The Taming of the Shrew, 2009. Photo: Pearse Pinch.
Twelfth Night, 2008. Photo: John Giammatteo

ARTFARM announces auditions for
Shakespeare’s
As You Like It

Friday, February 26, 6 – 9 pm
or
Saturday, February 27, 1 – 4 pm

In Founders Hall, Middlesex Community College,
100 Training Hill Road, Middletown, CT.

Experienced performers wishing to audition must be at least 18 years old and attend one of the two audition sessions for the entire three hours.
Come dressed to move, with a Shakespeare monolog prepared. Please bring a current resume and headshot. Singers will be asked to sing – a cappella or supply your own accompaniment. Non-Equity professionals encouraged. A limited number of Equity Guest Artist contracts may be available.

Rehearsals begin May 24 and will be weekday evenings, 6 – 9 pm. Shakespeare in the Grove performances of As You Like It will be July 8 – 11 and 15 – 18.

Call (860) 346-4390 or email info@art-farm.org for more information, or to register for one of the audition sessions.  

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.Click here for Spotlight on CT
Shakespeare In Grove 09 interview!

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The Taming of the Shrew
July 16 - 19 and 23 - 26, 2009
OUTDOORS in the Cedar Grove
at Middlesex Community College, 100 Training Hill Rd., Middletown
Live Music begins at 6 pm
Play starts at 7 pm
EcoFestival on Sundays, July 19 & 26

Directed by ARTFARM Core Ensemble Member Joni Weisfeld, this production promises to deliver ARTFARM's signature physical style to the beautiful Cedar Grove at Middlesex Community College. Arrive before 6 pm with your family and friends, and enjoy a picnic while listening to fabulous music provided by some of Connecticut's top musical artists.
Performance will be held indoors in the case of rain. Shakespeare in the Grove is supported by Middlesex Community College Division of Humanities and Arts, City of Middletown, Pratt & Whitney, Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Aetna Foundation, Middletown Commission on the Arts, Middlesex County Community Foundation and many generous donors.

Admission is "Pay If You Can" -- the suggested donation is $20 for adults.

Directions to Shakespeare in the Grove 2009 

Musical Headliners

July 16: Nancy Tucker (shown above)
July 17: Banning Eyre
July 18: Nzinga's Daughters
July 19: Lee Mixashawn Rozie

July 23: Rani Arbo & Mark Erelli
July 24: Joe Fonda and Mike Mussilami
July 25: Dennis Waring & Friends
July 26: Carlos Hernandez Chavez 

Rehearsal Photo by Pearse Pinch. Jackie Coleman as Bianca, Ken O'Brien as Lucention.

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Shakespeare in the Grove Press Release
July 2, 2009

The global economic recession has hit everyone hard. But Middletown based theater company ARTFARM hasn’t let financial woes hamper its style. The organization’s goal of providing world class Shakespeare to the Connecticut River Valley, while emphasizing environmental sustainability, will be realized once again this summer.
ARTFARM presents its exciting fourth season of Shakespeare in the Grove, featuring The Taming of the Shrew, July 16- 19 and 23 - 26 in the Cedar Grove at Middlesex Community College.
Local musicians will play before each performance beginning at 6 pm. Families are encouraged to arrive early, bring blankets or lawn chairs and enjoy a picnic while being serenaded. There will be everything from Native American jazz to the rhythms of Latin music. Performers include:

On Sunday performances, July 19 and 26, the show will be preceded by ARTFARM’s annual Ecofestival. 

Representatives from various local and national environmental action groups will be present for the EcoFestivals. On July 19 EcoFestival Stage performers will include solo musician Dave Downs and the duet Tim Sparks and Melissa Spencer. July 26 entertainment will be provided by Eric Kuhn as well as poet J-Cherry and Friends. Phil & Ken Faraci (aka 45RPM) and ARTFARM's Circus for a Fragile Planet will perform on both Sundays. Roving performers will wander among the crowd and there will be environmental games and activities and an exhibit of recycled art. Local organic farmers will sell their produce, and artisans put up for sale everything from homemade soap to products made from alpaca wool. Don't miss this fabulous family celebration of our link to the planet!

The main event, of course, is The Taming of the Shrew. The basis for such popular films as Kiss Me Kate and Ten Things I Hate About You, The Taming of the Shrew has often captured the imagination of modern audiences. Director Joni Weisfeld brings fresh ideas to Shakespeare’s comedy. Weisfeld hopes to present the play in a progressive light by exploring with physicality the play’s animal elements: “When I first read the play, the idea of ‘taming’ really stuck out. There's something very animalistic about that word and the actions that go along with it.  Most people, upon reading the play think of Kate as the ‘Shrew’ that must be tamed, but I think that it is her inner animal that needs taming.  And we ALL have inner animals.  Petruchio has one.  Lucentio and Bianca have one.  I have one.  You have one.  And yes, sometimes these inner beasts hurt us or hurt others, and they need to be reigned in.  But these inner animals are also what attract us to our mates, make us fall in love, and what keeps us together for life. When it comes to love, we all have shrews within us.  In fact, the original title for this play was "Taming of A Shrew", which implies there are many shrews and Kate is just one. ”
Bringing this creative vision to life has been especially difficult in the midst of the economic recession.“The bank which had been our signature sponsor since the beginning had to back out this year,” ARTFARM Artistic Director Marcella Trowbridge said, “and other corporate and foundation donors came back at lower levels. State and City funding have both been a challenge. Yet our audience grows every year and expects more from us. How do we keep this magic alive without sacrificing quality or accessibility? That has been the challenge of 2009.”
Trowbridge, who will be playing Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew, and ARTFARM Executive Director Dic Wheeler solicited the help of the Middletown community in meeting these financial challenges and have met with huge support. ARTFARM’s June 9 Sonnet Slam and Elizabethan Bash attracted 150 people and garnered over $6000. Community members have hosted benefit dinners in their homes, and generous individual donors have helped make the production possible.
ARTFARM’s mission is to cultivate high-quality theater with a commitment to simple living, environmental sustainability and social justice. The group purposely mixes its Shakespeare with an environmental festival featuring local farmers, educational and advocacy groups, live music and circus performers to “cross-pollinate” the Shakespeare audience and the environmental activists. ARTFARM’s Circus for a Fragile Planet will be featured at the EcoFestivals on July 19 and 26.
Middlesex Community College is located at 100 Training Hill Road in Middletown. In the event of rain the performance will be held indoors at the college. Shakespeare in the Grove is co-sponsored by the Humanities and Arts Division of Middlesex Community College. Additional funding is provided by the City of Middletown, the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Pratt and Whitney, the Aetna Foundation, the Middletown Commission on the Arts and the Middlesex County Community Foundation.     
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 SHAKESPEARE IN THE GROVE 2008

Thank Yous go out to everyone who came out to see Shakespeare in the Grove's "Twelfth Night"!