ISH)
June 8 – 28, 2015
Theatre Asylum
6320 Santa Monica Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90038
Tickets: (213) 596-9468 or rogueartists.org/shakespeareish
http://hff15.org/2264
Photo courtesy of Rogue Artists Ensemble
Shakespeare in LA 