April 17 - May 4 2014

HONG KONG’S FIRST

OUTDOOR SHAKESPEARE

FESTIVAL

@ CYBERPORT PODIUM

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CYBERPORT

SPECIAL EVENTSSPECIAL EVENTSSPECIAL EVENTS

the tragedy of miss julius caesar

The taming of the shrew

SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHDAY(april 26, 5 pm)

EASTER EGG HUNT(april 20, 1 pm)

open cast party(may 4, 5 pm)

ShowsShowsShowsa note from the festival director

meaghan mcgurgan

Friends, Gweilos, Countrymen… Lend me your ears! Thank you for attending Shakespeare in the Port. We’re very proud to be the first outdoor Shakespeare festival in Hong Kong. It’s been a challenge, to say the least, but I’m so happy to part of the team that presents this festival to you.

I’ve had the concept for Shakespeare in the Port in my head for about four years. I moved to Hong Kong from the States where I had worked for several outdoor Shakespeare festivals and summer stocks. I came to Hong Kong and was shocked to find out that there wasn’t one. I couldn’t help but wonder, why? After years of knocking on doors and getting bureaucratic answers like… insurance, liability and my personal favorite, “Hong Kong audiences aren’t smart enough for Shakespeare,” I was introduced to Mark Clift at Cyberport.

I want to take a minute and thank Mr. Clift for believing in our dream of affordable, entertaining Shakespeare that’s accessible to people from all backgrounds. I couldn’t have done it without him or his belief in the project. There is a preconceived notion that art made by Hong Kong artists isn’t as good as art shipped in from abroad. I don’t believe this is true. In the past six years I’ve lived here I’ve had the pleasure of working with immense talents. I’m hoping that Shakespeare in the Port will help change the public view of the potential of Hong Kong art and the definition of what a “local artist” is. We can see from Shakespeare in the Port’s success with Fringebacker that Hong Kong audiences are smart enough for Shakespeare and they want cultural events that are homegrown.

I want to thank the all the cast members, crew, stage managers, volunteers, and interns for their hard work on the festival. I’m so pleased to have you all as members of the team and so impressed by your dedication to the project. Special thanks to Boaz Lo, Hannah Lochhead, Jonathan Brantley and Helen Ng for going beyond the call of duty.

The festival is dedicated to my best friend, Deanna McGurgan. Thanks for giving me life and exposing me to the arts when I was young. I’m hoping Shakespeare in the Port can help hundreds of kids become theatre fans.

creative & production teamartistic directortechnical directorproject coordinatorEvent Planning and Volunteer Coordinatoreducation directorCommunity Outreach/ Translationsvideographertechnical director/stage managerset designlighting designsound designprogram designer

the taming of the shrewdirectorcostume designLight Board Operator

Sound Board OperatorProps Team

Stage ManagerDeputy Stage ManagerAssistant Stage Managers

the tragedy of miss julius caesarDirectorassistant directorChoreographers

Light Board Operator Sound board OperatorProps Team

Stage MangerDeputy Stage ManagerAssistant Stage Managers

Meaghan McGurgankit chowboaz lohelen ng

lisa middletondavid janke

aaron michelsonchi kit

grant pressiercoey hoveronica kukjeannie fong

jonathan brantleymeaghan mcgurganeddie hoboaz lobecky wongdavid jenkinsmegan hillssally hoalexandra chungkit chowgarbuja pun nirajrai hemant

hannah lochheadjessica walshmarsha yuanvee leahannah lochheadeddie hobecky wongdavid jenkinsmegan hillssally holucy clarkebecky wongbosco luisunnie chung

director’s notesWelcome one and all to Platinum Sugar Productions’ Hong Kong debut, The Tragedy of Miss Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar is believed to have been written in 1599, based on the 44BC Battle of Philippi and the assassination of Julius Caesar. In Ancient Rome, Caesar, a military and political leader, was proclaimed dictator. A group of Roman senators waged a conspiracy against Caesar and planned to assassinate him on the Ides of March. Among these conspirators was Caesar’s faithful friend Brutus. The assassination of Julius Caesar marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire.

The Tragedy of Miss Julius Caesar is a re-telling of the events based on Shakespeare’s original text, placed in 1930’s New York using the Billy Minsky Burlesque Empire as its backdrop.

Julius Caesar is known for one of the most famous assassinations in history and has been adapted many times before; most notably the Wayne and Shuster parody ‘Rinse the Blood Off My Toga’ and the modern reworking of the play, the movie ‘An Honourable Murder’. I even came across a full burlesque show by Stephen F. Harris on my travels called ‘J. Caesar, a Burlesque’, a farcical show with double entendres and itchy togas milking every dirty joke Shakespeare had to offer.

