Please join us as we launch our fifth annual Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series on September 14 outdoors at Wiseacre Brewery’s Broad Avenue location with the regional premiere adaptation of William Shakespeare’s King Henry VI: The Wars of the Roses, generously sponsored by Evans/Petree, P.C.
All performances are free and open to the public while limited, socially-distanced seating is available. No tickets or reservations are required. First come/first seated. Each host venue is partnering with TSC to ensure all Shelby County health mandates are being met. Patrons are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket for seating, and to picnic.
Directed by Stephanie Shine, this 100-minute production runs without intermission and performs outdoors ten times throughout the Memphis area at nine event venues and fun, non-traditional spaces through October 8.
The outdoor venues include Collierville Town Square, The Grove at Germantown Performing Arts Center, Downtown’s Memphis River Park, Overton Square, Germantown Library, Singleton Community Center in Bartlett, International Harvester’s Managerial Park in Lakeland, and Wiseacre Brewery on S. BB King Boulevard.
King Henry VI: The Wars of the Roses is a creative conflation adapted by Shine of Shakespeare’s three earliest action-packed History plays that feature England’s civil wars complete with political intrigue, international conflict, and power-grabs by the nobility. Shakespeare introduces audiences to several powerful characters in the plays, including Joan of Arc, Richard III, Jack Cade and his rebellion, and the ferocious Queen Margaret.
Shakespeare did not write the three plays in chronological order, but when grouped by historical occurrences with his equally-early Richard III, the four plays form a serial tetralogy (one of two in Shakespeare’s canon) that lets audiences track multiple characters over time. The three Henry VI plays cover nearly 50 years, beginning shortly after the death of King Henry V (1422), and leave audiences with a cliff-hanger as Richard violently angles for the throne.
The quick-changing cast of eight actors includes TSC veterans Lauren Gunn (Sir Lucy, Joan La Pucelle, Margaret of Anjou), Michael Khanlarian (Plantagenet-then York, Dick the butcher, Prince Edward), and Nicolas Dureaux Picou (Warwick, Jack Cade), and introduces Kellan Oelkers (King Henry, Alanson, Rutland), Austin Michael Russell (Talbot, Dissenter, Iden, Clifford), Kashief Alan Crain (Exeter, Reignier, King Lewis), Malachi Marrero (Suffolk, Charles the Dauphin, Edward: son of York-then King Edward), and Riley Fox Hillyer (Somerset, Richard: son of York).
“These early plays of Shakespeare address the inner workings of the hearts of these characters, all of whom are related and all of whom want the throne, says Shine. “Shakespeare went right to a most outrageous time in his country’s not-too-distant history and reimagined timelines and events not to wield an accurate history, rather to create an exciting historical fiction with unforgettable characters faced with unbelievable happenings. In these stories live the superheroes and supervillains of his boyhood. He grew up in view of Warwick’s castle and walked the grounds where many of these events took place. It was real and potent for young William. In fact, he had so much to share that he needed three plays to contain the stories. He also knew his audiences would love the content of these plays: by becoming intimate with their own history, Shakespeare’s audiences learned who they were as a people.
“This adaptation, a veritable world premiere, lets our audience focus on a few key players with one easily perceived through-line: obtaining the throne of England. The spectacular and surprising Margaret of Anjou is introduced and developed here, becoming the only character in Shakespeare to appear in four of his plays. By the time Margaret makes her final exit in the play that follows the Henry VI’s (Richard III), she has proven herself to be the sole survivor of the Wars of the Roses. It is thrilling to bring this warrior woman to visceral life for Memphis area audiences, who have likely never seen her in her youth and full power before.”
The production is set in the plays’ historical periods, and the actors’ voices will be amplified from the stage.
The production design team includes Allison White (costumes), Lauren Gunn (fight director), Jeremy Allen Fisher (scenic/production manager), Burkett Horrigan (stage manager), P.J. Townsend (assistant stage manager), and James Baker (assistant technical director).
Outdoor Performance and Venue Schedule
Overton Square’s Chimes Amphitheatre
Wednesday, September 15 at 7:00 pm
Downtown’s Memphis River Park, 51 Riverside Dr.
Thursday, September 16 at 7:00 pm
Germantown Community Library, 1925 Exeter Rd.
Friday, September 17 at 7:00 pm
Wiseacre Brewery, 398 S. BB King Blvd.
Monday, September 20 at 7:00 pm
Overton Square’s Chimes Amphitheatre
Wednesday, September 22 at 7:00 pm
Singleton Community Center, Bartlett
Thursday, September 23 at 7:00 pm
International Harvester’s Managerial Park, Lakeland
Friday, September 24 at 7:00 pm
Collierville Town Square, Historic Train Depot
Saturday, September 25 at 7:00 pm
Wiseacre Brewery, 2783 Broad Ave.
