ChEckiT!Dance presents the fourth annual ChEck Us OuT Dance Festival: A Celebration of Female Choreographers, an eco-friendly evening of dance celebrating female choreographers, on Saturday, July 19, 2014 at 5pm at Summit Rock in Central Park, 83rd Street and Central Park West, NYC. Admission is free. For more information visit www.checkitdance.com or email checkitdance@gmail.com.
The evening will include works from more than 10 female choreographers, at various stages in their careers, from across the United States and abroad. Featured artists include:
Cathy Allen/Red Desert Dance Ensemble
Allison Berger
Allison Brzezinski/ChEckiT!Dance
Meredith Cabaniss/Selah Dance Collective
Alyssa Derling/Derling Dance Arts
Melissa Jackson/Innovate Dance Company
Alia Kache
Lauren Lasorda and Tali Custer
AlexJo Natale/Gestalt Dance
Joya Powell/Movement of the People Dance Company
Jessie Sector
Sophie Sotsky/TYKE Dance
Jessica Taylor/DAMAGEDANCE
Meredith Testa
The ChEck Us OuT Dance Festival is the culmination of all of ChEckiT!Dance’s efforts to increase performance opportunities for female dance makers. This annual outdoor festival, now in its fourth year, is curated and produced by ChEckiT! Dance each July at Summit Rock in Central Park. The ChEck Us OuT Dance Festival is a platform designed specifically to provide female choreographers the opportunity to share their work with an eager audience. The work is enriching, lively, and thrilling, and the eclectic styles of dance presented by performers hailing from all corners of the globe, builds a truly global community of female dance artists. In addition, the ChEck Us OuT Dance Festival is entirely green and entirely free of admission, providing access for all.
ChEckiT!Dance is an all female modern dance company based in New York City founded by Artistic Director, Allison Brzezinski in 2010. Through the creation and production of new works that seek to empower women and explore what it means to be a woman, we seek to create a crack in the stereotypical infrastructure of female archetypes and standards most commonly portrayed on stage. It is our goal to both promote awareness and gender equality through our own work and provide a platform for emerging female choreographers and dancers to share their talents.
Under the leadership of Allison Brzezinski, ChEckiT!Dance utilizes improvisational and collaborative movement techniques. Company members are given phrase material or written material to work with, from which they create, adapt, and devise their own movement. Each dancer has their voice heard in the company, and their individuality and creativity is vital for the company as a whole. This collaboration forms a community of female artists, working together without competition or stress. We are women working together to make change happen, inside the studio and out. www.checkitdance.com.
ChEckiT!Dance’s performance credits include: Body Blend, Dixon Place, NYC; JT Lotus First
Choreographer’s Showcase, The Ailey Studios, NYC; HATCH Presenting Series, The Works
Studios, NYC; STEPS Performance Lab Series, STEPS, NYC; New York City Dance Parade, NYC;
Dance Fest, The Bandshell at Tompkins Square Park, NYC; ChEck Us OuT Dance Festival,
Summit Rock, NYC-- 2011, 2012, 2013; Waterside Plaza Dance Festival, Waterside Plaza, NYC;
Moving Beauty Series Dance Lab, Church of All Nations, NYC; Secrets, Lies and Rumors: A
Cabaret, Loft on Fifth, NYC; MishMash201, Sukha Arts Center, Harrington Park, NJ; FigmentNYC,
Governor’s Island, NY-- 2012, 2013; TEXT/CONTEXT, The Kraft Center at Columbia University/
Barnard College, NYC *featured artist at talk back*; GHOST Series, The Gershwin Hotel, NYC;
Astoria Dance Festival, Bohemian Beer Garden, Astoria, NY 2012, 2013; Dance Film Association’s
Films That Move Series, Solar One, NYC; Home is Where The Art Is, Triskelion Arts, Brooklyn, NY;
20 Years Celebration of Dance, Muhlenberg College, Allentown, PA.
A Midsummer Night's Dream and Much Ado About Nothingby William Shakespeare
in repertory, performed by the Spontaneous Shakespeare Players
June 28th- A Midsummer Night's Dream
June 29th- Much Ado About Nothing
July 5th- A Midsummer Night's Dream
July 6th- Much Ado About Nothing
*all shows 2:00 p.m.