We used Burlesque as a springboard in order to manipulate the story for a female cast. I have always held a fascination with Burlesque stars of the 1930’s, the true Queens of their time. These were strong minded, ambitious women who made themselves by manipulating the minds of men with fantasy. It was so clear to find the connection between the characters in Julius Caesar and the Minsky Burlesque dancers of the 1930’s when it came to the fight for survival. After replacing every ‘he’ with ‘she’ and updating the cultural references, the play edited itself.

The amazingly talented cast brought that essence of female ambition to the text, giving the script new life and meaning and creating a slightly different outcome to that of the Tragedy of Julius Caesar. The female interpretation has taken huge predominance as the cast continued to bring their own experiences and interpretations to rehearsals. The creative process has been one of such diversity, due the wide range of theatrical experiences and backgrounds of everyone involved. With a blend of culture from Brazil, Korea, Canada, England, Morocco, Italy, New Zealand, France and Ireland, the collaborative process has been truly inspirational.

A massive challenge in this production was creating the Burlesque atmosphere through dance routines and comedy. With a combination of trained actors, dancers, first time actors and first time dancers, we came together to find a style that suited us and stayed true to the message of the play.

The gorgeous ensemble combined with the help of the wonderful team at Aeriel Arts and Shakespeare in the Port has done so much to make this production possible. A huge thank you to Meaghan McGurgan, the team and the audience for making this dream a reality.

the tragedy of miss julius caesar

Hannah Lochheaddirector

summary

cast

the tragedy of miss julius caesar

the tragedy of miss julius caesar

In 1931 NYC, the Winter Gardens Theatre is home to a Burlesque troupe fighting to keep their business alive through the Great Depression. Caesar, the star of the show and house master’s favourite, is set to break out of the chorus line and follow in the footsteps of Gypsy Rose Lee. A group of ambitious dancers are determined to stop her rise to the top.

julius caesarbrutuscassiusmark antonyoctaviuscalpurniatreboniusluciusdeciuscinnathe men

Hannah Lochheadnatalie lundjessica walshnicole garbellinivanessa nobleadam khalfaouidanbee shinjennifer lokemilie broyellelara jane owendavid youngelliot brophy

director’s notesThe Taming Of The Shrew is a historical satire first and foremost. Nothing more nothing less. Modern audiences must remember that this comedy was poking fun at the misogynistic treatment of women in Shakespeare’s society. Furthermore, when looking at this play, the cast and I wondered if true love could be found when someone is forced into a marriage proposal.

At any rate, our story is an ultimate battle between the sexes for you to watch play out before your eyes. The script was delicately cut to maintain the themes, major speeches and plot points from the original play.

Furthermore, I am excited to invite students of all ages to enjoy this play. Our version is a bit broader and intended to engage younger audiences to understand and enjoy one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies.

Lastly, I would like to thank my cast and crew for their dedication to this show, to audiences for supporting an outdoor Shakespeare festival in Hong Kong, and to all the donors on Fringebacker. To everyone: Let this experience be a glorious beginning to a long lasting pursuit of establishing another platform for theatre in Hong Kong!

May the weather smile on us,

the taming of the shrew

jonathan brantleydirector

summary

cast

the taming of the shrew

the taming of the shrew

1920’s Padua, Italy is winding down from the festival of Carnival. Love and festivities stilllinger in the air as two men have come to town seeking adventure. Love ensues for Lucentio & Petruchio through mistaken identities, arranged marriage, and the “taming” process of Padua’s most notorious ”shrew,” Katherina. Come enjoy Shakespeare’s most“controversial” romantic comedy about the battle of the sexes!!

Baptista KatherinaBiancaPetruchioLucentioGremioHortensioVincentioTranioGrumioPendantWidow/Servant

Tom mcleanemma o'rourkekeren chaukriadaniel garciaboaz lotoh han shihalan changjonathan brantleynicole garbelliniadam khalfaouigarvit chughclaire manierjen lok

adam khalfaouigrumio, calpurniaAdam Khalfaoui is a British actor of Moroccan descent and has been living in Hong Kong for the past seven years. He graduated from Lingnan University with a BA in Contemporary English Studies. He has appeared in numerous plays and musicals and represented his university in a national Shakespeare competition in 2011.

