SHAKESPEARE

Alternative title

Punk Rock Shakespeare

Synopsis

Podcast from the Folger Shakespeare Library. Members of Taffety Punk, a Washington, DC, theatre company, bring Shakespeare into the 21st century. Rebecca Sheir talks with Taffety Punk founding member and Artistic Director Marcus Kyd about how he and a group of classically trained actors— who are also ex-punk rockers — are giving new meaning to the term "band of players". From bootleg performances of Shakespeare’s plays — rehearsed and staged in a day — to Riot Grrrls all-female Shakespeare, recordings of punk versions of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 71 and Mercutio’s "Queen Mab" speech from Romeo and Juliet, and the Generator series of experimental works, Taffety Punk is defining Shakespeare for a new generation of theatregoers and theatre makers.

Series

Shakespeare Unlimited

Language

English

Country

United States

Medium

Audio

Recording date

2014

Duration

14 mins

Credits

Producer

Richard Paul

Music

Lenny Williams

Contributor

Marcus Kyd; Rebecca Sheir

Additional Details

Theatre company

Taffety Punk Theatre Company

Production type

Documentary/Educational/News

Subjects

Drama; Music

Keywords

experimental theatre; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Notes

Notes

http://www.folger.edu/shakespeare-unlimited-episode-5 (accessed 2/2015)

General

Taffety Punk Theatre Company’s mission is to establish a dynamic ensemble of actors, dancers, and musicians who ignite a public passion for theatre by making the classical and the contemporary exciting, meaningful, and affordable. Taffety Punk received the John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company at the 2008 Helen Hayes Awards.

Production Company

Name

R.L. Paul Productions