Ryan Artzberger

Ryan originally proposed to travel to London and Stratford to experience Shakespearean theater and network with fellow thespians to flesh out his idea to combine Shakespeare and hip hop. While waiting for COVID travel updates, Ryan networked with local creatives who are helping to realize his vision. This period of limbo turned out to be the most renewing of anything because instead of waiting to talk to someone else, somewhere else, about Hip Hop Shakespeare, I stepped out of my comfort zone and made connections to the Indy hip hop community. I asked the artistic director and board of Indy Shakes to consider doing a full production of Hip Hop Shakespeare. I got the green light!

Rather than traveling overseas, Ryan went on a North American Shakespeare tour. He went to Santa Cruz Shakespeare in California and American Players Theater in Wisconsin. He enjoyed the experiences, but also found them somewhat disappointing because of the inequities that exist in content and access, due to what he describes as the “old guard,” elitist view of Shakespeare. In July, Indy Shakes will produce "Ricky 3–A Hip Hop Shakespeare Richard III" at Taggart Memorial amphitheater in Riverside Park. There were many aspects of creative renewal that came from this. Much of it came from seeing friends and being able to travel to a place I’ve spent a lot of time in and another that is a sort of mecca of American Shakespeare that I’ve never been to.

ryan artzberger

actor & director

"I got a shot in the arm of a renewed sense that what we do is valuable and meaningful, and most of all a renewed commitment to what we do and how we do it."

Ryan Artzberger

INDYSHAKES.COM