New Heritage Theatre Group, celebrating its 50th anniversary, and City College Center for the Arts joined forces with Debra Ann Byrd, Take Wing & Soar Productions, and founder of the Harlem Shakespeare Festival to present the Festival’s closing performance of Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice, with an all female cast. 17 classically trained multi-ethnic actresses graced the performance space in a concert staged reading at The City College of New York before a standing- room-only audience on Sunday, December 15, 2013. The play was directed by Lisa Wolpe, who also played Iago, and co-starred Debra Ann Byrd as Othello. The cast also includes Sonya Hamlin, Brooke Parks, Kathryn Meisle, Mary Hodges, Nafeesa Monroe, Amanda Barron, Asta Hansen, Gael Schaefer, Sofia Jean Gomez, Lynne Taylor, Monica Keaton, Kim Wong, Sheilagh Weymouth, Aixa Kendrick and Liz Morgan. The production featured fight choreography by Dan Burke.
Lisa Wolpe, Mary Hodges and Debra Ann Byrd in a concert staged reading of The Tragedy of OTHELLO: The Moor of Venice directed by Lisa Wolpe at Aaron Davis Hall in New York on December 15, 2013. ©IMAGEZS OF US 2013
After the performance the audience participated in a talk back with the director, producers, and cast members. The talk-back was followed by a grand reception and special presentation by the Honorable Teresa Freeman, New York State Committee Member, 70th Assembly District, Manhattan, of a Key to Harlem to Othello’s director Lisa Wolpe.
The Harlem Shakespeare Festival was designed to provide opportunities for women, youth, and especially classically trained actors of color. Next year, the Festival will join with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth.
The production of Othello was supported by The West Harlem Development Corporation, The Tides Foundation, The City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs, New York City Council Member Inez E. Dickens, The New York City Council Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations, Jimmy Van Bramer, Chair, The New York State Council on the Arts, and the Arlen Charitable Trust.
New Heritage Theatre Group and Take Wing & Soar are members of the Harlem Arts Alliance, the Alliance of Residence Theaters, New York, the Shakespeare Theatre Association, the League of Professional Theatre Women, the Broadway League, and the Coalition of Theatres of Color.
For additional information regarding the Festival visit online at www.harlemshakespearefest.org.
Lia Chang. Photo by Charles Richard Barboza
Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. She recently starred in Lorey Hayes’ Power Play at the 2013 National Black Theatre Festival opposite Pauletta Pearson Washington, Roscoe Orman, Lorey Hayes, Marcus Naylor and Phynjuar.
Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Photos: Debra Ann Byrd and Christopher Sutton Lead the Cast of Harlem Shakespeare Festival’s Production of Antony & Cleopatra, August 29 – September 1, 2013
Video: Award Winning Playwrights Rajiv Joseph and Tarell Alvin McCraney, the focus of PBS Film, Playwright: From Page to Stage
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Annie Baker and Rajiv Joseph honored at Sixth Annual Steinberg Playwright “Mimi” Awards
Photos: André De Shields, Michael Shannon, Rajiv Joseph, Christine Sherrill, Doug Peck, Alexis J. Rogers, Karen Ziemba and More Celebrate 2013 Jeff Equity Awards
Photos: Cheryl Lynn Bruce, André De Shields, Sandra Marquez, Dennis Zacek and More Celebrate Opening Night of Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins at Victory Gardens
Photos: Christine Toy Johnson, Baayork Lee, Jose Llana, Ann Harada, Dodie Pettit and More at Charles Randolph-Wright’s “Three Voices” concert series at Stage 72
Photos: Denise Burse, Michael Genet, Doug Eskew, Tracie Thoms, Sakina Ansari-Wilson and More Celebrate Marcus Gardley’s dance of the holy ghosts Opening Night at Center Stage
Nov. 14 – Dec. 29: Paolo Montalban and Eileen Ward Lead Cast of Olney Theatre Center’s Production of The King and I
Photos: André De Shields, Mary Zimmerman, Akash Chopra, Richard M. Sherman, Kevin Carolan, Larry Yando, Nehal Joshi and More Celebrate The Jungle Book Opening Night at Huntington Theatre in Boston
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