Community Events

UPCOMING EVENTS

ASP’s professional productions are the centerpiece of a series of events that explore the play in a wide variety of ways. Join us for a deep dive inside ASP’s productions!

PAST EVENTS

Open Rehearsal: Nat Turner in Jerusalem

Join us for a sneak peek into our upcoming production of NAT TURNER IN JERUSALEM, directed by Benny Sato Ambush! Saturday January 19 from 11:00am-12:00pm. Studio Not 2B, Armory Center for the Arts, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143. RSVP to boxoffice (at) actorsshakespeareproject.org by 3:00pm on Friday January 18 to attend.

MACBETH Sunday Post-Show Conversations

Sunday November 11, 2018. Stay tuned for more info! Post-show conversations take place in the sanctuary following each Sunday matinee.

Fog x Macbeth

Macbeth, in a special performance at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University: Fog x Macbeth Sunday, October 21 at 5:00pm Performing Arts at the Arnold Arboretum partners with Actors’ Shakespeare Project as part of the celebration series for the twentieth anniversary of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy. Renowned artist Fujiko Nakaya designs climate-responsive “fog sculptures” for five Emerald Necklace parks, providing an evocative setting for a shortened version of ASP’s Macbeth at the Arboretum on October 21. Performed outdoors; tickets are free. For more information: arboretum.harvard.edu

MACBETH Sunday Post-Show Conversations

Sunday October 14, 2018. Salem State University professor Jeffrey Theis and Boston College professor Robert Stanton discuss Shakespeare and the history of the English language in the context of this production of Macbeth. Post-show conversations take place in the sanctuary following each Sunday matinee.

MACBETH Sunday Post-Show Conversations

Sunday October 7, 2018. ASP Artistic Director Christopher V. Edwards and Shakespeare and Company Artistic Director Allyn Burrows share their perspectives on the translation project. What does it mean for Shakespeare and for the companies around the country that bear his name? Post-show conversations take place in the sanctuary following each Sunday matinee.

MACBETH Sunday Post-Show Conversations: "Play on, Shakespeare! The Risks & Rewards of Translating Shakespeare"

Sunday September 30, 2018. After the matinee performance of MACBETH. Migdalia Cruz, playwright & MACBETH translator, and Lue Douthit, the director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Play on! Project, join ASP Director of Education Mara Sidmore in discussion. Join us as we unpack what it means to translate Shakespeare’s works in modern times. Post-show conversations take place in the sanctuary following each Sunday matinee.

Open Rehearsal: Macbeth

Join us for a sneak peek into our upcoming production of MACBETH, directed by Dawn Meredith Simmons! Saturday September 15 from 11:00am-12:00pm. Studio Not 2B, Armory Center for the Arts, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143. RSVP to boxoffice (at) actorsshakespeareproject.org by 3:00pm on Friday September 14 to attend!

Open Rehearsal: Much Ado About Nothing

On Saturday, March 31, 2018 join us for an Open Rehearsal of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. 11am-12pm at Studio Not2B, Center for the Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville. Free parking behind the building, and on the street. R.S.V.P. by March 30!

Julius Caesar Conversations: "Did This in Caesar Seem Ambitious?"

Sunday December 17, 2017. JULIUS CAESAR is sometimes thought to be a play with no true villain. Join members of the cast on their closing Sunday as they discuss whether, from their perspective, there is a villain in the story, and how the intents behind characters’ actions are justified.

Julius Caesar Conversations: "This is Our Lofty Scene."

Sunday, December 10, 2017. Salem State University Professor of English and Shakespeare scholar Jeffrey Theis will present a brief overview of the difference in Shakespeare’s version of Roman history versus actual events in Caesar’s time. He will then facilitate a discussion on the Romans’ reactions to the various political figures in the play, and how we as citizens are moved by various types of people in power. Moderated by Lindsay Williams, Education and Project Associate.

Julius Caesar Conversations: "Establish Caesar as a Queen."

