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In order to understand American culture or American theater, one must first understand Shakespeare.
Dana Gioia
Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
In this episode, State of the Arts presents Shakespeare, “As You Like It” – the great bard’s work as it lives today: in performance at the New Jersey Opera Theater, on stage with the New Jersey Ballet, in a cutting edge McCarter Theatre/Paper Mill Playhouse co-production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and with the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, chosen to participate in the National Endowment for the Art’s “Shakespeare in American Communities” initiative. State of the Arts sets out to explore what makes the mysterious Will’s work ever-new.
shakespeare at the theater
Two of New Jersey’s most respected theaters, the McCarter in Princeton and the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, joined forces in early 2006 to create an innovative production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Heavily infused with original new music, it could have been called “GrooveLily’s Dream.” Based in New York, GrooveLily is a contemporary pop-folk-rock trio that creates intelligent, lyrical, original songs. The trio is comprised of Valerie Vigoda on the electric violin, Brendan Milburn on keyboards, and Gene Lewin on drums. All three worked together to create the music for this production, which was underscored throughout. In addition, GrooveLily performed in the play in the roles of three of the “mechanicals,” working class characters who help stage the famous “play within the play.” State of the Arts producer Susan Wallner meets the group, and finds out how their eclectic musical sensibility is integrated into the world of Shakespeare’s magical comedy. Also featured is director Tina Landau, who admits she has a passion for fairies.
 Listen to an excerpt from GrooveLily’s original musical: “Striking 12: A Rewired Version of The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen”
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GrooveLily
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Striking 12
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shakespeare on the road
The biggest tour of Shakespeare in American history isn’t limited to New York, Chicago, and San Francisco – it’s happening in average communities in all 50 states. Thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts, in cooperation with Arts Midwest, professional theater companies participating in a program called “Shakespeare in American Communities” are bringing Shakespeare’s canon, as well as related educational programs, to stages great and small, from Alaska to Arkansas. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey’s 2006 production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was selected to be part of the NEA’s program. State of the Arts producer Christopher Benincasa interviewed Bonnie J. Monte, artistic director of the Madison-based company, and visited the production on the road at P.S. 22 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Benincasa also met up with then Chairman of the NEA Dana Gioia to talk about introducing a new generation of Americans to the greatest playwright in the English language, and the impact of this ambitious program on the nation.
Listen to one of Dana Gioia’s favorite quotes from Shakespeare’s "As You Like It”
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Dana Gioia, Chairman, NEA
A Shakespeare LIVE! performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
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shakespeare at the opera
State of the Arts producer Eric Schultz takes a look at Opera New Jersey’s (formerly the New Jersey Opera Theater) recent semi-staged performance of Guiseppi Verdi’s last opera, “Falstaff.” Verdi came out of retirement at the age of 80 to write the opera. It was inspired by his friend Arigo Boito’s libretto, largely based on Shakespeare’s “Merry Wives of Windsor.” “Falstaff” is widely regarded as one of greatest comic operas ever written. With “Falstaff,” Verdi integrated the orchestra into the drama in new and more integral ways. Opera New Jersey’s mission is to present outstanding professional opera featuring emerging singers, conductors and directors. As a professional opera singer himself, artistic director Scott Altman took particular care in selecting singers best suited to the intensive ensemble demands of “Falstaff” and says that this ensemble approach is one of the important ways the young company is distinguishing itself.
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Falstaff
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shakespeare at the ballet
In the 1970s, former international figure skater Johan Renvall switched gears to dance, and in 1984 choreographed his first major ballet, an abridged version of "Romeo and Juliet." He partly created it so that ABT dancer Marianna Tcherkassky could prepare for a full-length production the next year. Ever since then, "Romeo and Juliet: Too Early Seen Unknown and Known Too Late, The Story as told by the Friar and the Nurse" has been performed around the country, and Renvall coaches each ballet company himself.
In Spring 2006, The New Jersey Ballet, based in Livingston, New Jersey, staged Renvall's version of "Romeo and Juliet" along with the second act of another famous ballet, "Giselle," in "An Evening of Star Crossed Lovers." State of the Arts producer Victor Limjoco talks to Renvall about his process of transforming one of Shakespeare's most recognizable plays into dance, and visits a rehearsal where the choreographer worked directly with dancers Mari Sugawa and David Tamaki.
Renvall discusses his desire to retain his artistic vision for a choreographic piece more than 20 years old, and we see the intimate relationship between dancers and choreographers. Johan Renvall was the lead in the 1987 movie "Dance," a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, and a teacher at the respected Ballet Arts. Founder and director of the New Jersey Ballet, Carolyn Clark, and assistant artistic director Paul McRae also talk about Renvall's coaching technique and how this production fits into the ballet company's mission of arts outreach throughout New Jersey.
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Mari Sugawa as Juliet
Johan Renvall, Choreographer
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Preview