at Summit Rock in Central Park
Free to the public
Directors:
Christine A. Kahler (Much Ado)
Mary Riley (Midsummer)
Dramaturg:
Nicole Greenbaum
Cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream:
Titania/Hippolyta: Laura Mae Baker
Lysander/Flute/Thisby: Justin Bennett*
Hermia/Quince/Cobweb: Jennifer Carter
Egeus/Snug/Lion: Aaron David Kapner
Puck/Philostrate: Clint Morris*
Helena: Mary Riley*
Snout/Peeseblossom: Michelle Robinson
Bottom/Demetrius/Piramus: Brendan Sokler
Oberon/Theseus: Rich Wisneski
Prompter: Christine A. Kahler
Cast of Much Ado About Nothing:
Dogberry: Laura Mae Baker
Benedicke: Justin Bennett*
Hero/ Watch 2 & 3: Jen Carter
Conrade: Chad Hensley
Leonato: Aaron David Kapner
Don John/Sexton: Josh Laird
Don Pedro: Aaron Matteson
Priest/Verges: Fred Gilbreth/Clint Morris*
Beatrice: Mary Riley*
Margaret/Watch 1: Michelle Robinson
Balthasar: Owen Scott
Claudio: Brenden Sokler
Borachio/Messenger #1: Rich Wisneski
Prompter: Christine A. Kahler
Special Thanks:
Brian Allard
Amanda Bruton
Jen Borntrager Kudulis
Melinda Stewart
NYC Parks
Presented by: Mercia Entertainment
Event hashtags:
#SSP2014 #MuchAdo #MidsummerNights
This June & July, Spontaneous Shakespeare Players (“SSP”) are back to bring the Bard's A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing to New York City—the way Shakespeare’s own players performed it.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing marks the sixth annual FREE Shakespeare productions that SSP has shared with New York audiences at Central Park's Summit Rock and the second year of being produced by Mercia Entertainment. Dedicated to bringing the Shakespeare of olden times to modern audiences, SSP uses original Elizabethan performance techniques—involving audience interaction, cue scripts-in-hand and LOTS of spontaneity—to bring Shakespeare's words to life in a thrilling and hilarious way. This is seriously entertaining Shakespeare, the like of which you have never seen before, performed by actors trained in Original Practice rehearsal techniques. A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing will be performed outdoors for FREE, so pack your picnic blankets and Central Park friendly lunches. It’s fun for the whole family!
Written around 1598, William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is about a young woman wrongly accused of being unchaste who is later reconciled with her accusing lover. It is also about a second couple – two witty, bright individuals who swear they will never fall in love.
Girl meets boy. Girl falls in love with boy. Girl loses boy when mischievous fairy sprinkles love "juice" on boy's eyelids, making him fall for another girl. Girl wins boy back (with the help of a little fairy magic). No, it's not the latest romantic comedy to hit theaters near you; it's a play that was dreamed up by William Shakespeare toward the end of the 16th century. Like the modern-day romantic comedy genre it's helped to shape and influence, A Midsummer Night's Dream features young lovers who fall comically in and out of love in a ridiculously brief period of time (over the course of a single, enchanted midsummer night).
Watch our bold and magnificent actors perform the First Folio Style with cue scripts in hand, all while interacting and entertaining the audience in ways you could never have imagined. This ain't your mama's Shakespeare!
DETAILS: Free admission; no tickets required.
We strongly encourage you to bring blankets, cushions or chairs for picnic style seating.
About the Company: Mercia Entertainment
Step out of your story and into ours...
Mission:
Mercia Entertainment’s mission is to offer patrons a stimulating, dynamic and educational entertainment experience by retelling classic stories through theater, film, music and art.
Mercia Entertainment produces the following:
Mainstage Shows and Events
The Unstuffy Divas
Spontaneous Shakespeare Players
This May & June, Spontaneous Shakespeare Players (“SSP”) are back to bring the Bard's The Comedy of Errors & Hamlet to New York City—the way Shakespeare’s own players performed it.
