Theater 2020, Brooklyn Heights’ own professional stage company, will present Shakespeare’s King Lear starting next weekend (video after the jump). There will be performances on Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24 starting at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, May 25 starting at 3:00 p.m. The play will run through the following two weekends (May 30-June 1 and June 6-8) with performances at the same times on the corresponding days. The venue is St. Charles Borromeo Church, 19 Sidney Place. Tickets are $18 and may be purchased in advance by credit card here or with cash at the door (for reservations call 718-624-3614 or e-mail theater2020@gmail.com). From Theater 2020:

You have never seen KING LEAR quite like this. Join us in the amazing interior of the Saint Charles Borromeo Church in Brooklyn Heights for a modern gothic take on one of Shakespeare’s most beloved tragedies. You will be at the center of the action as we explore both the humor (Yes! Humor!) and poignancy of the challenges of the aging body and mind in this timeless story of family greed and failure to communicate. Well known New York Indie Theater actor [and Heights resident] David Fuller stars as King Lear, and Kim Sullivan (Classical Theatre of Harlem) is Gloucester in this 15 member diverse and top notch cast.

Following the play’s run at St. Charles Borromeo, on the weekend of June 13-15, there will be three free outdoor performances, each starting at 7:00 p.m., on Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park. No reservations are required.

See our review of Theater 2020′s production of Candide in February of this year.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/67340

Theater 2020, Brooklyn Heights’ own professional theater company, will present a fortieth anniversary revival of the Hal Prince version of Leonard Bernstein’s (photo) musical comedy Candide, based on the novel by the same title by Voltaire. The show will run for four successive weekends: February 14, 15, and 16; 21, 22, and 23; 28, March 1, and 2; and 7, 8, and 9.. Friday and Saturday performances will start at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday’s performances will begin at 3:00 p.m. The venue is St. Charles Borromeo Church, 19 Sidney Place. From Theater 2020′s press release:

The 18th Century author Voltaire wrote a fanciful story about a young man, Candide, whose journey of improbable misadventures leads him ultimately to love, manhood and the meaning of Life. War, natural disasters, unnatural assignations, torture, pirates and disease are among the many obstacles Candide overcomes, in a paradoxically comedic satire, with the help of his mentor Dr. Pangloss, his love Cunegonde and the omnipotent presence of Voltaire himself. Leonard Bernstein’s musical adaptation, with a book by Lillian Hellman, and lyrics by Richard Wilbur, John LaTouche and Dorothy Parker, first appeared on Broadway in 1956. In 1973, Hal Prince got Hugh Wheeler to write a new book and this pared down version, with additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, was presented in Brooklyn at the Chelsea Theatre Center (now BAM). Theater 2020 is delighted to bring this version back to Brooklyn, in a site-specific production at St. Charles Borromeo Church. Relying heavily on its outstanding ensemble, the costume design of New York Innovative Theater Award Nominee Viviane Galloway and the piano virtuosity of Music Director Ming Aldrich-Gan, this production brings a classically contemporary take to the musical, in which extreme optimism is lampooned in favor of a more pragmatic approach to life. The characters are archetypes, the tale is episodic and picaresque, the style is guerilla theater meets morality play — and the music is glorious! Hal Prince wrote of his 1973 production: “Candide owes its origins to medieval theater, to the Globe, to commedia dell’arte. It is street theater. It is not about film. It is about live actors and a live audience.” When a 21st century audience meets skilled singer-story tellers, it’s “The Best of All Possible Worlds.”

Your correspondent is amused that among the contributors to the original version of the musical Candide were Lillian Hellman and Dorothy Parker, whose mutual loathing is perhaps best summed up in this anecdote:

Hellman (holding door open as Parker approaches): “Age before beauty.”
Parker (swooping by): “Pearls before swine.”

Admission to Candide is $18.00. You can make reservations and buy tickets here or at the Theater 2020 website, or you may reserve seats by e-mailing theater2020@gmail.com and pay cash (no cards or checks) at the door.

Leonard Bernstein photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/65292

Gerald Newman

Horton Foote’s Dividing the Estate has its Brooklyn Premiere with The Heights Players tonight; the run lasts through September 22nd.

As with many of Foote’s plays, Dividing the Estate is set in the fictional town of Harrison, Texas in 1987. This prize-winning play focuses on the Gordon clan, led by octogenarian Stella Gordon. In the late 1980s, the country is facing a shifting economy. The Gordon family must confront their past as they prepare for an uncertain future while facing plunging real estate values and unexpected tax bills. As their fortune begins to diminish, various members of the family – particularly Stella’s greedy children – prepare to divide her estate … while she is still alive!

The Heights Players takes on a new production each month. Visit their site for the schedule.

