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“I hope you’ll find something useful in this translation. I can say it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Perhaps that’s my ego talking but it’s true. It’s humbling to go face-to face with one of your heroes. It’s harder to go face-to-face with yourself.” David Ivers
Playwright
David Ivers
In September of 2018 David assumed the role of Artistic Director of South Coast Repertory after a two-year tenure as Artistic Director of the Arizona Theatre Company. Previous to Arizona, he served almost seven seasons as Artistic Director of the The Utah Shakespeare Festival. In Utah he acted and directed over 50 productions in a relationship spanning 20 seasons. As Artistic Director, he helped usher in a 40 million dollar expansion of facilities including two new theatres, a new rehearsal hall, costume shop and administrative offices. His tenure is marked by a significant re-brand of the organization and several key initiatives including the launch of WORDS (cubed) new play program, which will feature the World Premiere of Neil Labute’s How to Fight Loneliness (Ivers returns to direct in August). In addition, Ivers spent 10 years as a resident artist building over 40 productions as actor/director with the acclaimed Denver Center Theatre Company.
In his earlier career David was the Associate Artistic Director of Portland Repertory theatre and appeared in productions at some of our countries top regional theatres; Including Portland Center Stage, The Oregon, Alabama and Idaho Shakespeare Festivals and others. In the last several seasons his Directing work has been seen at The Arizona Theatre Company (Outside Mullingar, The Music Man) The Guthrie Theatre (The Cocoanuts, Blithe Spirit), Berkeley Repertory Theatre (Hand to God, One Man Two Guvnors), The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (The Coconuts, Taming of the Shrew), South Coast Repertory Theatre, Pioneer Theatre Company and others. In addition, Ivers has taught at several colleges and universities and gave his first TEDx talk in 2015. His passion for parenting, writing, community, architecture and all things relating to “structure” continue to ignite him.
Dramaturg
Lezlie C. Cross
Lezlie C. Cross is an expert in the text and production of Shakespeare’s plays across time and geography. Currently she is an Assistant Professor at the University of Portland where she directs for the program as well as teaching dramaturgy, playwriting, and theatre history. Her professional dramaturgy work has been seen at regional theatres across America including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Nevada Conservatory Theatre, Cincinnati Shakespeare, Classic Stage Company, and Actor’s Theatre of Louisville. Her published articles and book reviews appear in Theatre History Studies, Theatre Annual, Shakespeare Bulletin, The Journal of American Drama and Theatre and Theatre Survey as well as the book projects The Encyclopedia of Modern Theatre; Women on Stage; Shakespeare Expressed: Page, Stage, and Classroom and Performing Objects and Theatrical Things. She is an Editorial Board member for Review: The Journal of Dramaturgy and an Advisory Board Member for the Shakespeare and Social Justice Series from Arden Bloomsbury. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington, her M.A. from the Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham, and her B.A. from Whitman College.
In Print
As You Like It
Actor and director David Ivers presents As You Like It, as you'd like to hear it today.
Presenting a new translation of Shakespeare into contemporary English, Ivers reimagines Shakespeare's comedy from an actor's point of view. Analyzing the play line by line to uncover the meaning of every joke, pun, and witty aside, Ivers repurposes Shakespeare's language while maintaining an homage to the original rhythm, cadence, and structure. An accomplished actor and director, and a lifelong lover of the Bard, Ivers is the perfect writer to bring As You Like It into the present moment.
