The Company
Under the direction of Oxford Shakespeare Center founder Ron Song Destro, BoAR trains, rehearses & performs free Shakespeare plays & gives free Bardology workshops throughout the NYC area.
UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS:
Macbeth Comedy of Errors
a new ShakeSpear Rock Musical
& a 2-hour adaptation of ALL War of the Roses Plays!!!
The Director
Ron Song Destro is a Kennedy Center award-winning playwright, as well as an actor, director and teacher. He is the founding director of the non-profit Oxford Shake-speare Center, recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts grant and has received critical acclaim for his Shakespeare productions, as well as for his own play Hiroshima, a collaboration with Yoko Ono, which won the 1997 Kennedy Center New American Play Award. He has trained, worked and taught with leading artists of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and the Shanghai Opera Theatre. His mentors include John Houseman, Kristin Linklater and John Barton. He also founded the Lone Star Shake-speare Festival which performs in Texas and in Hyde Park, London. He currently teaches
Shakespeare classes in TriBeCa.
Ron Song Destro giving workshops with Sir Derek Jacobi, John Barton & Michael York.
“I have been a friend of Ron Destro for some time, and can confirm his great gifts as a writer, director and educator.”
- award-winning actor Michael York
REVIEWS of Destro’s productions:
“Ron Destro’s recent Twelfth Night ...is probably the best stage production (of any show) that I have seen in 22 years... Destro's Twelfth Night (my least favorite Shakespeare comedy) has illuminated a new breath inside me. I am motivated in knowing that there actually is good theater in this world.” - online review, The Shakespeare Fellowship
On Hamlet: “This was one of the most original renditions of Hamlet I have ever seen.” - E. G.
“I’ve seen a lot of Hamlets, but this one was the most fun I’ve ever had!” - J. F.
On Macbeth: “It was obvious that Mr. Destro has an ever ready passion he conveys to his actors, as indicated by their performances... The play was presented in its entirety. Bravo! The set was simple, yet very effective. Bravo again!... A very noble, valiant and honest production.” - QC Manning, Theatre Inform Magazine
On Oedipus: “Ron Song Destro’s production of Oedipus was a very dark and gloomy interpretation of a timeless story. His directing choices were clear and very appealing and entertaining. It was a true joy to watch... the production as a whole was a work of art.”
- A.G.
On Hiroshima:
“Wonderful! A visual masterpiece!” - NYC Buzz
“An effectively stark tribute to Hiroshima’s victims.” - The New York Times
REVIEWS of Destro’s one-man presentation on the life of
Shake-speare:
“Shattering!”
“Very inspiring.”
“A masterful lecture!”
“A great lecture! Loved it.”
“A very compelling argument.”
“Clear, thorough and unbiased.”
“Very thoughtful, very persuasive.”
“You ENTIRELY convinced me!”
“Mr. Destro is a very engaging speaker. His
detective work is exciting and convincing. “
“Thanks for getting us thinking in new ways.”