Making its return in August, The Little Shakespeare Festival is FRIGID New York’s annual celebration of independent theater and performance that takes its inspiration from the immortal canon of the Bard of Avon. Each year, companies are offered a different concept to guide their work; for 2024, the topic is “Camaraderie and Community.” It’s a subject that appears throughout Shakespeare’s writing, from the broken community in Romeo and Juliet to the eternal bond forged on St Crispin’s Day in Henry V, and remains relevant in our current time, when our digital connections paradoxically bring us together virtually but also keep us apart physically. Presented in and livestreamed from the intimate space of Under St. Marks, the audience comes together in close contact with one another and the actors, for a very personal shared experience of the love of Shakespeare and his universal theme of camaraderie and community.
When My Cue Comes, presented by Hamlet Isn’t Dead – An original devised piece by the company takes place in Waiting Room Z, where often forgotten characters – including Reynaldo (Hamlet), Jaques de Boys (As You Like It), Boatswain (The Tempest), and the Messenger (appearing throughout the Shakespeare canon) – are forced to wait until their brief moment in the spotlight and comedically confront the realities of being continuously cut or replaced by other figures in contemporary productions. An original character named The Playwright serves as the front desk attendant and provides cue sheets to the others, who set out to derail a production of The Tempest but discover that the joy of theater comes from the people with whom they share the stage.
My Own Private Shakespeare, written and performed by Justin Hay, directed by Mona Zaidi, presented by Modern Classic Theatre – From a single fateful phone call taken reluctantly from the toilet, a Shakespearean actor finds his world collapsing around him and teeters dangerously close to the brink, as the unforgiving realities of his shattered life intertwine with powerful passages from Shakespeare’s immortal texts, while asking if it’s possible to find peace with the impossible paradoxes of life.
As You Will, created by Conor D Mullen, David Brummer, and George Hider – Do you ever bemoan the fact that the 884,647 words William Shakespeare wrote have been performed already and yearn for the experience of seeing The Bard’s works for the first time? Then celebrate the glad tidings of this original unscripted show! With just the title given by the audience, the players improvise a world-premiere Shakespearean comedy that will never be seen again, filled with his themes, language, poetic verse, and some scholarly footnotes thrown in for good measure.
Fools in the Forest, presented by Ladies & Fools, written by Natalie Kane – Have you ever wondered what would happen if the exiled ladies and fools of As You Like It never reconnected with the Duke and his lords, or the male love interests of the play vanished altogether? In a tight one-hour romp performed by an ensemble of five female+ and non-binary actors, this reimagined story reframes the comedy and commentary of Shakespeare’s text to focus on the figures of Rosalind, Celia, Touchstone, Jaques, and Phebe, opening up to new connections and adventures and finding community.
Walter Schlinger’s Romeo and Juliet, written and performed by Sean Gordon, presented by Glow-Worm Theatre Company – An intimate and introspective piece of solo performance that explores youth, self-reflection, and validation, in which Schlinger shares a live reading of his senior thesis, exploring the themes in Shakespeare’s iconic play while breaking down the complexities and contradictions he encounters as he navigates post-grad life.
The Lark and the Nightingale, written by Mindy Mawhirter and Alyssa Cokinis – Juliet and Desdemona, two characters canonically destined for tragic endings, break away from their scripts and attempt to find happiness in each other. Desdemona battles duty with love while Juliet struggles to let love consume her entirely. When confronted with their scripted ends, they must advocate for one another and prove that their love is worth fighting for.
Much Ado About Nothing, presented by Megan Lummus – In Shakespeare’s classic tale of love, trust, and deceit, Claudio is madly in love with Hero but is tricked into believing she is unchaste, which is nearly their undoing. Meanwhile, enemies Benedick and Beatrice, always arguing, are tricked by their friends into falling in love with each other. They do, they don’t, they do again, and in the end, both couples are happily married.
The Little Shakespeare Festival plays August 1-17, at FRIGID New York, performing at Under St. Marks, 94 St. Marks Place, NYC. For in-person and streaming tickets (priced at $15-25, plus fees), go online.