alan changhortensioAlan Chang found Theatre through University and has performed in both Melbourne and HK with various stage and screen productions such as “A Chorus Line”, “Rhinocéros” and “The Importance...”. He is thrilled to perform Shakespeare and would like to thank Jonathan for his hard work. Find him at www.facebook.com/AlanChangOfficial

CLaire Manierwidow/servantClaire Manier is a theatre enthusiast, whether as part of the audience or on stage. She debuted as the teacher in the play “the lesson” from Eugene Ionesco and first performed in Hong Kong during the 2014 V-day event in the Vagina Monologues, in the piece called “The Flood”. Claire is passionate about art and during her free time, she enjoys hiking and traveling. Claire loves new challenges and is excited to be part of Shakespeare in the Port.

danbee shintreboniusDanbee is a life long lover of the stage. She was a member of the International Thespian Society in High School and has participated in productions of Bye Bye Birdie, Animal Farm and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2004 she travelled to Sri Lanka to work with Tsunami victims using drama therapy to help children who were suffering from PTSD. This is her Hong Kong debut.

coey holighting designCoey works as a freelance, graduating from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a major in lighting design. She has participated in several projects including theatre productions, concerts and events. Her most recent works include “105 Drama: Frog Prince” and “Mother Courage and Her Children”, Fung Lau Theatre and STBD 2012 & 2013.

chi kittechnical director/stage managerChi Kit is an experienced theatre technician and stage manager. He has been working at Dramatic English for the past few years as part of their technical design team.

boaz lolucentio, production coordinatorBoaz graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a major in Acting. He is passionate in acting and performing, and has participated in various theatre productions such as ‘Annie Jr.’ (Drake), ‘Bugsy Malone’ (O’Dreary) and ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (Tinman).He was also a winner in the Hong Kong School Speech Festival for solo verse speaking, dramatic duologue and public speaking. Boaz is a Drama, Communication Arts, Playgroup teacher and has been serving in the local education industry for more then 5 years. He is also a skillful stage manager and has been a part of the process of productions such as ‘Hamlet’, ‘The Treasure Island’, ‘Pinocchio’ and ‘Peter Pan’. He is also honored to be the production coordinator of ‘Shakespeare in the Port’.He is currently seeking for more opportunities in acting, teaching and backstage.

aaron michelsonvideographerAaron Michelson is a lover of the arts and an experienced videographer in Hong Kong. He has filmed various conferences and live theatre events over the past year in Hong Kong. You can check out his youtube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/user/Aaronm66

biographies

david youngthe menDavid Young is a performer in Hong Kong Stories. This is first acting role in Hong Kong.

elliot brophythe menElliot Brophy has worked consistently in theatre since his secondary school days, most recently in the ACT production ‘You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown’ and the upcoming ‘Footloose’ production. Past roles have included Fagin in ‘Oliver Twist’ and Gregor Samsa in ‘Metamorphosis’. He is very excited to be a part of The Tragedy of Miss Julius Caesar and Shakespeare in the Port.

emilie broyelledeciusBorn in France, Emilie has lived in five countries. Throughout her travels and education she developed a passion and love for theatre, particularly Shakespeare. Emilie studied Drama and English literature in Bath Spa University in England and is now working as a Kindergarten teacher. Emilie helped out backstage and sang in the Choir during Faust’s productions of Peter Pan and Around the World in Eighty Days. She appeared as an extra in the web series Mr. French Taste.

garvit chughpendantThis is Garvit’s Hong Kong debut as a performer.

grant pressierset designGrant Preisser is excited to be working with the inaugural Hong Kong Shakespeare in the Port. Mr. Preisser has been in Hong Kong almost three years now and is currently part of the interior design teaching staff at SCAD Hong Kong. He has worked on a variety of design projects, and is happy to contribute to the productions for this year’s Shakespeare festival. In addition to his design experience and work at SCAD, Mr. Preisser is a member of the Hong Kong Bach choir and contributes to local charity organization Lizzie Bee. Mr. Preisser pleased to see the growth of the arts in Hong Kong.

emma o'rourkekatherinaEmma O’Rourke has been performing in theatre shows, T.V commercials and movies since arriving in Hong Kong 5 years ago. She has appeared in the stage shows of ‘Coffee and Cigarettes’, ‘The Graduate’, ‘Last days of Judas Iscariot’ and most recently ‘Bun in the Oven’. She hopes that you will sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

david jankecommunity outreach/translationsDavid is a trilingual Brit that is passionate about languages, especially Chinese. David has been involved in several drama productions since moving to Hong Kong, including Duetto last spring. He was happy to provide his translation services to Shakespeare in the Port and hopes to help other arts groups reach out to both the English and Chinese speaking communities in the future.

