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SCARSDALE, N.Y. A fledgling theater company on the Scarsdale-Eastchester line hopes to offer theatergoers a new way of looking at Shakespeare.
Its premiere production, "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)," is set to hit the stage May 18 to 26 at Our Lady of Fatima Church's Breen Hall, 5 Strathmore Road, Scarsdale.
"It's a wild ride, from beginning to end," said director Debra Lee Failla of White Plains. "I've been telling people, if you love Shakespeare, you'll like this show. If you hate Shakespeare, you'll love this show."
Failla is also the founder of the Tibi Confidas Theatre Troupe.
The comedy review was written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield. It features three male actors playing 37 roles both male and female in 97 minutes. Failla cast three seasoned community theater performers in the roles: Josh Marchetti of Pound Ridge, Rob Nichols of Norwalk, Conn., and Jim Ringel of Stamford, Conn.
"I got lucky with these three actors," she said. "One of them told me at auditions that he is willing to do just about anything. 'I have no shame.' They bring so much to it. They all come in with a full arsenal of thoughts and ideas" to add to her vision. "I haven't ever laughed this much during rehearsals."
Failla said she directed several musicals at the church in the early 2000s but found she got more jobs in Connecticut. Then, she said, "An opportunity presented itself. I always wanted to do certain pieces, and sometimes they were too edgy for a lot of community theaters. So instead of waiting, I decided, 'Let me take this step myself and put it out there.'"
Failla said a friend encouraged her to follow her own path, saying "just believe in yourself." The new theater company pays tribute to that advice. The name, Failla said Tibi Confidas loosely translates to "believe in oneself."
Tickets, available at the door, are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Performances are set for 8 p.m. May 18, 19, 25 and 26 with a 3 p.m. show May 20. For reservations and information, email info@tibiconfidas.com.
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