What the press is saying!

Nevada Shakespeare Company and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival

Present

A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Kids!

“Young Shakespeare All-Stars”

Reno, NV—While Major League Baseball wraps up their All-Star week in New York, Nevada Shakespeare Company (NSC) and Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival (LTSF) prepare to offer an all-star production of their own: the D. G. Menchetti Young Shakespeare Program.

“Young Shakespeare features an all-star cast of our area’s best young performers,” boasts Producer and NSC President Cameron Crain. “we’ve got theatre students from Sage Ridge that have been accepted to Yale, NYU and USC, we’ve got students from Carson Valley, Carson City, North Valley, Damonte Ranch and Reno. We’ve even got students that are home-schooled!”

Last year Crain directed an hour long version of Romeo and Juliet that performed and toured to over 7,000 young audience members in Lake Tahoe, Carson City, Truckee and Reno. Opening July 22nd and touring locally until August 8, this year’s Young Shakespeare offering is the Bard’s perennial hit comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

"It's so exciting to see how these kids handle the language and the physical comedy. Their comprehension of Shakespeare is leaps and bounds past even some adult actors I've seen," says Director Michelle Calhoun-Fitts.

A major benefit to the young performers and audiences of Young Shakespeare are the professional theatre artists. Filled with exceptional theatrical training and experience, these adult performers often serve as mentors to their younger cast mates.

"This program is so inspiring,” adds Calhoun-Fitts, “it's such a great opportunity for these kids to have the ability to work alongside with professional actors. Not only are the kids able to grow and learn so much as actors, but the adults are as well," says Calhoun-Fitts.

Last year, Ms. Calhoun-Fitts was featured as the Nurse, and this year she returns on stage for a surprise guest appearance. Her exceptional cast is anchored by Brett Andres (Bottom), Vivian Kane (Titania) and Francis Serpa (Oberon). Andres and Kane were recently seen by Nevada, Idaho and Oregon audiences in NSC’s touring production of Romeo and Juliet(ish).

Midsummer opens July 22 at 10am on the main stage at Sand Harbor. This program is free to the public, but theatre goers are encouraged to reserve their seats online. Please visit www.laketahoeshakespeare.com/education for details and ticket information.

Jeanmarie interviewed on
KPFK Radio in Los Angeles
talking about the new film of
A Single Woman

Jeanmarie Simpson and Kamala Lopez interviewed on KPFK Radio in Los Angeles about A Single Woman. Listen above.

As You Like It

...Directed by Jeanmarie Simpson, who makes ample and shrewd use of the steep hillside...the set design is, as you might guess, without fault and so is Simpson's quick and quick-witted swiftness of direction. The questions posed by the play are many and are quickly resolved, if not always clearly answered. Will the handsome Orlando wind up with the comely Rosalind? Will the love-sick Sylvius land the narcissistic "who's the fairest of us all" Phebe? Will Duke Frederic get his comeuppance? Will Jacques always be a wet blanket of broadside social commentary or will his droll philosophizing save the day? Will the girlish and attractive Celia marry anyone at all, or just go on having a grand good time? As things stand with this show as adroitly edited by Cameron Crain into an action packed 90 minutes, a grand good time is had by all. Crain is an effervescent and magnetic Orlando. Michele Reynolds is a radiant and assured Rosalind. John Hadder is a wide-eyed, foolishly infatuated and droolingly effective Sylvius. Cori Cooper is a mirror-hugging Phebe whose school-girl crush on the wrong person gives added impetus to the phrase "out to lunch." Roderick Dexter is a delightful and commandingly campy Duke Frederic (he's ready, Mr. De Mille, for his closeup). RT Carlyle is simply superb as Jacques and delivers speech after speech with edge, humor and razor sharp wit and meaning. Meredith Richardson, girlish and riveting throughout, is a fresh and simply smashing Celia. Mirth is the name of Perry Arnn's game as the Touchstone who leaves no stone unturned. Ted Polon (Charles) shines in the wrestling scene... Dan Morgan (Oliver) maintains the freedom of spirit, so inherent in this production, that makes Shakespeare's souffle of a play work... Carleana Kondor is a lovely Audrey and fills the night air with Elizabethan airs played affectingly on what appears to be and what sounds like a small soprano baroque flauto. Kondor and her two brothers, Caleb the older and Jonathan the younger, entertain in winning fashion before "As You Like It" begins. She on the flauto and they as jugglers. It's an engaging, terrific act and sets in motion the carefree mood for the fun and games that follow...Too good to miss.

