Barnard Graduate Ronnie Koenig Directs Modern
Day Version of A Midsummer Night's Dream
New York, N.Y.--Put a group of theatrically-skilled
and entrepreneurially-minded Barnard graduates
together, and the result is not only a new theater
company, but a new pop-culture spin on a Shakespeare
classic.
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
is directed by Ronnie Koenig '96, and starring
fellow graduates Megan Kelly '97, Katherine Kolendo
'96, Karen Zechowy '96, and Shalini Sehgal '96.
Dream, produced through Live Girls Productions,
opened on June 29 and will run through July 8
with performances starting at 7:30 pm at the At
Here Theater.
Infused with music of the 80s as well as present
day pop culture, Koenig's version of Dream
stays true to themes such as love and the passion
of the youth, found in William Shakespeare's text
- to which Koenig remains absolutely faithful.
The context, however, is different.
"We
put a pop-culture-reality-cheesy spin on it,"
explain Koenig. "When lovers go into the forest,
its kind of like they go into Temptation
Island; we're doing Survivor type
testimonies on TV monitors; and the characters
have theme songs, like on Alley McBeal."
A Theater major while at Barnard College, Koenig
says that Barnard greatly influenced the way in
which she views theater.
"Barnard
pushed me to look at theater in a different way,
to make it more exciting...to test the waters,"
said Koenig. "Theater should be fun, and people
will remember a fun production. Not every Elizabethan
play needs to be performed with an English accent;
this is a play that makes sense for today, even
if one were to not change the archaic language."
Live
Girls Productions was founded by Koenig and
fellow alums Katherine Kolendo and Kelly this
year. The aim of Live Girls Productions
is to provide an uncensored environment and high
profile platform for a new generation of talented
actors, writers and other artists.
Contact:
Rajiah Williams '02, Public Affairs Intern, 212
854 2037
Katherine Kolendo, Director of Publicity, Live
Girls Productions, 212 585 1130
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