Inspired by Shakespeare
Playwrights and theatre companies have re-envisioned Shakespeare's plots and characters for completely different contexts, sometimes combining characters from multiple plays together, carrying a story forward or backward, or designing Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA).
​
Scroll down or press these links for productions Inspired by Shakespeare and Theatre for Young Audiences.
Inspired by Shakespeare
1999 Theatre Rhinoceros
San Francisco, CA
​
Fed Up: A Cannibal's Own Story by Ricardo Bracho
(dir. Reginald McDonald)
Bracho's play takes on exploitation of queer men of color in this satiric play that includes elements from The Tempest.
2004 Repertorio Español
New York, NY
The San Juan Shakespeare Company
by Eugenio Rodriguez
(dir. Alfredo Galvan)
Eugenio Rodriguez’s play involves a comedic backstage glimpse at a fictitious Nuyorican ensemble attempting to take on Shakespeare in order to win a monetary prize. Through improvisation and rendering Richard III a comedy, the company find success through the creativity that stems from a lack of familiarity with (and reverence for) Shakespeare.
2012 Teatro Promoteo
Miami, FL
Mujeres de Shakespeare
by Neher Jaqueline Briceño
(dir. Neher Jaqueline Briceño)
Briceño’s play had an entirely Latina cast and was written and entirely performed in Spanish. It subverts the male-dominated storylines of most of Shakespeare’s plays. Also in 2012, they held a staged reading of Cuban-playwright Reinaldo Montero’s Liz, about the court of Queen Elizabeth I.
Mujeres de Shakespeare by Neher Jacqueline Briceño Teatro Promoteo (Miami, FL) - 2011 Courtesy of: Neher J. Briceño
Mujeres de Shakespeare by Neher Jacqueline Briceño Teatro Promoteo (Miami, FL) - 2011 Courtesy of: Neher J. Briceño
Mujeres de Shakespeare by Neher Jacqueline Briceño Teatro Promoteo (Miami, FL) - 2011 Courtesy of: Neher J. Briceño
Mujeres de Shakespeare by Neher Jacqueline Briceño Teatro Promoteo (Miami, FL) - 2011 Courtesy of: Neher J. Briceño
All images courtesy of Neher J. Briceño
2014 Milagro
Portland, OR
​
¡O Romeo!
Conceived by Olga Sanchez
​
(dir. Olga Sanchez)
Milagro integrated Shakespearean characters and themes with Indigenous ceremony into this devised play for DÃa de los Muertos. It is trilingual (English, Spanish and Nahuatl) and included musical numbers. Director Olga Sanchez Saltveit writes a detailed essay about the production for Shakespeare and Latinidad, included below.
From ¡O Romeo!: Arlena Barnes as Polonius, Anthony Green as Shakespeare, Jake Wiest as Yorick, Rebecca Ridenour as Ophelia, Danielle Chaves as Lady M, Enrique Andrade as Richard III, Heath Hyun Houghton as Hamlet, Tara Hershberger as Titania, and Otniel Henig as Hamnet Photograph by: Russell J. Young Courtesy of: Milagro
Otniel Henig as Hamnet, Heath Hyun Houghton as Hamlet, Danielle Chaves as Lady M, Anthony Green as Shakespeare, SofÃa May-Cuxim as Rifke Photograph by: Russell J. Young Courtesy of: Milagro
Enrique Andrade as Richard III in ¡O Romeo! Photograph by: Russell J. Young Courtesy of: Milagro
From ¡O Romeo!: Arlena Barnes as Polonius, Anthony Green as Shakespeare, Jake Wiest as Yorick, Rebecca Ridenour as Ophelia, Danielle Chaves as Lady M, Enrique Andrade as Richard III, Heath Hyun Houghton as Hamlet, Tara Hershberger as Titania, and Otniel Henig as Hamnet Photograph by: Russell J. Young Courtesy of: Milagro
Photography by: Russell J. Young
Courtesy of: Milagro
New Light Theater Project (New York, NY) - 2022 Courtesy of: New Light Theater Project and 59E59 Theaters
Greg Cuellar (Valentine), Elizabeth Ramos (Betti), and Jacqueline Guillen (Cupid) New Light Theater Project (New York, NY) - 2022 Photography by: Hunter Canning Courtesy of: New Light Theater Project and 59E59 Theaters
New Light Theater Project (New York, NY) - 2022 Photography by: Hunter Canning Courtesy of: New Light Theater Project and 59E59 Theaters
New Light Theater Project (New York, NY) - 2022 Courtesy of: New Light Theater Project and 59E59 Theaters
All images courtesy of New Light Theater Project from their 2022 production at 59E59 Theaters
2018 The Parsnip Ship
Brooklyn, NY
I Wanna Fuck Like Romeo and Juliet
by Andrew Rincón
(dir. Blayze Teicher)
Rincón's fantastical play was first performed as an audio play in 2018 for The Parsnip Ship, which is available via the button below. The play involves a love story between two queer men of color that gets interrupted by the magical interference of Cupid and Valentine.