-- Jack Neal, Nevada Events (August 23, 2006)

Hamlet/Richard III Revival

Never underestimate the inventiveness of the Nevada Shakespeare Company… Astonishingly entertaining and just as astonishingly true to Shakespeare, Ms. Simpson has two hits on her hands that delighted debut audiences last weekend at Reno's lovely Hawkins Outdoor Amphitheater… Huge credit must go to director Jeanmarie Simpson for her savvy at cutting, casting and directing the plays. Huge credit also to the company's managing artistic director Cameron Crain. These two lovers of theater are the driving force that gives the Nevada Shakespeare Company its success… Since both Mr. Crain and Ms. Simpson are also in these productions (he's Hamlet, she's Elizabeth in "Richard" and Gertrude in "Hamlet"), the four other actors perform above and beyond juggling fifteen roles between them. This exceptional group of six actors in search of meaning in two plays are a seasoned lot and exciting to behold on stage… Cameron Crain's Hamlet is youthful, funloving and as unforgiving as a young man can be. He delivers the play's most eloquent speeches with a graceful intensity that fits Hamlet's station in life and struggle with life. The interaction between Mr. Crain's Hamlet and the remainder of the characters that populate this most often played English-speaking play is what keen ensemble acting is about… Playing "Richard" as a comedy that works as revelatory theater is a testament to Ms. Simpson's conceptualization… King Richard may be willing to give his kingdom for a horse, but audiences experiencing [this] zany Richard will most likely never give up all those laughs and settle - without at least a slight tinge of regret - for the more tradtional tragedy of "Richard III."

-- Jack Neal, Nevada Events (Sep 21, 2005)

Hamlet

...The six-actor approach is a strong argument for the power of quality acting. Rather than load the stage with bodies, director Simpson took her finest performers, herself included, and allowed them to carry the entire play. Always one to value acting over spectacle, I found a great deal of joy in watching six strong performers pour their souls into their work, minus the usual theatrical trappings. Even the costuming was designed to be simple and inconspicuous. While chairs serve as the only props, the actors are quite active. Simpson's staging is fantastic, constantly drawing the audience's attention toward the action... Hamlet demonstrates what happens when a first-rate group of performers are allowed to play off one another. For those who've never seen scaled-down productions, it may be difficult to conceive of such a show packing the same emotional punch as full-scale counterparts. But Nevada Shakespeare's Hamlet is living proof it can happen. Highly recommended.

-- Forrest Hartman, Reno Gazette Journal (August, 2000)

Richard III

...Being a theater reviewer is a thankless job, but every once in a while, I see a play that makes the late hours, long drives and cranky letters to the editor worthwhile. Nevada Shakespeare Company's production of Richard III is one of those plays; in fact, it may be the best one I've seen in Nevada thus far. Both Shakespeare buffs and casual theatregoers should love this wacky interpretation of the classic bloody play. Director Jeanmarie Simpson has turned Richard III into a cartoon, and like most cartoons, the reality of violence is masked with funny noises, gaudy colors and zany musical dance numbers. Physical comedy abounds, as violent battles are played out as bitchy slap fights and vigorous spankings reminiscent of Monty Python. Richard is delightfully wicked, making the audience a co-conspirator in his evil little schemes. Anyone who's ever wanted Wile E. Coyote to catch the stupid Road Runner will root for Richard as he outwits, outplays and outlasts the good guys for the majority of the play. I enjoyed every moment...

Adrienne Rice, Reno News and Review (July, 2001)

A Single Woman

...Playwright and actress Jeanmarie Simpson portrays this feisty, formidable character... It’s masterful acting. Providing a foil and counterpoint is versatile actor and director Cameron Crain...The play is a favorable portrait of a fascinating personality, but it doesn’t gloss over Rankin’s thornier dilemmas: What about Adolf Hitler’s Holocaust and the Japanese army’s barbarism in China? The show will find a sympathetic audience among long-suffering, peace-minded lefties...However, Rankin emerges as such a gutsy, charming and independent presence that moderates, conservatives and political independents will enjoy her, as well... Seek it out, and soon! It’s well worth the effort. Kudos to California Stage for helping with the launch. Best theatrical surprise-- California Stage (in a co-production with the Nevada Shakespeare Company) caught everyone off guard with a sparkling new play called A Single Woman . It is based on the life and writings of early feminist Jeannette Rankin, who was the first woman elected to Congress (before women had the right to vote!) and had a mind as tough as nails. Outstanding work by playwright and actress Jeanmarie Simpson.

-- Jeff Hudson, Sacramento News and Review

...As Rankin, Jeanmarie Simpson is entirely convincing. Playing off director Cameron Crain's role as Everyman, Simpson takes the life of Rankin and breathes freshness into Rankin's every belief and pronouncement and there are plenty of both in this gripping play. Simpson and Crain are remarkable actors and both give A Single Woman an aura of devotion that makes their presentation crackle with excitement and truth. That A Single Woman also provokes as much as it excites is what the life of Jeannette Rankin was about...That it's also entertaining theater only makes it that much more compelling...

