After a sold-out run of Twelfth Night last summer, Irvington Theater has once again teamed up with Arts Partner Irvington Shakespeare Company for an in-person production of Ian McKellen’s Acting Shakespeare at Mercy College this March 24-27.
McKellen is the legendary English actor whose stage and screen career has spanned seven decades and given him the opportunity to tackle many of Shakespeare’s richest roles. When he debuted Acting Shakespeare at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1977, McKellen hoped to excavate, grapple with, and celebrate the language of the Bard from an actor’s point of view – but in a way that contextualized it for contemporary audiences. His one-man show was filmed by PBS in 1982, and a subsequent United States tour was hailed by The New York Times as “a distinctive theatrical experiment – part autobiography, part classroom lecture, part vaudeville show, along with hefty chunks of Shakespearean poetry and drama.”
In the spirit of inclusivity, the Irvington Shakespeare Company has freely adapted Acting Shakespeare for four actors: Sage Newman, Kat Quiñones, Jack Saleeby, and ISC’s Artistic Director Kamran Saliani. This all-new production of McKellen’s solo show will unlock Shakespeare’s works for a new generation of audiences and theater lovers alike.
“Acting Shakespeare is about being human as much as it is about acting and Shakespeare,” says actor, lifelong Irvington resident, and ISC’s Artistic Director Kamran Saliani. “This is why [Shakespeare’s] works are timeless and relatable to audiences today just as they were centuries ago when he wrote them. Our hope… is to celebrate and honor his work with a new point of view.”
Join Irvington Theater and the Irvington Shakespeare Company for Acting Shakespeare this March 24-27 (plus preview performances March 22-23) at the Lecture Hall on Mercy College’s Dobbs Ferry Campus, located at 555 Broadway. Ample parking is available. All performances take place at 7:00pm. Tickets for the general public range from $10-$15 and must be purchased in advance at irvingtontheater.com/actingshakespeare. Mercy College students and staff may attend free and do not need to RSVP in advance.
In accordance with the latest COVID-19 guidance from New York State and Mercy College, masks and proof of vaccination for audience members (ages 5 and up) will be required. For the latest information, visit irvingtontheater.com/safety.