2018 Pregones & R. Evolución Latina
New York, NY
​
To Be or Not To Be…. A Shakespearean Experience
a devised performance piece
(dir. Luis Salgado)
This devised dance and performance piece brought together performers from throughout New York and Latin America. For an excellent and thorough review, see José Solis' article in HowlRound.
To Be or Not To Be... A Shakespearean Experience R.Evolución Latina (New York, NY) - 2018 Photography by: Ari Romero Courtesy of: R.Evolución Latina
Sergio Andres Pareto Herrera, Jacob S. Louchheim, Samia Omari To Be or Not To Be... A Shakespearean Experience R.Evolución Latina (New York, NY) - 2018 Photography by: Ari Romero Courtesy of: R.Evolución Latina
To Be or Not To Be... A Shakespearean Experience R.Evolución Latina (New York, NY) - 2018 Design by: Victor Rodriguez Courtesy of: R.Evolución Latina
To Be or Not To Be... A Shakespearean Experience R.Evolución Latina (New York, NY) - 2018 Photography by: Ari Romero Courtesy of: R.Evolución Latina
All ephemera courtesy of R.Evolución Latina
Shakespeare in Madness by Neher Jacqueline Briceño Adriana Barraza Veritatem Theatre (Miami, FL) - 2019 Courtesy of: Neher J. Briceño
Shakespeare in Madness by Neher Jacqueline Briceño Adriana Barraza Veritatem Theatre (Miami, FL) - 2019 Courtesy of: Neher J. Briceño
Shakespeare in Madness by Neher Jacqueline Briceño Adriana Barraza Veritatem Theatre (Miami, FL) - 2019 Courtesy of: Neher J. Briceño
Shakespeare in Madness by Neher Jacqueline Briceño Adriana Barraza Veritatem Theatre (Miami, FL) - 2019 Courtesy of: Neher J. Briceño
All images courtesy of Neher J. Briceño
2019 Adriana Barraza Veritatem Theatre
Miami, FL
Shakespeare in Madness
by Neher Jacqueline Briceño
(dir. Neher Jacqueline Briceño)
Briceño's play was a praise of madness. As described by Briceño, "Mentally ill patients in Ward 305 prepare to compete and portray well-known characters from famed playwright William Shakespeare. They are torn between vulnerable and imperfect creatures but touched with a large dose of humor and humanity."
Theatre for Young Audiences
2005 Georgia Shakespeare
Atlanta, GA
Miguel's Shakespeare Adventure
by Allen O'Reilly
(dir. Allen O'Reilly)
Miguel's Shakespeare Adventure was staged at Georgia Shakespeare and Outrageous Fortune Theatre in El Paso.
Image courtesy of Allen O'Reilly
Forever Poppy by José Cruz González at NYU (New York, NY) - 2019 Courtesy of: NYU
Forever Poppy by José Cruz González at NYU (New York, NY) - 2019 Courtesy of: NYU
Forever Poppy by José Cruz González at NYU (New York, NY) - 2019 Courtesy of: NYU
Forever Poppy by José Cruz González at NYU (New York, NY) - 2019 Courtesy of: NYU
All images courtesy of NYU
2015 New Plays for Young Audiences at NYU
New York, NY
Forever Poppy
by José Cruz González
(dir. Laurie Woolery)
José Cruz González's play involves six actors each playing multiple roles. It was first workshopped in 2015 at NYU and in 2018 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of New Visions/New Voices.
Creede Repertory, Headwaters New Play Festival (Creede, CO) - 2017 Courtesy of: Diana Burbano
Creede Repertory, Headwaters New Play Festival (Creede, CO) - 2017 Courtesy of: Diana Burbano
Creede Repertory, Headwaters New Play Festival (Creede, CO) - 2017 Courtesy of: Diana Burbano
Creede Repertory, Headwaters New Play Festival (Creede, CO) - 2017 Courtesy of: Diana Burbano
All images courtesy of Diana Burbano
2017 Creede Repertory Theatre Headwaters New Play Festival
Creede, CO
Caliban's Island
by Diana Burbano
(dir. Charlie Oates)
Diana Burbano's play for children includes elements from The Tempest and Twelfth Night with a main character named Vi and a gender-fluid Ariel-like fairy named Fluffy.
​
Caliban's Island is the subject of Burbano's essay in the edited collection, Shakespeare and Latinidad.