daniel garciapetruchioDaniel Garcia has a BA in Theatre from the University of North Texas. He has performed for TV shows, movies, and theatrical productions. Major works: Zane in “Dream Defenders” (26 episodes), and Robert in “Days of Days” (Pearl TV). Check out his IMDB page at www.imdb.me/danielgarcia255.

helen ngevents planning and volunteer coordinatorHelen is a teacher in Hong Kong. She is passionate about exposing kids to the arts and is very excited to be involved with the festival. Helen enjoys using her knack for telling people what to do and her giddy yet meticulous nature to create events and shenanigans that connect like-minded people. She demands no less than general merriment from everyone attending the Festival.

keren chaukriabianca Keren is also a filmmaker creating short advertisement clips for plays such as ‘Step’ performed at Theatre Royal Stratford East London. Her first performance in Hong Kong was in the Vagina Monolouges where she performed the piece ‘Hair’. When not acting, Keren enjoys Kung Fu and dancing. Keren is thrilled to be a part of the first Shakespeare festival in Hong Kong.

lara jane owencinna Lara is an early childhood educator originally from New Zealand and have always had a strong interest in the dramatic arts. She has performed minor roles as fairy from ‘A Mid Summers Night Dream’ in her home town production of ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ 2008, set in Queens Park Gardens, Invercargill, New Zealand. ‘The Tragedy of Julius Caesar’ is her Hong Kong Theatrical debut and she is very pleased to be part of ‘Platinum Sugar Productions’ with Hannah. Her friends and family are providing her with wonderful support in this experience.

jennifer lokwidow/servant, luciusJennifer is a Canadian singer and actress. She started her theatre training at six years old under Hong Kong actress Alannah Ong, and at Vancouver Film School. Jennifer moved to Hong Kong in 2009 and started her career by placing top 13 on ATV’s Asia Millionaire Star singing competition series. After, she moved on to hosting the educational TV show Keep Up Level Up for TVB. Jennifer is currently producing her own educational show Miss Jennifer’s Classroom.

jessica walshcassiusJessica graduated from the Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin (Ireland) in 2012 and moved to Hong Kong to pursue her career. Since arriving she has directed and performed in Tweet for DEER Theatre and took part in the Hong Kong People’s Fringe Festival (November 2013) as a very pregnant lady in Bun in the Oven. Jessica is very excited to be a part of Shakespeare in the Port and is grateful for the amazing people she has had the pleasure of working with as part of this innovative project.

jonathan brantleyvincentio, directorBefore coming to Hong Kong, Jonathan Brantley had the privilege of teaching and directing students all over the USA. As a Theater Teacher, he directed various productions such as Romeo & Juliet, The Crucible, How Eat Like A Child and A Christmas Carol. In addition, Jonathan also worked for Missoula Children’s Theater International as a tour actor/ director on 5 different children’s musicals including The Jungle Book and Robin Hood, performing in 35 US states and 4 other countries including Canada, Germany and Turkey. In Hong Kong, for adult audiences, his past directing credits include Bryony Lavery’s FROZEN, A R Gurney’s The Dining Room and Jane Smith’s Talking With. When he’s not directing, Jonathan is teaching English in Sheung Wan at SWCSS Primary School.

hannah lochheadjulius caesar, directorHannah Lochhead is an Irish actress based in Hong Kong since July 2012. She is also known for teaching Drama and English, directing multiple award winning productions for the Hong Kong schools drama festival, Theatre in Education services and as a writer of children’s and adult’s plays. She studied Drama Performance at the Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin where she trained in David Zinder and the Michael Chekhov Technique as well as movement, voice and Shakespeare. She has completed courses in film, commedia and intensive acting training in the Gaiety School of Acting, National Theatre School of Ireland as well as taking numerous courses in dance in the National Performing Art School, Dublin. She has appeared in a variety of theatrical productions in Ireland such as The Threepenny Opera, Romeo and Juliet and Animal Farm. Since moving to Hong Kong in 2012, Hannah has been practicing the art of Burlesque, dancing for public and private events as well as full scale productions. Most recent theatrical credits include Sleeping Beauty in Sleeping Beauty The Panto (Nov - Dec 2013, the Hong Kong Players).

natalie lundbrutusThe Brazilian born Natalie Lund studied Performing arts in Hamburg and has since worked in Germany, France, Dubai and Sydney before making Hong Kong her stage of choice. She made her debut with the Saint Monica in “The Last days of Judas Iscariot”, continued with another Aurora Production as C in Bittergirl and moaned in “The Vagina Monologues”. Apart from theatre she has been performing with her metal band Horus and trained for a Kung Fu movie that may or may not be shown in Theaters near you.