Sunday December 3, 2017. Michael Jaros, Associate Professor of English at Salem State University, will engage Director Bryn Boice in a conversation around her vision for an all-female alternative universe in Julius Caesar. Taking inspiration from the realm of science fiction, ASP’s Caesar team set out to create a world that is, for reasons unknown, devoid of men. How does this interpretation and the design of the play enhance this all-female realm? How does such a vision for the play inform the text, and vice versa? Moderated by Lindsay Williams, Education and Project Associate.

Julius Caesar Conversations: Women in Power Panel

Extended Post-Show Special Event: 4:30-5:30 PM By choosing to do an all-female JULIUS CAESAR, ASP is inherently exploring what happens when women are warring against each other for power in the context of a masculine heteronormative political structure. In this post-show panel, we examine the themes, stereotypes, and questions associated with women in leadership/power roles. How do we interpret an all-female world of JULIUS CAESAR through this lens? How does this connect to the politics of our current country? Panelists include: Leena Akhtar, Lecturer in Studies of Women, Gender and Sexuality at Harvard University; Bryn Boice, ASP JULIUS CAESAR Director; Sonia Chang-Diaz, Massachusetts Senator, 2nd Suffolk District; Tina Packer, founder of Shakespeare & Company and author of Women of Will: Following the Feminine in Shakespeare’s Plays. Moderated by Mara Sidmore, Director of Education Programs, Projects, and Partnerships

Julius Caesar Conversations: "This was Woman."

On Sunday November 17, 2017, Keja Valens, Associate Professor of English, Graduate Coordinator of MA in English, and Faculty Fellow for Diversity, Power Dynamics, and Social Justice at Salem State University will engage members of the cast in a discussion around ASP’s all-female approach to JULIUS CAESAR. Instead of having women play men, Director Bryn Boice chose to tell the story in a female world. What does experimenting with gender roles do to this typically male-dominated story? How does this connect to our understanding of gender identities and roles today? Moderated by Mara Sidmore, Director of Education Programs, Projects, and Partnerships.

Exit the King Conversations: "The World of ASP'S EXIT THE KING"

Sunday October 8, 2017. At ASP’s first rehearsal for EXIT THE KING, our design team spoke of a wonderfully specific and compelling world, the remnants of a grand party with “pops of joy amidst sadness,” and then brought that vision to life. After our very last performance, dive deeper into the visual/aural elements of the piece with members of our EXIT THE KING team. How did design choices inform actors’ performances, and vice versa? What are the challenges of creating and bringing to life a world for an absurdist play? Facilitated by Lindsay Williams, Education and Project Associate.

Exit the King Conversations: IONESCO AND THE ABSURD

Sunday, October 1, 2017. Actors’ Shakespeare Project had yet to tackle Ionesco, or his contemporaries, until this, our 14th season. Join Artistic Director Chris Edwards and members of the cast to discuss the process of working on Ionesco, and how making this play differs (or doesn’t) from the process of making Shakespeare. Facilitated by Chris Edwards, Artistic Director.

Exit the King Conversations: SHUFFLING OFF THIS MORTAL COIL

Sunday September 24, 2017. “It’s not natural to die, because no one ever wants to. I want to exist.” (King Berenger) Join the cast for an interactive conversation on how the characters in Exit the King either help or hinder the King’s final exit. How do they, in the 90 minutes prior to his death, help him best cope with crossing the threshold? And in our age-obsessed society, is there anything we can learn here? Facilitated by Mara Sidmore, Director of Education.

Exit the King Conversations: HOW DO WE MEASURE A MAN?

Sunday September 17, 2017. King Berenger’s reign has resulted in ruin. But does that matter as death comes calling? One man’s tyrant is another man’s hero. Doesn’t every man, therefore, deserve to be treated with dignity when facing the end? Join Director Dmitry Troyanovsky and members of the cast to discuss how to grapple with Ionesco’s despot and whether that despot truly faces a downfall in death. Facilitated by Mara Sidmore, Director of Education.

Shakespeare's Solstice: Celebrating ASP's new Artistic Director, June 22

On Thursday, June 22, 2017 we will hold a special event on the rooftop terrace of the deCordova Museum to publicly announce and welcome our new AD to the ASP community. R.S.V.P. by June 15!