LISTING DETAILS:
Dividing the Estate
September 6-22, 2013
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.
Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $20 ($18 for seniors and those under 18)
Reservations: 718-237-2752 or http://www.heightsplayers.org/
Location: 26 Willow Place (between State and Joralemon Streets), Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/62299

Those looking for an alternative to spending mega-bucks on a Broadway show need look no further than 3 Pierrepont Place this Saturday, as Enigma, billed as “Brooklyn’s First Outdoor Mystery Theatre Adventure” makes its debut there at noon.

Enigma—part social theatre and part history mystery, allows audience members to embark on a journey into the heart of Brooklyn Heights, armed with a map and tasked with searching for a celebrated esoteric mystery writer. Along the way, audiences encounter dynamic talismans of the neighborhoods’ past that ultimately provide them with clues—from an encounter with the ghost of a famed Victorian-era Brooklyn clairvoyant to stumbling upon an Arthur Miller-era Marilyn Monroe on the stoop of the gorgeous Willow Street home that was the site of their torrid love affair. Throughout the performance, audiences uncover some of Brooklyn’s most notorious rogues and celebrated heroes, enlightened with the aid of a refreshing themed cocktail (complimentary with admission) from an exotic Henry Street restaurant, and simultaneously discover the hidden symbols that live within the architecture of Brooklyn Heights’ grand homes, magnificent churches, and promenades.

I spoke with Enigma’s writer, Dr. Kevin Dann, who told me that the Heights’ rich literary history and historical preservation made it the perfect place to set a show such as this. “I was a tour guide and a history professor, and I tried to make my classes feel like a grail quest … And when I moved to Brooklyn Heights, I felt like everywhere I went I was walking in the footsteps of my heroes.” You can lear more about Enigma from watching the video.

Enigma opens June 29th at 3 Pierrepont Place, and runs Fridays – Sundays through October. Performances run every half hour, from 12:00pm – 4:30pm, with a runtime of 2 hours.Tickets are $60 each and can be bought here. Group rates are available.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/60374

They were a great success last year, so our Brooklyn Heights neighbors, David Fuller and Judith Jarosz of Theater 2020, are presenting holiday events on the next two weekends. Both will be happening at St. Charles Borromeo, 21 Sidney Place. The first, on this coming Sunday, December 2, starting at 3:00 p.m. will be A Merry Joyful Noise, featuring the group RPM:

The group features performers Mary Lou Barber, John Canary (& Piano), Paula Hoza, Luisa Tedoff & Tim Weiss (& Guitar), from the Broadway, Cabaret & Indie Theater community. Admission [suggested donation $20, no one will be turned away] includes an optional sing-a-long on some of the classics & a reception with the artists immediately following the concert. Great for the whole family.

The second event, on Saturday, December 8, also starting at 3:00 p.m., will be A Radio Christmas Carol, “Charles Dickens’ Christmas Classic Performed as a Radio Play complete with Foley Artist Sound Effects.” Again, admission is a suggested donation of $20, but no one will be turned away. For more information please visit the Theater 2020 website

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/52300

Brooklyn Bridge Park is closed until further notice. The Brooklyn Historical Society will be closed through Tuesday, November 6. Fortunately, Bargemusic didn’t sustain any serious damage, but repairs to an outside sprinkler pipe will keep it closed through this weekend. However, Brooklyn Heights Cinema, 70 Henry Street (corner of Orange), which remained open through Sandy’s ravages thanks to the dedication of owner Kenn Lowy, will have its normal schedule of shows. Looking ahead to this coming Wednesday, November 7, the Cinema will present songs and a reading by Steve Witt from his new novel, The Street Singer. And there’s more…

The Troupers of St. Francis College will present three performances (Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 2:00 p.m.) of Yasmina Reza’s award winning play God of Carnage, about inter-domestic strife in Cobble Hill (image, taken from the Broadway production, from The New York Times. The performances will be at the College’s auditorium, 180 Remsen Street.

If you want to to help people who were affected badly by Sandy, our neighbors in Red Hook are taking donations of food and other essentials at 767 Hicks Street; for more information see here. Brooklyn Bridge Park may need additional cleanup help; watch the Park’s Facebook page for announcements. The Red Cross has other volunteer opportunities.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/50980

Brooklyn Heights’ resident professional theater company Theater 2020 will host a free “trimmed” reading of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” featuring professional actors from the company, on Saturday, November 10 at 1:30 p.m. Location: the first floor theater room at the Brooklyn Heights Public Library at 280 Cadman Plaza West.

Doors open at 1, with the reading beginning at 1:30 sharp. Running time is about 2 hours with a brief intermission. No reservations are necessary. More about Theater2020 here.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49854

We have previously noted Theater 2020′s partially staged reading, followed by a reception with the cast, of Lynn Marie Macy’s work in progress, Lady Susan or the Captive Heart, a Jane Austen Bodice Ripper, to be presented this Thursday evening, October 4 at St.Charles Borromeo Church, 21 Sidney Place, starting at 7:00 p.m. (suggested donation $25; reservations here or call 718-624-3614). As it turns out, this fits neatly into a program of Austen related events that are free and open to the public in connection with the annual meeting of The Jane Austen Society of North America, being held at the Marriott Brooklyn Bridge, 333 Adams Street.

