1996

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Nuts

By Tom Topor

Directed by Joesph Fedor

May 3-18, 1996

HSC premiered their 1996 season by returning to the Hoboken Courtroom for a series of courtroom dramas.   The first choice was Nuts by Tom Topor.  The show follows the story of Claudia Draper, a supposedly crazy high priced "escort" that has been accused of murdering one of her high profile clients. Avoiding scandal, Claudia's well meaning, but passive mother and stepfather, with a secret, try to have her declared mentally incompetent and sent to a mental asylum.  Raging what she perceives as a loosing battle, Claudia yells and eloquently puts down her "well-meaning" parents and a judicial system that she despises.  Her only ally, Aaron Levinsky, a hapless legal aid, who feel in over his head but refuses to let Claudia go down without a fight.  In his second go around with courtroom drama, Joesph Fedor directs one of HSC's most well received shows.   Click here to view the accompanying article.

Location

Hoboken City Courtroom, Hoboken, NJ

 

Hamlet

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Joesph Penczak

July 7-20, 1996

"Brevity is the soul of wit".

Following on the success of Nuts, Hudson Shakespeare (under the banner of Patchwork Theater) returned for another parks show with the Bard's most famous play Hamlet.  Joesph Penczak and Tina Lane, previously seen as Benedick and Beatrice in 1995's Much Ado About Nothing, returned to star in this this production as Hamlet and Gertrude.  The show also marked the addition of company regulars that would also serve on HSC's board of directors, Andrew Foley as Polonius and Jon Ciccarelli as Horatio.  Unlike prior Shakespeare productions, Hamlet was performed as a modern dress piece however, that distinctly played with different time periods.  Differing historical pieces helped to add to the overall "other worldly" setting the production sought to achieve.  The production also played a split run with most shows performing out in the parks and some taking place at Old Bergen Church in Jersey City.  A structure dating back to the city's Dutch roots in the 1600's.          

    

Cast

Character Actor
Claudius/Ghost Neil Goldstein
Gertrude  Tina Lane
Hamlet Joesph Penczak
Polonius Andrew Foley
Horatio Jon Ciccarelli
Ophelia Jennifer Jones
Guildenstern/Marcellus Jesse Hlubik
Laertes Michael Gentile
Player Queen/Francisco Diane Nigro
Lucianus/First Gravedigger John McCleve
Second Grave Digger L. Robert Johnson

Locations: 

Donnelly Park – West New York, NJ

Lincoln Park – Jersey City, NJ

Old Bergen Church – Jersey City, NJ

Braddock Park – North Bergen, NJ

Church Square Park – Hoboken, NJ

Elysian Park – Hoboken, NJ

Columbus Park - Hoboken, NJ

 

To view on-line play text, character descriptions, play synopsis and other information on the play visit our Hamlet section in our on-line Shakespeare Library.

 

To view other seasons:

2006  2005   2004   2003   2002    2001     2000     1999     1998     1997     1996     1995     1994/1993     1992

 
Send mail to jciccarelli@hudsonshakespeare.org with questions or comments about this web site.
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