Alumni from Orlando Shakes present a production of 'Hamlet' to gather funds for theater learning initiatives
The Lowndes Shakespeare Center in Orlando is set to host a unique theatrical event, as a group of alumni from The Young Company come together to perform a two-hour production of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Monica Long Tamborello, the director of this year's TYC show, considers The Young Company a very special program. She says, 'We say, "once you're TYC, you're always TYC." One of the oldest alumni, Meaghan Fenner, who participated in The Young Company from 1999-2001, will play King Claudius in Friday's Hamlet.
Keith Traver, the director and current education coordinator for Orlando Shakes, was also a participant in The Young Company back in 2002. He shares his gratitude for the program, stating that it gave him skills he still uses and set him on a trajectory that brought him back to Orlando Shakes.
The Young Company, established in 1992, is a program that introduces high school actors to professional theater. It is run in conjunction with the W. Daniel Mills Apprentice Program. Tamborello has been directing Young Company productions for 14 years, the past eight with Traver as her assistant.
The alumni are rehearsing after their main source of employment, with performers having day jobs ranging from administrative assistant to immigration lawyer to engineer. Fletcher McDaniel, an acting major at Shenandoah University, will play Hamlet in the production. Other familiar local theatergoers in the Hamlet cast include Megan Borkes as Horatio and Ashleigh Ann Gardner as Guildenstern.
The sets for the production are being created from leftovers from 'Two Gentlemen of Verona' and Orlando Shakes' children's production of 'Stuart Little.' The longstanding tradition for each rehearsal is to join hands in a circle and say, 'May our circle remain unbroken until we're together again.'
This one-night-only, pay-what-you-will benefit performance is organized by Keith Traver for Orlando Shakes' education department. The production is raising funds for Orlando Shakes' education department. Fenner, one of the oldest alumni, is among those participating in the production.
The artistic reunion on Friday night will take place on the Orlando Shakes stage with Hamlet being presented by The Young Company. Tamborello considers this program as much about community as artistry, providing a safe space for young artists to make bold choices. This special event promises to be a testament to the enduring spirit of The Young Company and its alumni.
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