Howard Beach resident Felicia Castaldo is hoping to form a theater troupe in South Queens that could perform productions reminiscent of Shakespeare in the Park.
Photo by Anna Gustafson
South Queens residents may no longer have to trek long distances to get their theater fix – if Howard Beach native Felicia Castaldo has anything to say about it.
Long a fan of the arts, Castaldo, a 21-year-old studying English at Hunter College, Castaldo is hoping to generate interest among her fellow South Queensites to form a theater troupe that would perform productions reminiscent of Shakespeare in the Park – Manhattan’s wildly popular free performances of plays by the Bard of Avon.
“I really love Shakespeare and the classics – like Greek tragedies, and I wanted to make that accessible to people here,” said Castaldo, who grew up in Howard Beach. “I feel it’s unfortunate we don’t have anything like Shakespeare in the Park around here.”
Aiming to make this a fun foray into the individuals’ creative sides, Castaldo said the theater group will be open to people of all ages and experience levels.
“One of the best parts about acting is meeting people,” said Castaldo, who has performed in a variety of different productions, including her favorite play penned by Shakespeare – “Hamlet.” “You really get to know people on a different level,” she continued.
As of now, Castaldo is also hoping to pin down a location for practices and performances. The first performance she said she’d like to do is “Macbeth.”
“That’s the first one I read, and I loved it,” she said.
To contact Castaldo about joining the theater group or for more information, email howardbeachtheater@gmail.com.
By Anna Gustafson
