Conceal Me What I Am
Presented by Ladies & Fools at New York City Fringe
April 4 - 19, 2025 ~ Chain Studio Theatre
Through monologue, scene, and tableau, Conceal Me What I Am takes audiences on a whirlwind tour through the “breeches roles” of classical theatre. Branching out from the iconic Shakespearean examples of Viola and Rosalind, the show also incorporates fascinating lesser-known variations on the trope from female+ dramatists such as Ana Caro and Hannah Cowley. Join us as we probe the social and gender commentary wound within this popular theatrical device and celebrate the range and power of these daring characters.
How will this fadge, indeed?
Enjoyed the Show??
Text Credits
for scenes appearing in this play
By William Shakespeare
Principally:
As You Like It, 1599 . Cymbeline, 1610 . The Merchant of Venice, 1597 . The Two Gentleman of Verona, 1594 . Twelfth Night, 1602
As well as excerpts from:
Antony & Cleopatra, 1608 . Henry VI, Parts I & III, 1590-91 . Macbeth, 1606 . Much Ado About Nothing, 1599. The Winter's Tale, 1611
By Ana Caro Mallén de Soto
Valor, Agravio y Mujer (Valor, Outrage, and Woman), 1640.
Translated by Donna Lazarus and Amy Kaminsky
By Elizabeth Polwhele
The Frolicks, 1671.
By Hannah Cowley
A Bold Stroke for a Husband, 1783.
By Charlotte von Stein
Neues Freiheitssystem oder die Verschwörungen gegen die Liebe
(New System of Freedom or The Conspiracy Against Love), 1798.
Translated by David Clauson
All text used in Conceal Me What I Am is in the public domain
For more information on our featured plays and playwrights beyond Shakespeare,
visit our friends at Expand the Canon!
Natalie Kane (she/her, Creator & Director) is a New York-based director and dramaturg passionate about expanding the definition of classical theatre and introducing resonant plays to new audiences. Favorite credits include Fools in the Forest (Little Shakespeare Festival), Dinosaur on the Moon (WTFringe), and The Winter’s Tale (Evergreen Theatre Collective). Natalie has directed and assisted for not-for-profit theatres including The Growing Stage, Gloucester Stage, Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, and Gingold Theatrical Group. She currently teaches dance for Forager Theatre’s Take Root and leads the research team for Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre's Expand the Canon initiative.
Meet the Cast
Maya Barbon (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based actor, producer, and teaching artist who caught the Shakespeare bug at ten years old and never recovered. She was a resident company member at the Ensemble Shakespeare Theater in Los Angeles before relocating to NYC, and recently starred as Jaques in Natalie Kane’s Fools in the Forest. Find her at mayabarbon.com; @maya_adelle
What draws you to classical texts?
I love the way that texts from 500 years ago can still feel relevant and powerful today.
Not only is the poetry and prose so beautiful, but it makes me feel connected
to my humanity, and makes the act of storytelling feel very sacred.
What resonates with you about Leonora, your primary character?
Leonora is fiercely and unapologetically herself. Her transformation into Leonardo is
not a rejection of her womanhood, but an empowered choice in order to fight for
herself and her honor. Breeches or not, you do not want to cross her.
Who's the most fun additional character to play?
No question: Hanswurst, the naughty clown.
Do you have a favorite line from the show?
From Ana Caro's Leonora: "If men such as you kept their word on weightier matters,
as both reason and justice demand, there’d be no need for revenge."
Maya Barbon
Leonora, and others
Meet the Cast
Tia Cassmira (she/her) is a multi-hyphenate, Trinidadian-American artist, mime, and researcher born and raised in Queens, New York. Recent credits include Anomalous Co's (beyond) Doomsday Scrolling, Sex & the Abbey by Diana Ly (Mathilda), and All the Daughters of Viola's House (Viola & others).
Tia Cassmira
Viola, and others
What draws you to classical theatre?
The language that classical texts use to describe a well of emotion, a grain of sand, and everything else under the sun, deeply resonates with me. It's poetic and eloquent, and while
the themes often carry a timeless quality, they are, at times, sadly still relevant today.
What's your favorite moment to play as Viola, your primary character?
Viola, as Cesario, sharing her true thoughts on manhood and love when speaking to Orsino.
Who's the most exciting additional character to play?
Lady Macbeth, for obvious reasons!
Is there a line of text in the show that sticks with you?
And with a green and yellow melancholy,
She sat like patience on a monument,
Smiling at grief.
Do you have a favorite classical theatre trope?
Love triangles!
Meet the Cast
Chloe Chappa (she/they) is a New York-based performer originally from Oxford, CT. Since graduating with her BFA in Theater Arts from CAP21 she’s performed at 92NY in You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown and Alice in Wonderland, as well as off-Broadway in A Tale of Two Cities, and The Angel Makers! You can also hear her many voices on The Reality Shaper: A Musical Podcast, pilot out now on Spotify. www.chloechappa.com; @chloe.chappa
What excites you about performing lesser-known classical texts?
I’ve always been drawn to the poetic language of classic texts, especially Shakespeare. Now as an adult, I love exploring an expanded canon because the art we remember from that time shouldn’t be limited to the plays of one man. People of all walks of life deserve to have their stories remembered too.
What is your favorite aspect of Rosalind, your primary character?
I love how Rosalind walks herself right into the very situations she’s trying to avoid,
it’s so much fun to play the frustration in that fallout!
Who's the most fun additional character to play?
Don Juan! It’s very classic “I am the villain in this story” and I love it.
Do you have a favorite line from the show?
Oh that I were a man, I would eat his heart in the marketplace.
Chloe Chappa
Rosalind, and others
Thank You
for your support
The New York City Fringe Festival is produced by
Thank You to Sam Hood Adrain, Sydney Martin,
Emily Owens, and the entire FRIGID team
Conceal Me What I Am is presented by
Special thanks to Abby Kastenberg, Rhiannon Ling, Piper Woods,
Emily Lyon & Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre
And last but certainly not least,
Thank you to our production donors and sponsors for your generous support:
Supporting Characters
Alex Brinkman-Young
Laura Kane
Maraika Lumholdt
Leading Players & Playwrights
Marsha Gordon
Mary Jean Martin
Arthur Mezzo
Lynne Shapiro
The Kane Family
Setting the Scene
Karen Adelman
Donna Lee Donelan
Christine Vapsva
Heather Birmingham
Philip Catherwood
Colette Emerson
Alyssa Haddad
James Hyett
Eric Judson
Nia Kyritsis
Dan Martin
Paul Pesnell
Hannah Postlewait
Natasha Preston
Indigo Rinearson