Tag Archives: Taylor Harvey

Shakesport: Much Ado About ANYTHING

Immersive Experience, Shakespeare, Theater Event August 29, 2026 Leave a comment

Experiencing the timeless wonder of a play by William Shakespeare does not have to be some hoity-toity affair.  Done well, his iambic pentameter can sound closer to natural conversation than a recitation of poetry.  And when you think about it, going to see Hamlet in Shakespeare’s own era was just a night out at the theater.  That approachability and entertainment value is very much in evidence every third Monday of the month at Jones Woods Foundry on the Upper East Side.  That is when the Shakespearean Improv troupe Shakesport steps out on stage — or rather into the Main Dining Room.

A typical scene performed by Shakesport at the Jones Woods Foundry

A revolving lineup of four out of the nine core players participates in each performance.  The squad takes on four scenes from the Folio and then takes them for a ride. Similar to Shakespeare’s time, there is no one sitting in a director’s chair. Instead, the show is observed by one of three Performer-Producers — Carey Van Driest, Neil Hellegers, and Gabra Zackman — who takes notes about what is working and what could use a tweak. To decide which plays should make up the program, restaurant patrons draw titles from a literal hat.  Attendees at surrounding tables then select the names of the actors to portray each part.  This means, of course, that casting is always gender neutral and that every cast member has to know the lines of every role.  As a stop gap measure, each has one pass in their actual back pocket that can be executed if they truly draw a blank.

After describing the situation and personage, the actors present the scene as written.  The action takes place around and between tables with a two-top at center (in red on the seating chart) reserved for the hat and their own beverages.  Distractions are plentiful.  “Regular” diners are seated in Jones Woods’ bar, front patio and garden and all waitstaff activity continues at a normal pace.  But these interactions are pushed into the background or playfully incorporated as just part of the fun.  Heckling is permitted — nay, encouraged — should one of the Shakesports need prompting for a forgotten line.

After the scene concludes, the improv elements or “rubs” — as in “ay, there’s the rub” — suggested by the ticket holders are pulled from a hat and added to the heady brew.  The writing of these elements is a way to get the audience involved, build a relationship with them, and give them a sense of ownership in the proceedings.  The scene is then adapted, applying these new components.  Three of the slips simply say “change roles.”  To give you a sense of how a scene might evolve, at the August rendition the cast of Taylor Harvey, Jess Nahikian, Gabriel Vaughan, and Zackman ended up creating a hilarious rendition of MacBeth in a nail salon with two different accents and an exit pursued by a bear.  Through all the chaos, the core of the scene remained intact.  They made it look easy.  It is not.

The Shakesport team’s collaboration with Jones Woods Foundry grew out of a post-pandemic conversation between Van Driest and Jones Woods’ chef and owner Jason Hicks.  She had experience bringing Shakespeare to the people through pub crawls and similar public settings.  He wanted to bring fun and friendly entertainment into his restaurant.  Having also been born in Stratford Upon Avon, iconic Shakespeare turned on its “pate” was an obvious fit for Hicks’ needs.  

Hellegers was the next to join the creative discussion about how best to preserve the lyrical language while keeping the stories fresh, flexible and delicious with a side of Yorkshire pudding.  Other company participants were recruited primarily from within the professional circle of audio narrators to which Van Driest and Hellegers belong.  The company is now expanding their reach with an engagement on October 15 at the Phoenix Festival in Nyack.  They are also making themselves available for private events. Inquiries can be sent to shakesportnyc@gmail.com or by direct message at https://www.instagram.com/shakesportnyc/.  

Shakesport is an imaginative spin on the works of the Bard and a terrific night out.  Performances occur on the third Monday of every month at Jones Woods Foundry, a British pub at 401 East 76th.  Seating is arranged by the restaurant host and reservations for the 40 seat room are required.  Doors open at 7PM and running time is from 7:30 PM to approximately 10PM.  Your $60 ticket includes a delicious glass of house wine or draft beer and a choice of a crispy fish sandwich or chicken Caesar salad.  There is a menu of snacks and desserts to add at an extra charge.  Entrees are served after Act 2.  The space has steps and is not fully accessible. Visit https://www.joneswoodfoundry.com/2026/01/28/an-interactive-shakespeare-night/ for bookings and more information.

