TheBurg

TO BE THERE Classics Fest events are open to the public Jan. 3 through 8. Jan. 3, 7:30 p.m. "I Don't Speak Spanish" by David Ramón Zayas at Gamut eatre Jan. 4, 8 p.m. "Shakespeare and the Alchemy of Gender" by internationally renowned actress Lisa Wolpe at Whitaker Center Jan. 5, 7:30 p.m. "Market Square Concerts presents 'Tempesta di Mare,'" a Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra, featuring Gamut actors performing short scenes and sonnets Jan. 6, 8 p.m. "Becoming Othello: A Black Girl's Journey" by internationally renowned actress Debra Ann Byrd at Whitaker Center Jan. 7, 2:15 p.m. "TRACE Practices in the eatre: A Critical Tool for Moving Harm Reduction to a Culture of Healing," featuring Bridget McCarthy, executive director, Atlanta Artist Relief Fund Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m. "e African Company: e Mystery of the African Grove eatre" by Paul Hood at Gamut eatre Jan. 8, 10:30 a.m. "Strong Reasons Make Strong Actions: Innovative Partnerships and Collaborations" with Sharia Benn, Sankofa African American eatre Company; Debra Ann Byrd, Harlem Shakespeare Festival; F.L. Henley, Narcisse eatre Company; Paul Hood, playwright; Clark Nicholson, Gamut eatre; Melissa Nicholson, Gamut eatre Jan. 8, 1:30 p.m. "And To Be A Soldier" by the Olive Branch & Laurel Crown, the Veteran's Performance Ensemble of Chesapeake Shakespeare Company at Whitaker Center Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 e Art Association of Harrisburg presents a Shakespeare-themed art exhibit in the Capital Blue Cross lobby at Gamut eatre. Featured artists include Kim Stone, Carrie Wissler-omas and Tina Reiley. terminology, trauma and gender. And they will address trade topics, such as making classic theater relevant, ensemble auditions, outdoor theater and digital theater in the age of COVID. Gamut's Founding Artistic Director Clark Nicholson will offer several sessions of teaching improvisational techniques to invigorate classical performances. "e presenters have a nice mix of voices in the room, underrepresented groups, so we hear as many voices as possible," Melissa Nicholson said. "Shakespeare may be an old, dead, white male, but he's also an excellent playwright and an amazing poet… We can discover things about ourselves and each other through the vessel of his writing." THERE'S POWER Making e Bard relevant to today's world is paramount to moving forward in this space. STA members will open the topic to outside focus groups, hosting teachers and students digitally via Zoom to share their ideas on how to make Shakespeare resonate with them and to explore what about his works makes their hair stand on end. Turning foul play into fair play, or "De-colonizing e Bard," represents another hot button topic. STA members recognize their role in education and engagement, and they feel a responsibility to contextualize Shakespeare's plays to give delight and hurt not. ey will delve into critical explorations of the sometimes-detrimental legacy of Shakespeare as a cultural icon, rethinking their own programming to foster community and promote social justice. Shakespeare's works have helped a key, often marginalized group express themselves. A group of veterans took classes and formed their own company to help them express their own experiences about combat. e Veterans' Performance Ensemble at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, dubbed Olive Branch & Laurel Crown, will present "And To Be a Soldier" as part of Classics Fest. "ey found words they didn't have before to help them process what they had been through," Nicholson said. Because our national borders are less of an obstacle than during Shakespeare's time, today's actors are not hindered the way old Bill once was. Crossing the Atlantic is routine, and we don't even have to appear physically somewhere to give a performance. "Being forced into a virtual conference [for 2021] gave STA a good opportunity to reinvent itself," Nicholson said. "ere's power in working with your community, in expanding that reference group." As e Bard himself once penned, "It's a brave new world." Shakespeare eatre Association's 2022 Conference will be held Jan. 3 to 8, split between Gamut eatre, Whitaker Center and the Hilton Harrisburg. For information on the sessions accessible to the public, visit www.gamuttheatre.org/classicsfest. Photos courtesy of Gamut eatre. Staged reading of "I Don't Speak Spanish." Photo by Aleax Olivera. Lisa Wolpe performs "Shakespeare and the Alchemy of Gender"

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