The Two Gentlemen of Verona (2015)

NY Premiere

Fiasco Theater’s THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA

by William Shakespeare
Directed by Jessie Austrian and Ben Steinfeld

NEW YORK TIMES CRITIC’S PICK

EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 20!

Crackling and quick-moving, The Two Gentlemen of Verona may well have been Shakespeare’s first play. A seemingly simple tale of shifting devotions among mismatched lovers, it helped launch the genre of rom-com. Yet its delightful madcap surface conceals undercurrents, as its putative hero proves a cad and a faithless friend.

Fiasco Theater’s zesty and streamlined six-actor Cymbeline was a highlight of TFANA’s 2011 season. In Two Gentlemen, which premiered at Folger Theatre, the company’s acute understanding of text, spare design and brilliantly versatile use of props, accessories, original music, and shifting accents combine to create a charming, nuanced and magical experience. Letters fall from the flies, rope-ladders materialize out of nowhere, and a handful of actors transform into outlaws, clowns, servants, and even a grumpy, ungrateful dog.

Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Running Time: 2 hours and 5 minutes, including 1 intermission.

—

Originally produced by Folger Theatre (Janet Alexander Griffin, Artistic Producer), Washington DC, 2014

This production is made possible, in part, by The Howard Gilman Foundation Fund for Classic Drama.

—

Fiasco Theater is an ensemble theater company created by graduates of the Brown University/Trinity Rep M.F.A. acting program. Past shows include Cymbeline (Theatre for a New Audience/Barrow Street Theatre), Twelfth Night (Access Theater), Into the Woods (McCarter Theatre Center and The Old Globe) and Measure for Measure (New Victory Theater).