\u201cThis partnership is special because our missions are so aligned,\u201d said Devin Brain, producing artistic director. \u201cThe Acting Company and Play On Shakespeare both begin with the idea of making Shakespeare exciting for contemporary artists and audiences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brain said the translations maintain the original structure, updating updating some of the phrasing to make it easier to understand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe intent to translate him is to give everyone a faster way in \u2014 to make sure that we are able to really revel in exactly how incisive his language is,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Polonius is featured prominently in the adaptation, acting as a foil for the indecisive Hamlet and providing comedic relief with his timeless maxims, like, \u201cBrevity is the soul of wit,\u201d Act 2, Scene 2, \u2014 ironically spoken while being long-winded.<\/p>\n
About Lisa Peterson<\/p>\n
Lisa Peterson is a two-time Obie Award-winning writer and director. Her works include \u201cAn Iliad,\u201d written with Denis O\u2019Hare and winning New York Theatre Workshop, Obie and Lortel Awards; \u201cThe Good Book,\u201d co-written with O\u2019Hare, Court Theater, and Berkeley Rep; and \u201cThe Waves,\u201d adapted from Virginia Woolf with composer David Bucknam of the NYTW.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Peterson is renowned for directing new plays and classics across the country. Recently, she directed the world premiere of Doug Wright\u2019s \u201cGood Night Oscar\u201d on Broadway. She was associate director at Berkeley Rep, Center Theatre Group and La Jolla Playhouse. She is a recent recipient of the Gordon Davidson Award for Lifetime Achievement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Upcoming writing projects include \u201cThe Song of Rome\u201d with O\u2019Hare and \u201cThe Idea of Order\u201d with composer Todd Almond.<\/p>\n
About Chika V. Ike<\/p>\n
Chika V. Ike is a New York and Chicago-based theatre director and dramaturg. She specializes in classics, new play development and musicals.<\/p>\n
Drawn to theatrical epics, her work seeks to celebrate the healing, nuances, yearnings and imaginations of Black women through expansive, innovative and cathartic journeys. Her love of history, comics and fantasy translates to a deep and detailed approach to world-building and a drive to challenge and reframe the familiar.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Recently, she served as the resident director for the North American tour of \u201cHamilton,\u201d an American musical. She has previously served as an associate director for the musical \u201cHadestown,\u201d the Broadway production and first national tour, and the associate director for the Olivier Award-winning Broadway transfer of \u201cDeath of a Salesman.\u201d<\/p>\n
About The Acting Company<\/p>\n
Founded by legendary performer-producers John Houseman and Margot Harley, the Acting Company seeks to develop emerging actors by touring classic plays and newly commissioned adaptations nationwide. Since its founding, The Acting Company<\/a> has enjoyed many Brooklyn residents on its board leadership, including current Chairperson Earl Weiner, longtime resident of Garden Place, and among its notable actors is Fort Greene resident Jeffrey Wright.\u00a0<\/p>\n The company has launched the careers of nearly 500 actors, including Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Keith David, Rainn Wilson, Frances Conroy, Jeffrey Wright, Hamish Linklater, Jesse L. Martin and Kelley Curran, among many others.<\/p>\n The Acting Company received the 2003 Tony Award for Excellence in the Theater. Its production of Homer\u2019s \u201cOdyssey\u201d adapted and directed by Lisa Peterson from Emily Wilson\u2019s landmark English-language translation was named one of the Ten Best Plays of 2023 by the Marin Independent Journal, and the company\u2019s repertory of William Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cThe Comedy Of Errors\u201d in modern verse translation by Christina Anderson in repertory with August Wilson\u2019s \u201cTwo Trains Running\u201d directed by Lili-Anne Brown won the Santa Barbara Independent\u2019s 2025 Best Festival \u201cIndy Award\u201d for Theater.\u00a0<\/p>\n Since 1972, The Acting Company has performed for over four million people in 48 states, 10 foreign countries, on and off Broadway, and at leading resident theaters including The Guthrie and American Conservatory Theater.\u00a0<\/p>\n New works commissioned by the company include plays by William Finn, Marcus Gardley, Rebecca Gilman, John Guare, Beth Henley, Tony Kushner, Lynn Nottage, Meg Miroshnik, Ntozake Shange, Maria Irene Forn\u00e9s, Spalding Gray, Nikki Massoud, Marsha Norman, Samm-Art Williams and Wendy Wasserstein.<\/p>\n About Play On Shakespeare<\/p>\n