nicole garbellinitranio, mark antonyNicole has been actively involved in theatre since 1995. After Italy and Australia, Nicole has made Hong Kong her home for several years and worked to promote local English language theatre that entertains and challenges audiences both as performer, director and producer. Her acting credits include, among others, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Closer, The Importance of Being Earnest, We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay! C&C I and II (Coffee and Cigarettes and then its sequel, Champagne and Cigarettes), Glengarry Glen Ross, Bittergirl and the award winning The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot.

vanessa nobleoctaviusVanessa is a classically trained saxophonist, clarinettist and actress who loves performing. Her Hong Kong debut was in the production of The Vagina Monologues. Vanessa received her BA(Hons) from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London where her prominent moments were performing at The Minack Theatre in Alice in Wonderland, producing a Film project and studying as a Playwright. When not acting, Vanessa enjoys dancing, international travel and Kung Fu. She is very excited to be taking part in Shakespeare in the Port and would like to thank her family and friends for all their support.

veronica kuksound design (the taming of the shrew & the tragedy of miss julius caesar)Veronica is currently pursuing a Bachelor Degree of Fine Arts in the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, major in Sound Design. She participated in a number of school productions as Sound Designer, like “Choreographic Workshop 2014 - Reveal”. She was also involved a number of local productions as audio technician. Strength includes sound synthesis and editing, music composition and operation.

toh han shihgremioToh Han Shih is a Singaporean who has lived in Hong Kong for over 10 years. He holds a full time job as a business reporter with South China Morning Post. He has acted in various productions in Hong Kong, including Johnny Xi in 2013, Forget Herostratus in 2012 and Ordained by Heaven in 2011. He played the lead male character in a Shakespeare Play, Measure for Measure, in Hong Kong in 2009.

tom mcleanbaptistaTom McLean studied theatre arts at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. He has worked on numerous film and theatre projects over the years as an actor, writer and director. Currently, he is involved in a number of film productions here in Hong Kong.

meaghan mcgurganartistic directorMeaghan McGurgan is an award-winning director and designer originally from Atlanta, Georgia. For the past 5 years she has lived and worked in Hong Kong and won 13 Hong Kong Drama Festival awards. Meaghan’s made her living in Hong Kong’s burgeoning children’s theatre market, but has also worked for well-respected companies in the past such as: The Central City Opera, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, The Springer Opera House, and Dad’s Garage.

lisa middletoneducation director Lisa Middleton is a teacher, mother and drama enthusiast. Originally from Scotland, she has been involved with several theatre productions since moving to Hong Kong. She is currently working on an original piece about mother-daughter relationships that will debut in May of 2014.

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INAUGURAL SEASON STARTS

JUNE 2014

a huge thank you to all our sponsors

rehearsal sponsor

media sponsor

makeup sponsor

easter egg hunt sponsored by

shakespeare's birthday party sponsored by

dance sponsor

translations sponsored by

voiceovers recorded by

videography sponsored by

a small grant was provided to this festival by

80 percent of the funding for Shakespeare in the Port was community organised through our crowd funding partner, Fringebacker. We are not financially supported by the government of Hong Kong. To help make the festival possible for next year, please consider making a small donation on your way out!!

Mark Clift, Gary Lo, Jessica Ng, Kalam Cheung, Alice McKay, Mark Peaker, Tom Hope, Henry Southern, Maryanne Hui, Sally Connell, Liz Wombell, Ashleigh Cox, Gladys

Li, Leeann Bennett, Alison Tan, Harrison Kelley, Travis Jones, Damien Barnes, Michael Dorsher, Tom Tiding, Ysabelle Cheung, Tammie Rhee, Matthew Gillespie,

David Janke, Peter Gordon, Justin Sweeting, Annabel Lam, Mona Chu, Edmund Lo, Flat Cap Asia, Azure Tax, Showtex, IROCO Design, Dramatic English, Youth Arts

Foundation, RTHK, Timeout Hong Kong, HKELD, SCMP, Little Steps Asia, The HK Hub, Sassy Hong Kong, TVB Pearl, Sassy Mama, The House News, Ming Pao, Art Map,

BOOM Magazine, PLUG Magazine, Coconuts Hong Kong, Hong Kong Freelancers, Ticketflap, HKU Space and...

Our Fringebackers. We could not have made the festival possible without you!

david janke

special thanks to our friends and supporters

david jankeannabel lam

aaron michelson