You might be wondering what exactly a “naked shakespeare” play entails, considering it’s in a public place it couldn’t possibly be as literal as it sounds… or could it?
The Torn Out Theater production company is definitely one of a kind when it comes to their renditions of classic plays from history. Although they’re fairly knew to the performing arts genre, their risqué versions of Hamlet, The Tempest and The Rover at the annual Music Pagoda in Prospect Park, have consistently been met with large crowds intrigued to see what they’ve come up with next. If you haven’t put two and two together, the “risky-ness’ comes from the actors playing their roles in the nude (so body-posi!).
Returning for its fourth all nude production, Torn Out Theater is combining some of the most popular scenes from the aforementioned productions above, as well as new material from Shakespearean plays: The Taming of the Shrew and Richard III. In each of their shows, the use of nudity differs and varies depending on the underlying message (e.g. separating the notion of sex from the female body, critiques on consent, etc), which is why they make deliberate choices in regards to whether the cast is all female, all male or both genders.
Catch this year’s production: Mere Flesh and Blood, in Prospect Park from August 8th – 11th and make sure you show up early to snag a good spot before it gets too busy!
When: August 8th & 9th (5:30pm), August 10th & 11th (2pm).
Price: Free!
featured image: tornouttheater.org/