The Comedy of Errors & Hamlet marks the fifth annual FREE Shakespeare productions that SSP has shared with New York audiences at Central Park's Summit Rock and the first year of being produced by Mercia Entertainment. Dedicated to bringing the Shakespeare of olden times to modern audiences, SSP uses original Elizabethan performance techniques—involving audience interaction, cue scripts-in-hand and LOTS of spontaneity—to bring Shakespeare's words to life in a thrilling and hilarious way. This is seriously entertaining Shakespeare, the like of which you have never seen before, performed by actors trained in Original Practice rehearsal techniques. The Comedy of Errors & Hamlet are performed outdoors for FREE so pack your picnic blankets and Central Park friendly lunches. It’s fun for the whole family!
William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors is a riotously funny tale of two pairs of twins who, after having been separated at birth, are reunited once again thanks to a series of cases of mistaken identity. Hamlet is a remarkable revenge story that demonstrates the difficulty of knowing truth, innocence, guilt, sanity, insanity, and the real motives behind each character. Watch 13 bold and magnificent actors perform the First Folio Style with cue scripts in hand, all while interacting and entertaining the audience in ways you could never have imagined. This ain't your mama's Shakespeare!
DETAILS: Free admission; no tickets required.
We strongly encourage you to bring blankets, cushions or chairs for picnic style seating.
Location: Central Park’s Summit Rock (approx. 83rd St. directly off of Central Park West)
Enter at 85st St. and follow the hill up to the right. http://www.centralpark.com/pages/maps.html
Subway Information: Take the B or C train to the 86st St. stop.
Running Times: Comedy runs 90 minutes with no intermission. Hamlet runs 2 hours with 1 intermission
About the Company: Mercia Entertainment
Inspired by the past, celebrating the present, driven toward the future
Mercia Entertainment’s mission is to offer patrons a stimulating, dynamic and educational entertainment experience by retelling classic stories through theater, film, music and art.
Julius Caesar marks the fourth annual FREE Shakespeare production that SSP has shared with New York audiences at Central Park's Summit Rock. Dedicated to bringing the Shakespeare of olden times to modern audiences, SSP uses original Elizabethan performance techniques—involving audience interaction, cue scripts-in-hand and LOTS of spontaneity—to bring Shakespeare's words to life in a thrilling and hilarious way. This is seriously entertaining Shakespeare, the like of which you have never seen before, performed by actors trained in Original Practice rehearsal techniques. Julius Caesar is performed outdoors for FREE so pack your picnic blankets and Central Park friendly lunches. It’s fun for the whole family!
William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, tells the story of history’s most famous emperor, his bloody assassination, and Rome’s subsequent collapse into chaos and civil war. Watch 8 actors perform over 30 roles in the First Folio Style with cue scripts in hand, all in 90 minutes or less. What better way to get ready for the 2012 Election than with a fast and furious, action-packed, production of Shakespeare’s most political play-- Julius Caesar.
About the Company: Spontaneous Shakespeare Players
Shipwrecked in Central Park!
This May, Spontaneous Shakespeare Players (“SSP”) is back to bring the Bard's Twelfth Night to New York City—the way Shakespeare’s own players performed it.
Twelfth Nightmarks the third annual FREE Shakespeare production that SSP has shared with New York audiences at Central Park's Summit Rock. Dedicated to bringing the Shakespeare of olden times to modern audiences, SSP uses original Elizabethan performance techniques—involving audience interaction, cue scripts-in-hand and LOTS of spontaneity—to bring Shakespeare's words to life in a thrilling and hilarious way. This is seriously entertaining Shakespeare, the like of which you have never seen before, performed by actors trained in Original Practice rehearsal techniques. Twelfth Night is performed outdoors for FREE so pack your picnic blankets and Central Park friendly lunches. It’s fun for the whole family!
William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night follows the journey of the clever and beautiful Viola who wakes up one fateful day in Illyria—shipwrecked and alone. A stranger in a strange land, Viola dons the garb of a young man, calls herself “Cesario” and quickly begins working for the handsome Duke Orsino. Orsino is hopelessly in love with the town beauty Olivia, but she won't give him the time of day. While "Cesario" attempts to gain Olivia's love for "his" master Orsino, love is indeed gotten—but incredibly misplaced. A love triangle blown way out of proportion (truly “too hard a knot ... to untie”!) involving mistaken identities, a set of twins, secret schemes and fun-loving insanity, Twelfth Night sheds a light on that ever-changing and always inspiring theme of life: Love.
DETAILS: Free admission; no tickets required.
We strongly encourage you to bring blankets, cushions or chairs for picnic style seating.