First Love

Off-Broadway, Play, Uncategorized June 16, 2018 Leave a comment

When seeing Charles Mee’s First Love at the Cherry Lane, take your emotional cue from Edward Pierce’s Magritte-influenced set.  From its cloud covered doorway, to the leaf-shaped tree, to that end point that wraps itself around the side curtain, everything here is inspired by the natural world and simultaneously fanciful.  If you can get yourself firmly in that mind space there’s a pleasant ride ahead, witnessing two people who could benefit from their shared time.

The phrase first love is nearly synonymous with young love, but in this case the lovers are closer to 70.  They initially connect over memories of activism in the 1960, though from the beginning their idea of involvement is wildly different.  Edith was an eager and active participant while the biggest impact that tumultuous period had on Harold occurred when he wasn’t even present.  Though this disparity persists, their relationship takes root, nurtured by a Young Woman who appears to have powers similar to those of Cupid.

Taylor Harvey, Michael O'Keefe and Angelina Fiordelissi. Photo by Monique Carboni (3)

Taylor Harvey, Michael O’Keefe and Angelina Fiordelissi. Photo by Monique Carboni

The romance is portrayed in a series of clipped scenes, some with moments of tenderness and others largely cruel and cutting.  Throughout their story, the two essentially hold true to their 1960s selves.  Edith initiates, entices and at one point boogies down to the whoops and hollers of the audience.  Harold reacts and expresses his inner thoughts and turmoil aloud, both to himself and to us. Though Edith professes that Harold is changing her life, there is little character growth, which is perhaps realistic for a tale of two people who are farther down the path of life.  The couple occasionally engages with the Young Women, but more often she is an outside observer, floating in with a prop or playing the piano on stage left.

Mee’s dialogue is excessively flowery, at points sticking to the roofs of the actors’ mouths.  Edith and Harold sometimes speak Braavos-like of “a man” and “a woman”.  While potentially distancing, these artistic flourishes also bring an air of old love poetry to their exchanges.  The opening scene is thick with cultural references to luminaries from 1960 counterculture, culminating in Edith and Harold shouting the lines from “Howl” at one another.   No context is given and it might be tough going for someone not familiar with Ginsberg, Abbie Hoffman and Jack Kerouac.  A gleeful rant about the very opinionated John Simon received the biggest laugh, but it is doubtful that many newer theater goers are familiar with a critical column that hasn’t been published in 13 years.  Mee also makes questionable choices with the music used  to connect beats of the script.  The selection of classics from the 1940s  — crowd-pleasers though they are — undercut the common ground from 20 years on that has been laid.

Given a script long on elements of the fantastic, director Kim Weild focuses attention on the more human elements of Edith and Harold’s interaction.  Angelia Fiordellisi brings terrific exuberance to Edith while Michael O’Keefe has a realistic blend of vulnerability and soft sex appeal.  Taylor Harvey makes a graceful spirit of love, though she falters in her unnecessarily lengthy tug of war with Harold over his selection of dessert.  All three characters are buoyed by Theresa Squire’s costumes: flowing earth motherly layers for Fiordellisi, baseball cap and whatever is closest to the bed for O’Keefe, and sparkle, hearts, and flowers for Harvey.  The back of Edward Pierce’s set is a delight, but the piece that functions as a bench, sofa, restaurant booth and more is not as clever as it should be to complete the vision.  Paul Miller and Christian Frederickson are responsible for sturdy lighting and sound design.

The concept of developing a story of first love taking place between two people who came of age in the 60s in an intriguing one.  While this First Love doesn’t quite fulfill the assignment, there is enough beneath its outer shell to provoke exploration. Performances continue at the Cherry Lane though July 8.  Tickets are $65-$95 and are available at www.cherrylanetheatre.org or by calling Ovation Tix at 1.866.811.4111.