On Thursday afternoon from 1:00 to 2:00 at the Marriott there will be a lecture, “In Search of the Real Jane Austen,” by Austen expert Annette LeClair. Admission is free, but please e-mail jasna2012A@gmail.com with your name and the number in your party, so they can know how many to expect.

This coming Sunday, October 7, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., also at the Marriott,

[d]ozens of authors will be present to sign a variety of books (available for purchase); the roster includes cocktail historian David Wondrich, and Austen-inspired novelists Syrie James and Linda Berdoll.

Free admission, and no rsvp necessary.

Image: Jane Austen Literary Festival.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/48786

This Saturday’s (July 14) reading, presented by Theater 2020, of Lynn Marie Macy’s work-in-progress Lady Susan or the Captive Heart, a Jane Austen Bodice Ripper, originally scheduled to be held at the Brooklyn Heights Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, has, because of the Library’s well known air conditioning problems, been moved to St. Charles Borromeo Church, 21 Sidney Place. It will be from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.; admission is free and no reservations are required; and the playwright and actors will be available for a brief discussion afterward.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/43935

Marilyn appears in 2008 film "Rag Doll."

Marilyn J. Beck, a longtime Remsen St. resident and active member of the Heights Players, died at Long Island College Hospital Saturday night. She was 80. Marilyn hailed from Indiana, where she attended St. Mary’s College and Ball State University. She worked for many years as a New York City public school teacher, retiring in 1989, but devoted much of her time to studying acting at HB Studio, in addition to pursuing African dance and ballet. A member of the Screen Actors Guild, her credits included “Going in Style” (1979), “A Beautiful Mind” (2001), and a 2003 episode of “Chappelle’s Show,” in which she played the wife of Chappelle’s blind, white supremacist character Clayton Bigsby.

Marilyn kicks up her heels in "Waiting in the Wings" at the Heights Players. Photo by M. Hermann

Marilyn appears opposite Dave Chappelle in 2003.

As a literacy advocate, she organized a program of dramatized short story readings that toured local libraries and nursing homes in the early 1990s, and volunteered with the SAG BookPALS program. Local audiences may remember her collaboration with legendary jazz violinist Noel Pointer on the production “Loving Henry,” a musical based on the Henry Ward Beecher adultery scandal of the 1870s. Marilyn was a fixture at the Heights Players, appearing in countless roles over the years. Dedicated to her craft, in 2005 she collapsed backstage during a production of “The Women,” but insisted on finishing the show before being brought to the hospital. Despite failing health, she appeared on stage as recently as last month in a tribute to Heights Players founding member John Bourne.

Scene from independent film "El Delivery" in 2004.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/43388

This past February, our friends at Theater 2020 presented a reading of playwright Lynn Marie Macy’s work in progress, Lady Susan or the Captive Heart, a Jane Austen Bodice Ripper at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Brooklyn Heights Branch, Cadman Plaza West and Tillary Street. Your correspondent attended, and filed this report. Since then, Ms. Macy has been refining her script, and now there’s a second opportunity to hear a reading of Lady Susan before it’s put into final shape and performed on stage sometime in 2013.

The reading will be at the same place on Saturday, July 14 (one week from this coming Saturday), from 1:20 to 3:30 p.m. Admission is free, as is the air conditioning.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/43381

The final two performances of Theater 2020′s innovative, family friendly production of Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors will take place this coming Saturday and Sunday, June 9th and 10th, both starting at 7:00 p.m., at Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park. Admission is free.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/41693

Tomorrow evening (Friday, June 1) the Brooklyn Film Festival starts at the Brooklyn Heights Cinema with screenings of Brooklyn Castle (8:00 p.m., Cinema 2, sold out) and Rose (photo) (8:30 p.m., Cinema 1, tickets available through the Festival website linked above). The Festival continues through the weekend, the following week and weekend, finishing on Sunday, June 10. A complete schedule is on the linked Festival website.

Several events will be taking place at Brooklyn Bridge Park this weekend. The World Science Festival–Science on Site will be on Pier 1 Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Also on Saturday, professional and amateur astronomers will be on Pier 1 for a stargazing party from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. On Sunday afternoon, from 3:00 to 5:30, Walt Whitman fans should gather at the Granite Prospect on Pier 1 for a marathon reading of the Brooklyn Bard’s “Song of Myself”.

On Saturday afternoon, starting at 3:00 p.m., gather at the Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street (corner of Clinton) for a walking tour, “Hiding in Plain Sight: A Walk Down Pierrepont Street, Brooklyn Heights”. Tickets ($8; $5 for BHS members) may be purchased, and there are more details, here.

Don’t forget the final two performances of Theater 2020′s production of Shakepeare’s A Comedy of Errors: Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., at the Cranberry Street Theater Space, Assumption Church, 55 Cranberry Street.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/41508