A great theatrical summer for St. Francis College which began with a Drama Desk Award and a Daytime Emmy nomination continues through Labor Day as two more professors play a role in three upcoming plays.

First on stage is Communications Professor Natasha Yannacañedo who will play multiple male roles in the Judith Shakespeare Company production of Two Gentleman Of Verona. The play premiers on Wednesday, August 04 and runs through Sunday, August 22.

This comedy of youthful love and passion, betrayal and heartbreak, friendship and forgiveness features the company’s signature gender-reverse casting for the first time in a romantic comedy -- with a splash of commedia dell’arte and even a real live dog! Judith Shakespeare Company, founded in 1995, is committed to bringing Shakespeare's language to life with clarity and vitality, while expanding the presence of women in classical theatre.

Tickets for the show at TBG Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 3rd Floor are available at www.SmartTix.com.

Yannacañedo, who teaches Theater courses at St. Francis, has previously appeared as Carmen in CBS’s The Education of Max Bickford with Marcia Gay Harden and played a lead role in the film 107 Street that had its world premiere at the New York International Latino Film Festival. Her second role of the summer is in the world premiere of One Drop, part of the Dream Up Festival run by Theater for the New City.

Based on a true story; Charley Cade appears to belong to one race yet chooses to identify with another. Cast off in Louisiana in the late 1800’s by the affluent part of his family, he is raised by those with which he becomes most comfortable. And there is no turning back, or is there?

One Drop will be performed twice on September 5, closing out the festival at Theater for the New City at 155 1st Avenue. Tickets are available online.

Paulanne Simmons, a professor in the English Department of St. Francis will be bringing her musical, In the Schoolyard to the Fringe Festival from August 19 to August 29. Paulanne, who is also a member of the Dramatists Guild, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle, wrote the words and lyrics for the play which began as an article written more than 10 years ago for The Brooklyn Papers.

“In the Schoolyard is a Brooklyn story,” said Professor Simmons. “Many of the characters are based on real people who grew up in Brooklyn during the 50’s and 60’s and still come home once a year, the last Saturday of September, to play basketball and reconnect.”

Larry, Jerry, Dave, Eddie and Manny have been basketball buddies for decades. When conflicts threaten their yearly reunion in P.S. 8's schoolyard, their friendship is seriously challenged. Will they figure out what makes life worthwhile before it's too late?

For tickets; click on the date of the show on the Fringe Festival page.

The summer began earlier this summer when Alumnus Jim Brochu won the Drama Desk Award for his role at Zero Mostel in the one man play, Zero Hour. Communications Professor Jake Turner was then nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his work as Stunt Coordinator on As the World Turns. Then this past week, Professor Kate Grant’s drama, The Good Counselor finished up its run at Premiere Stages at Kean University.

St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City’s five boroughs and beyond.
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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu