The Sonnet Project is a year-long internet-based, video exploration of Shakespeare’s great love poems. They will professionally film all 154 sonnets, performed by 154 different actors in 154 unique locations throughout the five boroughs of New York City.
I’ve just been signed on along with Lynn Cohen – Magda in Sex in the City – and Michael Urie – Bud Frump in How to Succeed and as Marc St. James in TV’s Ugly Betty.
Then, beginning at the Bard’s 449th birthday party the videos will be released three per week, for one full year. The culmination of the project, on Shakespeare’s 450th birthday, will be marked by the release of a full Sonnet Project Anthology, complete with special features exploring the textual nuances of the language, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the creators and actors. Cool, huh?
There will be a Sonnet Project website that will be available for educators and Shakespeare-lovers of all ages, plus a Sonnet Project mobile app for the delivery of each new sonnet video, and to provide access to text analysis and information about the NYC film locations. There will be sonnet-based walking tours of NYC neighborhoods, and sonnet scavenger hunts making use of QR codes and mobile technology.
But here’s the catch.
The project will only move forward if they raise $45,000 by Thursday May 17. The money we’re raising covers professional video editing and production costs for the year and the creation of the anthology of all 154 performances. It’s getting a lot of interest from educators now.
Funding is through Kickstarter at
www.kickstarter.com/projects/1384441698/ny-shakespeare-exchange-sonnet-project-and-island.
Contributors will only be charged by Amazon at 11:01 p.m. Thursday, May 17 if the project raises $45,000, which is also the only way The Sonnet Project happens. The money we’re raising covers professional video editing and production costs for the year and the creation of the anthology of all 154 performances. It’s getting a lot of interest from educators now!
The first 10 people to contribute $200 will get to see me perform live.