Friday, October 1 at 7:00 pm
The Grove at Germantown Performing Arts Center
Friday, October 8 at 6:00 pm
Artistic and Production Bios
Kashief Alan Crain (Ensemble) Previous credits: A Streetcar Named Desire, A Raisin in the Sun, The Crucible, A Few Good Men, A Christmas Carol, Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Charlotte’s Web. Kashief studied British Literature at the University of Memphis and minored in Theatre.
Jeremy Allen Fisher (Production Manager/Scenic Designer) TSC: Macbeth, As You Like It, Waiting for Godot, Much Ado About Nothing, To Kill a Mockingbird, All’s Well That Ends Well, Twelfth Night, Richard III, The Taming of the Shrew, Unto the Breach, It’s a Wonderful Life, Hamlet. A graduate of Oklahoma City University, Jeremy has worked with Theatre Memphis, Opera Memphis, Ballet Memphis, Broad Avenue Arts, Seattle Opera, and Santa Fe Opera. Some of his other credits include lighting Memphis’ Broad Avenue Water Tower, Wiseacre’s new Taproom, and several works at Saint Jude’s Research Hospital. In 2017, he received the TAC Individual Artist Award; and between 2012-2017 he earned 11 Ostrander Award nominations with four wins for his lighting designs.
Lauren Gunn (Ensemble/Fight Director) TSC: Romeo and Juliet, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. Southern Arena Theatre: Boeing Boeing, I Hate Hamlet. New Stage Theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Crimes of the Heart, A Christmas Carol, Cat in the Hat. Fish Tale Group Theatre: Voice of Freedom Summer. Unframed: Constellations, Gruesome Playground Injuries. Lauren is new to Memphis and is originally from Jackson, MS. Education: University of Southern Mississippi (M.F.A. in Acting).
Riley Fox Hillyer (Ensemble) Credits: 1776, Animal Farm, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Tiny Houses, We Are Pussy Riot. Puppetry: Dead Man Rises, An Allston Christmas Story, Diagonal Life Circus, In the Belly of the Mother, Skeleton Soiree. Solo Performance: NAVIGATING DEATH ANXIETY: a how-to guide!, Eulogy For Jack Cole. Riley is a proud founding member of the band pUbeRtykiDs and The 13 Pratt Theater Co.
Burkett Horrigan (Production Stage Manager) Credits: Assistant Stage Manager for Ohio Light Opera’s summer season, including Production Stage Manager for Pirates of Penzance; Production Stage Manager for Bergen Performing Arts Center productions of Les Miserables, West Side Story, and Beauty and the Beast; Production Assistant for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids events. Burkett recently received her B.F.A. in Theatre from Montclair State University, with concentrations in Stage Management and Lighting Design.
Michael Khanlarian (Ensemble) TSC: Julius Caesar, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Macbeth, As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, To Kill a Mockingbird, Henry V, All’s Well That Ends Well, Twelfth Night, Othello, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet. Education: University of Memphis. Michael is a founding member of TSC.
Malachi Marrero (Ensemble) Credits: Much Ado About Nothing, The Women, Ain’t Misbehavin’, Mary Poppins, The Colored Museum, A Chorus Line, On the Town, Big River. Choreography: Jesus Christ Superstar, Little Shop of Horrors, Bye Bye Birdie. Malachi is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University’s Conservatory of Theatre and Dance, with a B.A. in Dance and Minor in Acting.
Kellan Oelkers (Ensemble) Baltimore Shakespeare Factory: Romeo and Juliet. Theater J: The Jewish Queen Lear. Georgetown University: The Rover, An Acorn, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Education: Georgetown University (B.A. in Theater and Performance Studies).
Nicolas Dureaux Picou (Ensemble) TSC: The Tempest, As You Like It, Macbeth, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Comedy of Errors, Henry V. Other favorite productions include M. Butterfly, The Physicists, Private Eyes. Nic holds a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from the University of Memphis.
Austin Michael Russell (Ensemble) Unto These Hills: Unto These Hills, Living Dead in Denmark, Birds Aren’t Real (A Seagull Adaptation). His other credits include Playhouse on the Square’s Matilda: the Musical, and The Rev Theatre Co. as an Actor/Teaching-Artist. Austin is an actor and director trained at the University of Memphis’ Department of Theatre and Dance.
William Shakespeare (Playwright of Henry VI parts one/two/three)) survived the Bubonic Plague, which was rampant during his 52 years. Just a few months after William was born in Stratford in 1564, the plague descended on the town and killed 20% of its citizens. Very little could be done to eliminate the plague other than strict quarantining. The London playhouses would be shut down for months at a time when church roles reflected at least 30 people dying in one week. As a playwright, Shakespeare lived through four extended plague quarantines that put London in lockdown. It is estimated that between 1606 and 1610, Shakespeare’s playhouses were only open for nine months, during which time he wrote Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra, The Winter’s Tale, Coriolanus, and The Tempest. He likely worked on King Lear as well. As always with our namesake, he lends a lesson to us for right now.
