Inaugural Season of hiSTORYstage announced in Raleigh, NC

Aug. 23, 2012 - PRLog -- RALEIGH, NC - Historic Interpretations, Inc. is pleased to announce the inaugural season of hiSTORYstage, our theatrical performance company.  The company’s first season will feature a new adaptation of the traditional English mummer’s play, Saint George and the Dragon directed by Jeremy David Clos,  Charles Marowitz’s avant-garde re-imagining of a Shakespearean classic with The Marowitz Hamlet directed by Rebecca Blum, a new production of a Royal Shakespeare Company favorite, The Hollow Crown, directed by Linda Depo, and the Triangle premiere of a new play by John Heimbuch, William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead, which examines a modern pop culture phenomenon through Elizabethan eyes.

HI president Jeremy David Clos said, “I’m very proud to announce our new company and the inaugural season of plays, some of which may be brand new to Triangle audiences.  We’re excited to begin a journey to help our audiences discover history and historical perspectives through the medium of live theatre.  We look forward to bringing together artists, audiences, and our Triangle communities to maximize the accessibility, entertainment value, and educational impact of our first season.”

For tickets, audition information, to volunteer, or for information our upcoming season, visit us on the web at http://www.historystage.org or call 919-339-1558.

The Inaugural Season of hiSTORYstage Up-Close

Saint George and the Dragon - December 20-22, 2012
Adapted & Directed by Jeremy David Clos
Burning Coal Theatre at the Murphey School:  Raleigh, NC

Our version of the traditional English Christmas play, "Saint George and the Dragon" is a composite version drawn from surviving manuscripts and woven together from bits of old text, folk legends, and medieval Christmas plays.   This is a charming retelling of the greatest of the mummer's plays, folk plays of the Middle Ages.  You'll travel back in time to the Christmas celebrations of long-ago, which begin with a parade of knights, princesses, kings, queens, and, of course, a dragon.  Witness miraculous medical practitioners who can cure all ailments, and see Father Christmas preside over exaggerated sword and shield battles, Christmas Carols, madrigal songs, court dances, and the heroic and romantic escapades of England's great hero, St. George, all told in the traditional rhymed dialogue used in the ancient plays, but with updated language for modern audiences

The Marowitz Hamlet - March 28-31, 2013
Written by Charles Marowitz
Directed by Rebecca Blum
Common Ground Theatre:  Durham, NC

Charles Marowitz, an acclaimed stage director, theatre critic, columnist, author, and playwright, has deconstructed Hamlet, broken it into pieces and remixed it for the postmodern age.  A thoroughly modern take on the plot of Hamlet which uses Shakespeare’s original words as the action plays out as seen through the prism of the central character’s mentally besieged consciousness.
This ‘collage’ as Marowitz terms it, unfolds in a stream of consciousness, as characters appear and disappear from the stage at random as Hamlet conjures up his memories and imaginings of them.  This new version severely shortens the play from the original four hours, but leaves the plot complete and accessible for audiences not familiar with Hamlet.  “A remarkably clever piece of theatre.”  - Thomas Stuart, West of West

The Hollow Crown - August 1-4, 2013
Compiled by John Barton
Directed by Linda Depo
Common Ground Theatre:  Durham, NC

This entertainment by and about the Kings and Queens of England includes music, poetry, speeches, letters and other writings. The players bring to life the writings of royals from William I to Victoria; the three singers intersperse songs from the proper period - some of which are sad tunes on the death of kings while others are uproariously funny.  A favorite of the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Hollow Crown has enjoyed perennial success since it hit the stage in 1961.  What makes  The Hollow Crown remarkable is that, in some instances, the audience is hearing the story in the monarch's own words.  The play is not a history lesson, though, but a piece of entertainment.  The Hollow Crown will appeal to those with or without a firm grasp on the past. Theatre is exciting for people when they learn something new!

William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead - October 10-13, 2013
Written by John Heimbuch
Common Ground Theatre:  Durham, NC

Described as “a true and accurate account of the 1599 zombie invasion at the Globe Theatre”, William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead explores the Elizabethan era of Shakespeare, Francis Bacon and Queen Elizabeth, all of whom are struggling to survive a zombie attack! In the midst of an argument in which Will Kemp is thrown out of the theater for refusing to accept the death of his favorite character, Falstaff, in Henry V, a costume mistress is mysteriously bitten by a zombie, thus causing all hell to break loose. As the Globe becomes a quarantine-zone in a zombie-riddled London, the characters must learn how to survive amongst both the undead and each other.
“John Heimbuch's script is witty, clever, peppered with self-referential humor and wonderful wordplay on some of the Bard's best lines.” - Brian Leehan, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Subscription Information

Four play subscriptions to our inaugural season start at $40.00 and are on sale now.  To purchase a subscription or to receive more information, visit the hiSTORYstage website (http://www.historystage.org).   Individual tickets for Saint George and the Dragon go on sale September 20th, 2012; for The Marowitz Hamlet on December 28th, 2012; for The Hollow Crown on May 1st, 2013; and for William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead on July 10th, 2013.   Groups of 10 or more may purchase tickets by calling 919-339-1558.

Background

Now in its 11th year, Historic Interpretations, Inc. is dedicated to education through demonstrating the history, art, science, and culture of Europe and the Americas during the 16th to 18th centuries.  We accomplish this by using hands-on activities, stage performances, and first person interpretation at festivals, historic sites, museums, and schools.  Our staff is comprised of actors, re-enactors, educators, historians, and artisans.  We are also home to the award winning performance group, The Nickel Shakespeare Girls (www.nickelshakespearegirls.com).

For more information, visit our website (http://www.historicinterpretations.org), or call 919-339-1558.

Historic Interpretations, Inc. operates under the leadership of Jeremy David Clos, President, Dennis Thompson, Vice-President, Lynn Peverill, Secretary, Krissina Newcomb Treasurer, Hilary Bouton-Verville, Historian, and At-Large Members Lucy Ringland, Briony Kinnear, Jaclyn Bell, Jennie Gunther, Julia Cellery, and Rebecca Blum.  The organization is a North Carolina Non-Profit corporation which currently receives no public funding, being entirely supported by private funds and contributions.