TheAugust Strindberg Repertory Theatre is the resident company at theGene Frankel Theatre.
TheAugust Strindberg Repertory Theatre became the resident company at theGene Frankel Theatre in New York City's East Village when it transferred its first production,Strindberg'sPlaying with Fire (co-produced by theNegro Ensemble Company), there in June 2012 after an initial run at theNew School's theatre in the West Village.[reviews 1]Playing with Fire received threeAudelco Award nominations, for Outstanding Ensemble Performance, Best Revival and Best Costume Design.[1] The cast consisted of Nathan James, Tocarra Cash, Elizabeth Flax, Jolie Garrett, Jaleesa Capri and James Edward Becton.[2]
Its second production was a double bill ofCasper's Fat Tuesday andThe Stronger, and its thirdEaster.[3][reviews 2]Casper's Fat Tuesday was co-produced by the Pink Pig Ballet and was an English-language premiere, translated by Jonathan Howard. InThe Stronger Dina Rosenmeier played "Mrs X" and Albert Bendix " Mr Y". TheEaster cast consisted of Chudney Sykes, Nathan James, DeSean Stokes, Carol Carter, Ley Smith, and Jolie Garrett.[2] All first-season productions were directed by the company's artistic director, Robert Greer.
Mr. Bengt's Wife, a work never before translated, previewed on Friday, September 13, 2013, and opened two days later. Malin Tybåhl[4] and Prof. Laurence Carr[5] are the translators. This was the first production to employ a guest director, Craig Baldwin, associate artistic director of the Red Bull Theater.[6] The cast were Kersti Bryan, Samm Todd, Victoria Blankenship, Matthew Hurley, Eric Percival and Shawn Fagan.[7][reviews 3]
The spring production wasTo Damascus, part one (parts two and three are projected for performance in 2015, as isKristina.) The cast included DeSean Stokes, Kersti Bryan, Nathan James, Carol Carter, Victor Arnez, Victoria Blankenship and Allen Kennedy.The Deadly Dance, Fred Crecca's adaptation ofThe Dance of Death was presented as on three Wednesdays with Mary Keefe, Louis Vuolo and Dennis Davies.
Miss Julie featured a biracial cast and the previously unstaged ballet, for which Strindberg provided a scenario in the original script in October 2014. Ivette Dumeng performed the title role, Reginald L. Wilson that of John and Eboni Flowers as Christine in Edgar Chisholm's adaptation, set in Louisiana in 1888, the year the play was written. Ja' Malik made the dance.[8]
Kristina was presented in March 2015 with Ms Dumeng again in the title role in a new translation by Wendy Weckwerth, directed by associate artistic director Whitney Gail Aronson. Eric C. Bailey, Martin Boersma, Sergio Castillo, Michael Sean Cirelli, Amy Fulgham, Al Foote III, Daniel Mian, David Mohr, Christine Nyland, Jonathan Olivera, Brent Shultz, Steve Shoup and Jacob Troy constituted the remainder of the cast. Mr Boersma was the fight director, Dara Swisher choreographer.
Strindberg'sChamber Plays, opus nos. 1 and 2,Storm andBurnt House were presented on alternate nights in the Fall.
Damascus II was performed in the Spring with a mixed-race cast.
Stig Dagerman'sMarty's Shadow, translated by Lo Dagerman and Nancy Pick, was performed in rep' withStig Dalager'sJourney in Light and Shadow, translated by Robert Greer and adapted by Natlie Menna.
Strindberg'sMotherlove was presented in theLower East Side Festival atTheater for the New City.
Hrafnhildur Hagalin'sGuilty was presented in theDreamup Festival atTheater for the New City.
The company also presented stage readings ofErik XIV,Gustav Adolf andKarl XII in new translations by Ms. Weckwerth on Wednesdays during the September 2013 run ofMr. Bengt's Wife and directed by Linda Nelson, Ms. Aronson, and Ms. Dumeng, artistic director of Nylon Fusion Collective,[9] respectively.
Prof. Eszter Szalczer[10] and Janet Bentley are companydramaturgs.
Stage managers for "Easter" and "To Damascus I" were Michael Petre-Zumbrun and Karimah (Bill Johnson and Karimah forPlaying with Fire and Sidney Branch and Michael Petre-Zumbrun forCasper's Fat Tuesday andThe Stronger). Noelle Semodo and Nikeem Pearson were stage managers for "Miss Julie", and "Hannah Delmore wasproduction stage manager and Robertson Tiradoassistant stage manager onKristina.
All productions throughMiss Julie had lighting designed by Miriam Crowe.[11]
Kate Noll designed the set forKristina, Lance Harkins and Mikhail Poloskin the set and graphics forMiss Julie. Angelina Margolis was a scenic artist forPlaying with Fire andEaster and designed the set for Mr Bengt's Wife, both set and costumes forCasper's Fat Tuesday andThe Stronger.
Jessa-Raye Court designed costumes forStorm andKristina, Niimar Felder forMiss Julie, Kate DaRocha forTo Damascus part one, Aryeh Lappin for Mr Bengt's Wife, Caitlin Dixon forEaster and Lora Jackson forPlaying with Fire.
You-Shin Chen designed props forKristina and sets forStorm,Burnt House andDamascus II. Andy Evan Cohen designed sound onTo Damascus parts I and II,Miss Julie andKristina.
Benjamin Briones was a master carpenter onPlaying with Fire andCasper's Fat Tuesday.
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