Stephanie Shine+ (Adapter/Director) TSC directorial credits include Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Henry V, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Julius Caesar, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Southern Yuletide, Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits, Shake(s), Rattle, and Roll, Shakespeare Said It, Lend Me Thy Sword, ten productions of Romeo and Juliet, and many Literary Salons. On stage at TSC, she played the Abbess in The Comedy of Errors, Countess in All’s Well That Ends Well, the female roles in Unto the Breach, and Gertrude in Hamlet. Prior to joining TSC, she was Artistic Director of Seattle Shakespeare Company, a position she enjoyed for 13 years. Other directorial credits include As You Like It for Houston Shakespeare Festival, The Taming of the Shrew and The Comedy of Errors for Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the award-winning one-woman internationally-touring Marilyn Monroe Biopic, Marilyn: Forever Blonde, and several new works for Seattle’s Book-It Repertory Theatre. Her production of I am of Ireland (which she also conceived and adapted) opened Book-It’s 25th Anniversary Season in 2014. As an actor, she has performed with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, NYC’s Theatre for a New Audience, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Alley Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, ACT, The Empty Space, and Seattle Children’s Theatre, among others. Roles include Juliet, Rosalind, Lady Macbeth, Beatrice, Regan, Feste, Kate, Bianca, Dionyza, the Princess of France, Hero, Perdita, and the Chorus in Henry V. The Germantown Arts Alliance honored her with its 2016 Distinguished Arts and Humanities Medal for Performing Arts. She is the mother of four exceptional young humans: Conor, Cahilan, Sullivan, and Collins. Education: graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts; B.F.A in Acting from the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program; M.F.A. in Directing from the University of Memphis.
P.J. Townsend (Assistant Stage Manager) Credits: Stage Manager/Props Master for Sterling Renaissance Festival; Stage Manager for Blues for an Alabama Sky; Assistant Stage Manager for Cabaret, The Seagull, and Next to Normal. P.J. is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, with a B.A. in Theater and an emphasis in technical theatre and management.
Allison White (Costume Designer/Wardrobe) Design credits: University of Florida: Pippin, Between Riverside and Crazy, The Day is Long to End; Cape Fear Regional Theatre: Caroline, Or Change; Sarasota Youth Opera: The Secret World of Og; Theatre Raleigh: Smokey Joe’s Café, The Wolf, All My Sons, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Carousel. Allison also has worked at several regional opera companies as a member of their costume production staff. Allison is glad to be joining Tennessee Shakespeare Company for this exciting season.
+ member, Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, Inc., an independent national labor union.
Box Office
More TSC information is available: www.tnshakespeare.org or (901) 759-0604. TSC is located at 7950 Trinity Road, Memphis, TN 38018-6297.
The Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series production of King Henry VI: The Wars of the Roses is free of charge, does not require reservations/tickets, and performs outdoors in multiple off-site venues. Cast and schedule are subject to change with notice. Free parking.
Season 14 Sponsors and Partners
TSC’s generous sponsors of its season, productions, and Education and Outreach Program include FedEx, International Paper, the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Midwest, ArtsMemphis, Tennessee Arts Commission, Independent Bank, Evans|Petree, P.C., First Horizon Foundation through an ArtsFirst grant, AutoZone, Campbell Clinic, the family of Pat and Ernest Kelly, The Sims Family Charitable Trust, Nancy R. Copp, the Jack Jones Children’s Literacy Fund, the family of Owen and Margaret Wellford Tabor, the Barbara B. Apperson Angel Fund, the Dunbar Abston Fund for Sustainable Excellence, Anne and Michael Keeney, Irene and Fred Smith, and the Memphis City Council. TSC’s season is funded under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee.
TSC’s programming and outreach partners include University of Memphis’ Department of Theatre & Dance, Shelby County Schools, Collierville Municipal School District, Memphis Juvenile Justice System, the Memphis V.A. Hospital, Cities of Bartlett/Collierville/Germantown/Lakeland/Memphis, and the Benjamin Hooks Public Library Friends.
About Tennessee Shakespeare Company
Tennessee Shakespeare Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre and education organization in Memphis dedicated to live, diverse performances of William Shakespeare’s plays, as well as works of social significance by classical, Southern, and modern writers/composers; and to providing innovative educational and training programming in-person and online.
Founded in 2008 by Producing Artistic Director Dan McCleary, Tennessee Shakespeare Company is Memphis’ first and only professional, classical theatre. In 2017, TSC purchased its first performing arts facility, which is being renovated into the state’s only permanent home for professional, year-round Shakespeare performance, education, and training. The company is engaged in its Brave New World capital campaign with a goal of $9.2 million, of which nearly one-third has been raised.
TSC has engaged its community with 58 site-specific plays and events for over 52,000 patrons. Its ground-breaking Education Program has reached 120 schools across nine states, totaling over 275,000 student interactions. The Program has achieved a high regional and national profile, partners annually with most local school systems, and this year is a recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts/Arts Midwest’s Shakespeare in American Communities grants: one for The Romeo and Juliet Project in underserved local schools, and the other for expanded residencies with local incarcerated youth. TSC is one of just a handful of U.S. theatres to be awarded this grant for the third consecutive year.