-- Jack Neal, Nevada Events

...During her second stint in congress, elected in 1940, Rankin was the only member to vote against the declaration of war on Japan. Her pacifism made her very unpopular, but she never faltered in her stance. She believed when women gained the vote, they would become more active in politics and protest all courses of action that were not peaceful. When women didn't take up her cause, she was frustrated and disappointed. "We women should picket everything and be willing to go to prison," Rankin says.... Between her speeches, her reading of letters and her interactions with Everyman, Rankin makes bread rolls and lemonade. When Rankin becomes impassioned, saying things like, "War's a habit, like alcohol to an intemperate man," Simpson cleverly portrays Rankin's fury by violently kneading the bread--probably the most violent motion Rankin herself ever made. When Simpson speaks, the air is electrified; her words are surely filled with as much power as Rankin's ever were. Simpson's timing and emotion are intense and flawless. As clichéd as it sounds, audiences will probably look at war in a different and more dangerous light after seeing A Single Woman . Even those who support war as an often necessary plan of action will find charm, compassion and insight in Rankin's life. After the play, the bread rolls that Rankin placed in the oven about 20 minutes before the play's end are cooked, and Simpson shares them with anyone who wants them. Eating the rolls is a consuming experience, even after the play is over. It's like eating Rankin's morals. If people could have just swallowed a few of her ideals over the years, perhaps the world would not be where it is today.

-- Miranda Jesch, Reno News and Review

Julius Caesar

If your only relationship with Caesar is when you order salad, you're in luck... Inspired partly by the current U.S. Election 2004, the Nevada Shakespeare Company launched its (outreach) version of William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" Wednesday (9/8/2004) and brings the mamoth show in at a lean, mean one hour and forty-five minutes. No need to brush up your Shakespeare, Crain and company have done it for you. The play's large cast of characters of forty something has been boiled down to a trim 18. With a couple of add ins to make the somewhat condensed plot make sense, Crain's "Caesar" just gurgles (as in death) along in what seems half its actual running time. Given this year's hotly contested presidential race between Senator Kerry and President Bush, this reworking of Shakespeare's tragedy is quite timely and just a bit frightening. Crain's take on "Julius Caesar" is couched in post 9/11 terms. According to Crain's program notes: "The story of Julius Caesar was as relevant for Londoners during the age of King James as it is for Americans during Election 2004." That it is, especially for a soundbite society that likes its profundities as short and sweet as Crain makes them with this production. And that's not a criticism of what Crain hath wrought. His production has made the play entirely accessible to new and old fans of the genre without damaging a thing. The conspiracy lead by Brutus, Metellus and Cassius against the political power and personal magnetism of Caesar, is countered by the strength and shrewd pursuasiveness of Caesar confidant and friend Marc Antony. The production is fast and entirely gripping. The use of the sanctuary of Reno's downtown First United Methodist Church, with its striking gothic appearance, is the perfect setting for this stunning setting of "Julius Caesar." Len Overholser's music underscoring adds immeasurably to the production's atmosphere of impending doom. As Marc Antony, Josh Jessup stars. He's regal, cunning and entirely believable. His oration at Caesar's funeral is one of the finest moments... The crowd reaction to what Marc Antony is saying is intense, revealing and beautifully directed. In addition to Jessup, Dale Fast (Caesar), John Hadder (Brutus), Kirk Gardner (Cassius), and Michael Peters (Metellus) lead a strong cast to as triumphant and audience accessible "Julius Caesar" as I've seen. And now, onto Election 2004!

-- Jack Neal, Nevada Events

King Lear

... Roderick Dexter is absolutely amazing as King Lear. As he loses control of his mind, Lear's emotions run wild. Dexter flits between anger, despair, joy and confusion, often within the same soliloquy... he delivers his lines with such passion that their meaning is unmistakable. He is backed by a strong supporting cast, all of whom play multiple characters. Jeanmarie Simpson shows her range by portraying both the evil Goneril and Lear's gentle physician with equal aplomb. Cameron Crain gives a solid performance as Kent, a loyal lord who is banished by Lear but returns disguised as a servant... Anna Mosher effectively captures Cordelia's good nature... she is talented beyond her years... NSC's King Lear is a worthy adaptation of Shakespeare's great tragedy. With its pared-down script, the play is a palatable 90 minutes, and the simplicity of the production lets the beauty of the language shine through..

-- Monica Wiant, Reno News and Review

...The staging of Cordelia's death, the tarp used as Lear's robe, the appearance of specific props and disguises were very creative... Roderick Dexter's portrayal of King Lear is masterful... his interpretation of the disillusioned father and deposed king who is slipping into madness is forceful... Simpson as Goneril and the Doctor is equally adept at interpreting archaic English for modern audiences. Her delivery was beautifully paced - her characters richly real... Simpson has chosen a unique vision for her production, and the performance certainly provides fodder for discussion...

-- Marla Carr, Reno Gazette Journal