Created as a special tribute to Fred Simon (former Omaha Steaks CEO and longtime champion of the Arts in Omaha) and in honor of the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and the inaugural tour of his First Folio from the Folger Shakespeare Library, we are proud to present: Tyger’s Hart.
With this production, Brigit Saint Brigit celebrates the legacy of–and says thank you to–Fred Simon, whose generous philanthropy was motivated solely by his love of the arts.
TYGER’S HART, is a play in two acts written by Scott Kurz, returning to the stage in Omaha after 5 years, specifically to create this production as a personal dedication to Fred Simon and his family. This original play weaves a single tale using over a dozen of Shakespeare’s greatest works including: Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Taming of the Shrew, King Lear, Richard III, Antony and Cleopatra, Henry V, Henry IV part 1, As You Like It, various sonnets and completely original verse written by Kurz himself.
The Story (acted by 3 men, 3 women and a single Chorus member) begins simply enough when one fateful night, the title characters from Romeo and Juliet are interrupted in the midst of their famous balcony scene by two other couples (Taming of the Shrew’s Kate and Petruchio and Much Ado About Nothing’s Beatrice and Benedick) in the midst of their own bizarre stages of wooing. As the two star-crossed lovers fight to continue their courtship, things go from comically bad to tragically worse when supernatural forces (A Midsummer Night’s Dream’s Titania, Oberon and Puck) collide with characters of a darker nature (the Witches from Macbeth.) What ensues is an examination of the archetypes and universal themes that have resonated with audiences for over 400 years.
Tyger’s Hart is about love, power, corruption, meddling in supernatural forces, madness, despair, and, inevitably, love triumphing once more. This bold, original work, created from centuries old masterpieces, launches the audience on a journey through the mind of the greatest playwright in history in a refreshingly new, yet satisfyingly familiar way.
Tyger’s Hart showcases a masterful cast, including Scott Kurz as The Poet, Delaney Driscoll as The Queen, John Hatcher as The King, Ashley Spessard as The Tempest, Jeremy Earl as The Rogue, Anna Jordan as The Pure and Jackson Cottrell as The Chorus.
Directed by Cathy Kurz and Scott Kurz.