Hudson Shakespeare Company facts for kids

The Hudson Shakespeare Company is a theater group based in Jersey City, New Jersey. They are famous for their yearly summer Shakespeare in the Park festival. They often perform plays by William Shakespeare that are not as well-known, like The Two Noble Kinsmen and Timon of Athens. Besides Shakespeare, they also put on modern plays in interesting places, such as courtrooms. For example, they have performed Inherit the Wind and A Few Good Men in the Hoboken Municipal Courtroom. The company also runs educational programs, offering workshops and full Shakespeare shows for students.

How the Company Started

In 1992, a man named L. Robert "Luther" Johnson from Jersey City had an idea. He wanted to put on a play reading of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Hamilton Park. He had worked with theater groups in New York and noticed there wasn't much Shakespeare happening on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River.

Johnson teamed up with friends he knew from other local theater groups. They called their new group the "Hudson Shakespeare Company," named after Hudson County. Their first show had only a few audience members, but Johnson didn't give up. He kept producing Shakespeare plays under this name. He also put on modern plays like Driving Miss Daisy under a different name, "Patchwork Theater Company."

In 1996, Johnson met another actor and director, Jon Ciccarelli. They decided to combine all their plays, both old and new, under the "Hudson Shakespeare Company" name. For the next few years, they performed in Jersey City and Hoboken. In 1998, they were the first theater group to perform live at Hoboken's Frank Sinatra Park. They put on another show of A Midsummer Night's Dream there.

By 2002, the company started traveling to other towns. They performed in Hackensack, South Orange, and even as far as Stratford, Connecticut. Later, they added regular performance spots in Kenilworth in 2004 and Fort Lee in 2007.

Exploring Less Common Plays

The Hudson Shakespeare Company is known for performing Shakespeare's plays that aren't as famous. They also sometimes put a new spin on well-known plays. Jon Ciccarelli, the artistic director, explained that they try to perform at least one play each season that most people haven't heard of.

Here are some of the less common plays they have performed:

• Edward III (2016)
• Arden of Faversham (2015)
• Henry VIII (2013)
• Cardenio (2012)
• Timon of Athens (2011)
• Troilus and Cressida (2009)
• King John (2008)
• The Two Noble Kinsmen (2007)
• Coriolanus (2004)
• Cymbeline (2004 & 2014)
• Pericles (2006 & 2014)
• Titus Andronicus (2003 & 2013)

Where They Perform

The Hudson Shakespeare Company performs in many different places during their summer shows. Here are some of their regular venues:

In Jersey City

Hamilton Park

• Hamilton Park: This is where the company first started performing. It's located at 9th Street and Jersey Avenue. They often perform near the park's gazebo. If it rains, they move under the gazebo.
• Van Vorst Park: This park is in downtown Jersey City, at Montgomery Street and Jersey Avenue. It's right next to the main library.
• Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery: This is the oldest cemetery in the city, located at 435 Newark Avenue. The company performs here to help raise money for the cemetery's care.

In Hoboken

• Frank Sinatra Park: You can find this venue at 400 Frank Sinatra Drive. It's a main spot in Hoboken for live music and theater. The company works with the Hoboken Division of Cultural Affairs for their shows here.

In Hackensack

• Staib Park: This park is between Coles and Davis Avenue in Hackensack. The company's shows here are in partnership with the Hackensack Recreation Department.
• Hackensack Cultural Arts Center: This building, a converted church at 39 Broadway, is used as a backup location if it rains. It also hosts other theater groups year-round.

In Other Towns

• Stratford, Connecticut: The Stratford Library at 2203 Main Street hosts the company. They also offer talks about Shakespeare.
• Kenilworth, New Jersey: The Kenilworth Library at 548 Boulevard hosts the "Bard on the Boulevard" program.
• Westfield, New Jersey: The Westfield Memorial Library at 550 E. Broad Street is another performance spot.
• Fort Lee, New Jersey:

Fort Lee Museum

The company performs at Monument Park, next to the Fort Lee Museum. They work with the Fort Lee Film Commission for these shows.

• West Milford, New Jersey: They perform at Long Pond Iron Works State Park in Hewitt, New Jersey. These shows are in partnership with the Friends of Long Pond Iron Works.

Recent Performances

2016 Shows

• Richard II by William Shakespeare, directed by Noelle Fair.
• Edward III by William Shakespeare and Thomas Kyd, directed by Jon Ciccarelli.
• Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, directed by Jon Ciccarelli.

2015 Shows

• The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare, directed by Jon Ciccarelli.
• Love's Labours Lost by William Shakespeare, directed by Jon Ciccarelli.
• Arden of Faversham (attributed to William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, and Thomas Kyd), directed by Jon Ciccarelli.
• The Two Gentlemen of Verona by William Shakespeare, directed by Jon Ciccarelli.

2014 Shows

• Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, directed by James Masciovecchio.
• Cymbeline by William Shakespeare, directed by Rachel Alt.
• Pericles by William Shakespeare and George Wilkins, directed by Noelle Fair.
• On the Waterfront by Budd Schulberg, directed by Gene Simakowicz.

Educational Programs

The Hudson Shakespeare Company offers a variety of educational programs each year. These include full Shakespeare plays for students, showcases of selected scenes, and workshops. They teach about Shakespeare and even stage combat!

Some of their workshops include:

• Shakespeare Scene Study: Learning how to understand and perform Shakespeare's text.
• Early Modern Theater: Recreating how plays were performed in Shakespeare's time.
• Shakespeare on Film: Practicing scenes using camera techniques.
• Unarmed Stage Combat: Learning safe ways to perform falls, punches, and slaps on stage without weapons.
• Armed Stage Combat: Learning how to fight safely with stage weapons like swords.

The group has worked with many schools and universities. These include St. Mary's High School and Kenmare High School in Jersey City, Fort Lee High School, and Misericordia University in Pennsylvania.

Special Achievements

The Hudson Shakespeare Company has achieved several notable things:

• In 1998, their performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream was the first live theater show at the new Frank Sinatra Park in Hoboken, New Jersey.
• In 2005, the company's founder, L. Robert Johnson, received the "Everyday Hero Award" from The Jersey Journal newspaper. He was honored for starting the company and promoting Shakespeare in Hudson County. He also helped create educational programs for new actors.
• In 2009, the company was nominated for awards at the New York Midtown International Theatre Festival. These nominations were for their stage fight choreography and costumes in the play The Sword Politik.
• The company was mentioned in a 2012 edition of The Two Noble Kinsmen. This book noted them as one of the few companies worldwide that had performed this less common play.
• In 2014, a professor named James Broderick wrote a book called Greatness Thrust Upon Them. It featured several Hudson Shakespeare Company actors. The book talked about their first experiences with Shakespeare and how it helped their acting careers.
• In 2015, the company performed Arden of Faversham. This was the first live show at the newly opened Atlantic Street Park in Hackensack, New Jersey.