Theater
SHAKESPEARE
www.qns.com I LIC COURIER I JULY 2019 41
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A Queens-based startup
theater is bringing a slice
of Shakespeare to Astoria
and Long Island City this
summer.
Rude Grooms announced that
they are returning for a second
year to offer a free production of
“Romeo and Juliet” in August. As
part of their Commons Series, the
theater company will show William
Shakespeare’s classic at Rainey
Park, Queensbridge Park, Astoria
Park and Plaxall Gallery.
In the past, the “Startup Theatre
Experiment rooted in the Elizabethan
Tradition” has put on productions
of “Much Ado About Nothing” and
“Twelfth Night” at local parks and art
spaces in the borough.
“The show is a 90-minute, fam-ily-
friendly romp with live acoustic
music that features award-winning
professional artists and is completely
free. By activating familiar spaces in
new ways and bringing world-class
performers out into our communi-ties,
our Commons Series is an act
of shared imagination that tears
down barriers of entry into artistic
programming, barriers between actor
and audience, and barriers between
audience members themselves,” said
Montgomery Sutton, actor-manager
and Rude Grooms’ Master of the
Revels.
Rude Grooms partnered with Long
Island City Artists at the Plaxall Gal-lery
and the Astoria Park Alliance
to produce the play while Queens
Council on the Arts and the New York
City Department of Cultural Affairs
in partnership with the City Council
provided funding.
“Encountering ‘Romeo and Juliet’
as a teenager cracked Shakespeare
open for me for the first time. Its
enduring resonance with audiences
young and old alike reconnects us
to our shared humanity, an impulse
which is at the core of our Commons
Series: free performances of time-less
stories in active public spaces
to strengthen our Queens community
through cultural engagement,” Sut-ton
said.
Previews for the performances are
on Aug. 14 and the play will run from
Aug. 16 to 25. Anyone interested will
have several opportunities to see the
production: Wednesdays at Rainey
Park, Thursdays in Queensbridge Park,
Saturdays in Astoria Park and Sundays
at Plaxall Gallery.
All performances are at 6:30 p.m.
with additional 1:30 p.m. matinees
hosted at the Plaxall Gallery. Rude
Grooms encourage theatergoers to
make seat reservations, which are
required for preferred seating areas.
Rude Grooms patrons will receive
access to premium seating areas
and VIP seating and other perks will
be available in the coming weeks as
part of the production’s crowdfunding
campaign. Sign up for the mailing list
at rudegrooms.com to find out when
online reservations and the crowdfund-ing
campaign launch.
All performances are free and open
to the public. For more information,
visit rudegrooms.com.
A TASTE of
in QUEENS
Poster courtesy of Rude Grooms
Previews for "Romeo and Juliet" begin on Aug. 14
/rudegrooms.com
/www.qns.com
/www.qns.com
/rudegrooms.com