Shakespeare Gone Wild!
A Comedy, History and Tragedy performed in Rep:
Taming of the Shrew, Richard III, and MacBeth
We’re bringing BAWDY back!
Shakespeare Gone Wild!marks the first co-production of Spontaneous Shakespeare Players and WildBard. In this production, the same company of players will be performing in all three shows—a Comedy, a History, and a Tragedy—thus giving the audience a taste of how Shakespeare’s plays would have originally been seen in Elizabethan times. In Shakespeare’s day, theatre was the premier form of entertainment. It was fun, competitive, and in-your-face. It was full of audience interaction, bombastic bawdiness, and powerful performances. All of the players involved in Shakespeare Gone Wild! are trained in Original Practice rehearsal techniques. The forth wall has been knocked down and heady-realism has been kicked to the curb. This is Shakespeare like you’ve never seen it before. We’re bringing bawdy back.
Taming of the Shrew, Richard III and MacBeth have given us some of the richest and most dynamic characters in theatrical history. In the raucous comedy of Taming of the Shrew, “Kate the Curst” wrestles physically with her “mad-brain rudesby” Petruchio, while they both wrestle with ridiculous ideas about love, marriage, and obedience. What does it take to tame a Shrew? Love? Money? Violence? Laughter. Richard III destroys English lives to the delight of modern groundlings in this beloved History. “Tricky Dick” tangles his victims into his manipulative web so he can rise to power. Clearly, he is the epitome of the Villain that you’ll love to hate. In the Tragedy of MacBeth, evil takes many forms, both natural and unnatural. As the “Bloody, luxurious” MacBeth and his “fiend-like Queen” are tormented by their demons, Scotland falls to ruin; meanwhile, the Witches of the land are singing and working their wicked ways all the while.
See Shakespeare as it is meant to be experienced. Shakespeare Gone Wild! is making what was new in olden times feel fresh and new again for modern audiences. And yes, we're bringing BAWDY back!
An Original Adaptation By Jason Tyne Directed by RachelKlein Saturdays 1pm & 3:30PM
September 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th Rain dates Sundays 1pm & 3:30PM September 10th, 17th, 24th, October 1st
FREE PERFORMANCES
Summit Rock In the Central Park
85th Street & Central Park West
B/C Train to 86th Street
http://www.risingsunnyc.com
For Additional Information 212-946-1242
In yet another ambitious undertaking RSP has enlisted one of its resident playwrights, Jason Tyne to put a new spin on a beloved classic. Rachel Klein, Rising Sun's newest resident director will lead a stellar multi talented cast of RSP ensemble members & guest artists through this circusy comedia romp outdoors.
Dionysus, God of Wine and Theater decides to go on a journey to Hades to abduct the greatest playwright--Arthur Miller in this case--and bring him back to the world of the living. To Dionysus's surprise, Arthur Miller is at war with Anton Chekhov, battling over the Thrown of Theater in Hades. Dionysus is dragged into judging the contest and ends up bringing one of the two playwrights back from the dead.
This production of the Frogs uses Circus arts to carry its story along. With acrobatics, juggling, Clowning, Commedia dell Arte inspired characters, and Broadway parody dance sequences; the Frogs is fully energized and always moving! The cast is a multi talented group of clowns, mimes, dancers, singers and tumblers as well as actors. Featured in the cast is former Cirque Du Soleil performer, Aaron Oetting, and Jeff Seal, a clown and mime who will be appearing in New York's first annual Clown Festival. Director Klein has had extensive training in clowning, circus arts & Commedia Dell Arte at such establishments as the Actor Gymnasium and with Kapoot Clown theater in Chicago.
Original Music by Keith Dworkin
Musical Direction by P. William Pinto, Jovier Sanchez, Amir Levi
Choreography by Rachel Klein and Amir Levi
Stage Managed by Claudia Weinstock
Featuring the Ensemble & Guest Artists of Rising Sun: Aaron Oetting, Zachary Zdunich, Elizabeth Burke, Ben Beckley, Jeff Seal, Amir Levi, Tommy Lind , Josh Hyman, Sinem Balkir, Kathleen Schlemmer, Emily Miner & Megan Dahl
Some things never change. some things do.A comedic story of American woman proving their feminine strength against the bad will of
their men