As part of Play On Shakespeare’s spring season, this month NAATCO, in partnership with Two River Theater, will present Hansol Jung’s modern verse translation of Romeo and Juliet Off-Broadway at the Lynn F. Angelson Theater in NYC (136 East 13th Street, New York, NY 10013) from May 9 – June 3.
In the words of NAATCO’s Co-Founder and Actor-Manager Mia Katigbak: “I had the great fortune to be introduced to Play On Shakespeare almost seven years ago, when they asked me to participate in a reading of Cymbeline, translated by Andrea Thome. Over the next couple of years, I did readings of seven translations, and was a member of the company for the Play On Festival in the summer of 2019. I was impressed that on March 25, 2020, within a couple of weeks of lockdown, Play On was already experimenting with how to do readings on Zoom. From the get-go, I was intrigued by the project, stimulated by the discussions around language, contemporization, contextualization, and dramaturgy that the translations inspired. Romeo and Juliet was the last reading I did before the festival, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I aggressively pursued obtaining the performing rights, and fortune was with me again when Hansol Jung, the translator, agreed and when Play On wholeheartedly and generously gave its support to NAATCO. I’ve always believed that Play On’s spirit is one founded on its being a labor of love, passion, and rigorous scholarship. This spirit is compatible with NAATCO’s, and our presenting R&J with an all-Asian American cast fills me with joy and gratitude.”
Romeo and Juliet
NAATCO, in partnership with Two River Theater
Modern verse translation by: Hansol Jung
Co-directed by: Hansol Jung & Dustin Wills
Original music composed by: Brian Quijada
Dates: May 9 – June 3, 2023 [opening night May 14]
Location: New York, NY
MORE ON PLAY ON SHAKESPEARE:
Play On Shakespeare is a non-profit company promoting and creating contemporary modern translations of Shakespeare’s plays. Since its inception in 2015, Play On has commissioned dozens of contemporary playwrights and translators to translate 39 Shakespeare plays into modern English, with a majority of the commissions being helmed by BIPOC and womxn playwrights. Far from a paraphrasing exercise, each playwright was tasked with matching Shakespeare’s linguistic rigor as they approached the text, preserving rhyme, rhythm, metaphor, meter, imagery, symbolism, rhetoric, and the structure that make Shakespeare’s plays engaging and accessible to today’s audience. Play On partners with artists and organizations across the globe to deliver and advocate for these translations through different channels, including theatrical productions, podcasts, publications, and film. For more information, visit playonshakespeare.org. Play On Shakespeare is made possible through generous support of the Hitz Foundation.
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