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Hudson Shakespeare Company presents "Old West Legend" Shakespeare Style

Legends of the Bard

Ready for a funny camp fire tale of buffoonish clowns, an epic legend of long ago battles, a scary story with a headless man and young love torn asunder? Hudson Shakespeare Company serves up all of these and a lot more with Shakespeare's "Cymbeline", performing at:

Monday, July 28th @ 7:30pm

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Returning for their second helping of summer Shakespeare in its 23rd touring season, the company takes the late fairy tale like romance of "Cymbeline" and transplants it to the Old West. Like many of Shakespeare's plays, the plays settings often lend themselves to many different time periods. "Cymbeline" with its fairy tale like setting of stern stepmothers, lost princes, wilderness settings and the doings of kings and princesses slips well into a fantastical world of 1880s Americana.

Story of the play:

Good King Cymbeline (Tony White) is a wealthy widower has just married Queenie (Laura Hill) and looks to have his vivacious daughter Imogen (Noelle Fair) married to Queenie's dopey son Cloten (Phillip Corso). However, Imogen has other plans and elopes with her true Prince Charming, the noble, but poor Posthumous (Jeff DeGlow). Furious, Cymbeline banishes Posthumous from his site and seeks to have the marriage dissolved.

Posthumous sets off on a trail to house of his father's old friend Philario (Tox Cox) and meets the card sharp Iachimo (James Masciovecchio), who never met a wager he didn't like. Seeing an easy con with Posthumous, Iachimo bets him that he can bed his faithful Imogen. Posthumous knowing he can't lose takes the bet and Iachimo finds his work cut out for him and steps to dishonest means to dishonor Imogen. As word comes back of the supposed affair, Posthumous orders Pisanio (Lisa LaGrande), a trusty servant to kill Imogen but relents and helps her escape disguised as a boy.

As Imogen enters the wilderness to escape her father, Posthumous' revenge and a stinging reputation she runs into some long lost relatives she never knew she had. With their help and in the midst of a border war she seeks to clear her name, reunite with Posthumous and unknowingly bring all her family back together.

Written in 1608, "Cymbeline" is one of Shakespeare's late plays often known as "The Romances". These often include shades of tragedy and comedy, with a road trip and a dash of divine providence. The play is free to the public. Patrons are encouraged to sign up for the event at seating at the library is limited. The company will return for the final leg of the touring summer with another Shakespeare romance, the Greek influenced, "Pericles" in August. For more information, visit hudsonshakespeare.homestead.com or call 973 449-7443.

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