Music/Reading: The Greenwood Tree
Location
Folger Theatre has joined forces with Signature Theatre to co-present a free reading of The Greenwood Tree, a new musical by Will Reynolds in which Shakespeare’s sonnets are set to a soaring, acoustic score. The reading will take place on Monday, September 6, 2010 from 7:30pm to 9pm in The Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater as part of the ninth annual Page-to-Stage Festival. General admission seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 7pm.
The Greenwood Tree is a contemporary telling of the secret story embedded in Shakespeare’s sonnets, his most personal work. A young poet falls victim to Puck’s notorious flower and becomes entangled in a love triangle with his songwriting best friend and a beautiful woman named Sylvia. It is a story about self-discovery; about art and inspiration; about friends and lovers, and the fine line that is often blurred between the two.
Matthew Gardiner, Signature Theatre’s resident director, will helm the staged reading. The cast includes Nikki Renee Daniel (Broadway’s Promises, Promises), Jeremy Jordan (Broadway’s Rock of Ages and West Side Story), and Zachary Prince (Broadway’s Billy Elliot), among others. Will Reynolds, who conceived of and composed The Greenwood Tree, is a graduate of the Drama School at Carnegie Mellon University and has previously participated in Signature Theatre’s Cabaret Series.
In the fall of 2009, the music of The Greenwood Tree received its New York City concert debut as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival. Visit www.thegreenwoodtreemusical.com to hear samples of the music.
About the Page-to-Stage Festival:
Over the Labor Day weekend, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will present its ninth annual Page-to-Stage Festival, featuring more than 40 DC-area theater companies. This three-day event offers free readings and open rehearsals of plays and musicals being developed by local, regional, and national playwrights, librettists, and composers. The events are free, but there is a charge for parking. For a complete schedule of events or more information, please visit The Kennedy Center's website.
Contact Information
Phone: 202-544-7077
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