Arts & Entertainment

The Bard is Back in the Rivertowns with ISC’s “Acting Shakespeare”

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February 28, 2022

By Sue Treiman—

If all the world’s a stage, why not have the players perform in Irvington?

That question last year inspired Irvington native Kamran Saliani, 27, to launch the Rivertowns’ first and only local theater troupe devoted to the works of William Shakespeare. Now, the fledgling Irvington Shakespeare Company (ISC) is poised to bring its second major production, Acting Shakespeare, to local audiences.

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“The idea came during a moment of clarity, when I looked around and realized how much a part of this village I was. Why, instead of performing in the city, like most ambitious actors, couldn’t I bring Shakespeare to my own town?” asked Saliani.

A working actor and alumnus of New York University’s graduate theater program, Saliani assembled fellow acting professionals and former classmates, won the blessing of Irvington officials and theater buffs and mounted the group’s initial production last summer. Their debut staging of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night at Irvington’s O’Hare Nature Center earned praise, patrons and a partnership with the Irvington Theater. Following that success, IFC produced an album of original music from the show, scheduled several smaller performances, and started looking for future projects.

That’s when Saliani found a 1982 PBS taping of a one-man show penned and performed by celebrated British actor Sir Ian McKellen. Acting Shakespeare interspersed some of the bard’s best-known monologues with McKellen’s personal reflections on acting, explanations, and a smattering of comedy. The New York Times hailed the blend as a ‘distinctive theatrical experiment.” And Saliani found it galvanizing. “It was literally the most breathtaking performance I’d ever seen. I knew we had to do it,” he recalled.

Through mutual connections, Saliani approached Sir Ian for permission to adapt his show and received a ringing endorsement. “He wrote a statement of support, gave us his blessing, and said we could take the show and revive it, which was amazing,” said Saliani.

The troupe did just that, re-envisioning the 90-minute one-man script for four players. Joining Saliani (as Third Player/Producer), who previously played Malvolio in Twelfth Night, are; Sage Newman (as Fourth Player) who has appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Kat Quiñones (as Second Player) a Mamaroneck native who acted in IFC’s Twelfth Night; and Jack Saleeby (as First Player), a veteran of touring and regional companies throughout the U.S.

“Each actor was tasked with taking Shakespeare monologues (and one sonnet!), as well as historical anecdotes, personal connections, and so on, combining all of those elements and ending up with a beautiful show full of unique range and exciting choices,” said Saliani.

True to the new company’s pledge to place inclusiveness at its center, the performance takes a gender-queer perspective on Shakespeare’s works. “All the characters have been cast without the limitations and barriers that gender-roles would possibly create for an actor,” said Saliani.

Saliani distinguished himself as a student actor in Irvington before pursuing the craft in college. As a master’s degree candidate at NYU, he was naturally drawn by Shakespeare’s genius. But it wasn’t until he faced the isolation of the pandemic that he appreciated the truly enduring power of the bard’s words. “Shakespeare writes specifically about what it is to become a human being, and what motivates people. And during the pandemic, I found that his writing helped me feel so much better about the world we live in,” said Saliani.

In his quest to bring Shakespeare home to the Rivertowns, he found a kindred spirit in Irvington Town Hall Theater Director Greg Allen. IFC now joins the Clocktower Players, Broadway Training Center, Common Ground Concerts, and River’s Edge Theatre Co. as local theatrical partners. “ISC fills a nice void by sharing Shakespeare while reinventing it for today’s audiences,” said Allen.

ISC players themselves see this as the start of a long, thriving relationship with the village. “To be able to bring Shakespeare to the place I feel most connected to? It’s just the most rewarding thing I can do with my life,” said Saliani.

“The point of this company is to unlock Shakespeare and rework our relationship to him,” he added, “So, we’re all desperate to re-engage folks. And we also strongly encourage those who aren’t familiar with his works or conflicted about Shakespeare to attend.”

Acting Shakespeare will be performed at the Lecture Hall on Mercy College’s Dobbs Ferry campus, located at 555 Broadway, beginning on March 22^nd, relocated from Irvington due to ongoing renovations at the Irvington Theater. The show debuts with two previews on March 22^nd and 23^{rd —}with March 24^th through the 27^th as the official run. All performances begin at 7:00 p.m., with ample parking available on the Mercy campus.

Tickets for the general public range from $10-$15 and must be purchased in advance at irvingtontheater.com/actingshakespeare. Admission is free for the college’s students and staff. As of now, masks and proof of vaccination will be required.

For more information about the Irvington Shakespeare Company, visit: https://irvshakespeare.org/

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