Asolo Rep's Access to the Arts Program to offer Streaming of HAMLET, PRINCE OF CUBA to Educational Institutions
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(SARASOTA, FL) – Asolo Rep’s Access to the Arts program is proud to offer educational institutions the opportunity to stream one of the theatre’s most groundbreaking productions: HAMLET, PRINCE OF CUBA, available now through June 11, 2021. Students and educators are invited to view this exciting reimaging of Shakespeare’s iconic production filmed live in 2012 with a student audience. Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards directed and collaborated with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz on this translation, which stars a Latinx cast performing Shakespeare’s play in Spanish.
Presented with the original Shakespeare in subtitles, HAMLET, PRINCE OF CUBA transports the story from Denmark to Havana, 1898. This easily accessed production introduces students to Shakespeare’s vibrant storytelling in Spanish, a language spoken by more than 1 in 5 Floridians. The production offers students an exciting new perspective on HAMLET's classic themes of family loyalty, power and revenge. Set among the Cuban ruling elite, Hamlet’s story unfolds during a pivotal and historic moment as waning Spanish control faced internal rebellion and American encroachment.
"HAMLET, PRINCE OF CUBA is a project I care passionately about and prepared for over several years, guided by the experiences of fantastic theatre makers like Nilo Cruz, Jesse Ontiveros, and Frankie J. Alvarez," said Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. "It is wonderful that the project can live on and serve as an educational tool to introduce or deepen student’s connection to Shakespeare across cultures and languages. The footage has been carefully and thrillingly reconstructed to give this new audience a chance to experience the magic of the show from the safety and convenience of their classrooms."
To complement the production and to help connect students to the material, Asolo Rep Education & Engagement has created an interactive online curriculum that is presented in both English and Spanish. These digital materials, including supplementary videos and online resources, explore how Shakespeare, theatre, and literature more broadly give students the chance to see themselves in “classics” far removed from their time and world. Combining the ease of online screening with dual-language curricular support, Asolo Rep’s Access to the Arts aims to make Shakespeare more accessible than ever during our global pandemic.
HAMLET, PRINCE OF CUBA is one of two Shakespearean productions currently available for educational viewing. Through April 28, educators also can access an innovative filmed version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream. The 47-minute online performance is the premiere production of BardWired, Asolo Rep’s 2020 adaptation of its award-winning program, Asolo Rep On Tour, which has brought theatrical experiences to more than 15,000 Florida students each fall since 2008. In partnership with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, BardWired introduces Shakespeare’s work performed by the company of third-year MFA students from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training in a production filmed in and around Sarasota. Celine Rosenthal adapted and directed this whimsical comedy about young love that dives into conversations about identity, adulthood, and finding one’s place in the world.
Registration and pricing for each program (Student Series/HAMLET, PRINCE OF CUBA and BardWired/A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM) is available through Asolo Rep's website. These productions can be accessed through the easy-to-navigate Asolo Rep online account system. Questions about streaming HAMLET and MIDSUMMER can be sent to education@asolo.org.