Hello!
Welcome to ISC!
Amidst the stresses and tragedies of this past year, ISC founder Kamran Saliani quickly recognized the vast potential right in Irvington, his hometown and community, to create the type of theater he had been chasing as a professional actor in New York City. After several discussions with Mayor Brian Smith and Irvington Theatre Director, Greg Allen, Kamran decided to hop on the opportunity to build a professional theater company in Irvington for the community which helped shape him into the person he is today. The Irvington Shakespeare Company (ISC) seeks to produce professional theater that entertains and inspires audiences, showcasing local talent in Westchester and the greater Hudson Valley.
At ISC, we believe Shakespeare’s works are meant to be interpreted, shared and celebrated by everyone around the world. Through diverse and inclusive practices, we aim to decolonize Shakespeare and open up his works for all audiences to engage with and enjoy. With our production of Twelfth Night, we hope to break the barriers through our diverse casting as well as adapting the writing to a female centric, non-gender conforming script and story for audiences to enjoy the piece as Shakespeare intended. ISC envisions this production of Twelfth Night as just the beginning in establishing itself in Westchester as a top cultural destination. With this inaugural production, our goal is for this to be a launch towards an annual summer Shakespeare in the Park-style performance model moving forward.
As we continue to grow, we also see potential of expanding to a two-show summer production schedule, starting in May going through August; as well as exploring a fall, winter and spring show as well, which would create a year-round calendar of work for the rivertowns and beyond! As we design this inaugural production, we stay mindful of the importance of creative as well as physical accessibility. It is a pillar of ISC and this production to create a space where everyone feels comfortable, safe and welcome. We believe emotional accessibility is as important as creative accessibility, and by producing a female-led production from a queer-centric, anti-racist, anti-ableist lens, we will be able to break free of past oppressive interpretations of Shakespeare’s texts.
Best,
The ISC Team
