The Sonnet Project is a completely crazy idea dreamed up by Ross Williams from NY Shakespeare Exchange. 154 sonnets, 154 NYC locations, 154 actors = 154 individual short films, each delivering one of Shakespeare's sonnets. Its a tapestry of cinematic art that infuses the poetry of William Shakespeare into the poetry of New York City. In attempting to get Shakespeare to new audiences, we are trying to begin a conversation with Shakespeare the playwright, not Shakespeare the icon. Shakespeare was an artist, and like all artists he was trying to find his voice. Hes no good to us on a pedestal. If we can demystify his work and connect it to our own culture, then we can really get into the heart of what Shakespeare can reveal to us, and about us.
After raising almost $50,000 in a Kickstarter campaign we embarked on a journey to film all of Shakespeares sonnets, each performed by a different actor in a carefully chosen New York City location. The goal is to have completed and released a film for all 154 sonnets by Shakespeares 450th birthday (April 23rd 2014).
The Sonnet Project very quickly blossomed into something more. It became apparent that each sonnet was not simply a video not simply an actor standing at a monument reciting a sonnet but a short independent film. Every single sonnet required time and effort beyond our imagining. But the finished product! Each one is expansive, narrative a work of art. We decided to focus on the journey rather than the destination the Project will not be finished by April. But thats ok. In fact, its more than ok because the Project has exploded into a sprawling, barely controllable, ever-growing, ever-changing tribute to Shakespeares art, New York City, and the artists that live here.
The short film episodes are available either on the official website (http://sonnetprojectnyc.com/) or on the YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/SonnetProjectNYC).
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