Since 2007, the Queens-based Hip to Hip Theatre Company has been touring professional outdoor mountings of Shakespeare's plays to parks throughout NYC and beyond. With portable sets, energetic actors and pre-show performance workshops to engage young audiences, Hip to Hip's free productions are a great way to introduce kids to the poetry of the Bard. This year the troupe will present the raucous The Comedy of Errors in rep with his rarely seen The Tragedy of Richard II. Venues include 7 parks in Queens and 1 park each in Staten Island, Jersey City and Southampton.
The Comedy of Errors
Double trouble is double the fun! Two pairs of long-lost twins end up in the same small town. Delight in the confusion as mistaken identities and goofy hijinks mount until chaos reigns. Spoiler alert: this one has a happy ending.
The Tragedy of Richard II
Raised to believe his every thought is sanctioned by God, King Richard is dangerously out of touch. When his cousin Henry Bolingbroke challenges Richard for the throne, it's a fight the king can't win. But in losing his crown he gains his humanity and his soul.
"Kids & the Classics" is a theatre workshop for children ages 5 to 12, offered thirty minutes before each performance. It gives children a chance to interact with the text by previewing the story and by creating links between the text and their own lives through theatre games and close reading.
