Baltimore Shakespeare Factory Announces Upcoming Season

Baltimore Shakespeare Factory's season begins April 6, 2013 and will wrap up December 29, 2013.

The company's 2013 Season begins with Romeo and Juliet, followed by Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Tempest. "As we approach the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death in 2016," says Artistic Director, Tom Delise, " the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory wants to bring Baltimore audiences the best of Shakespeare-and these four plays can certainly be considered among Shakespeare's greatest hits." Baltimore Shakespeare Factory continues its December tradition of staging a Holiday show with their production of The Nutcracker (an original Holiday panto) to close the season.

One of Shakespeare's most famous plays, Romeo and Juliet is the timeless story of star-crossed love torn apart by passion and vengeance. The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory will present Romeo and Juliet on its Elizabethan-style stage Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout April.
April 6 - April 27
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm
The Great Hall Theatre at St. Mary's
3900 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, 21211

Considered by many to be the greatest play ever written, Hamlet is a tragedy of murder and revenge on the fringes of sanity. Baltimore Shakespeare Factory's Hamlet runs for one weekend indoors and three weekends outdoors in the Meadow at the Evergreen Library and Museum. Guests are welcome to picnic on the lawn prior to and during the show.
July 12 - July 14
The Great Hall Theatre at St. Mary's
3900 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, 21211
July 18 - August 4
The Meadow at Johns Hopkins University's Evergreen Museum & Library
4545 N. Charles, Baltimore, 21210
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm

Among Shakespeare's most famous comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream follows the course of true love from the halls of Athens to the court of the fairies, from waking life into the realms of dream. The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory's outdoor performances of Shakespeare continue at Evergreen into August with A Midsummer Night's Dream, which closes with one weekend on the Elizabethan-style stage at St. Mary's.
August 2 - August 18
The Meadow at Johns Hopkins University's Evergreen Museum & Library
4545 N. Charles, Baltimore, 21210
August 23 - 25
The Great Hall Theatre at St. Mary's
3900 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, 21211
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm

Shakespeare's final masterpiece, The Tempest, is a story of sorcery, revenge, and-ultimately-forgiveness. The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory presents The Tempest as its 3rd annual actor-ensemble-directed production-the show opens after only a few hours of rehearsal and no director.
November 8 - November 17
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm
The Great Hall Theatre at St. Mary's
3900 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, 21211

For the second year, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory closes its season with a Holiday show from outside of Shakespeare's canon. This year, they bring the classic story of the The Nutcracker to life in the tradition of the classic British "panto", a form of Holiday entertainment that dates back to the Middle Ages.
Weekends in December - Dates and Times TBA
The Great Hall Theatre at St. Mary's
3900 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, 21211

About The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory: Uncommon Shakespeare for The Common Man
The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory (BSF) is dedicated to bringing the works of William Shakespeare to life for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. In Shakespeare's time (1564-1616), the theater was accessible to everyone, and The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory prides itself on continuing that tradition by presenting professional quality work at affordable prices.
BSF productions bring Shakespeare's works to life in a way that is accessible to modern audiences without compromising the cornerstone of their artistic and literary merit-Shakespeare's original language. BSF is built on a love of language, and productions are designed to not only help audiences understand Shakespeare's words, but to love them, too.

Baltimore Shakespeare Factory Is Shakespeare as He's Meant to Be Seen
BSF productions reproduce the staging conditions that Shakespeare used to produce his plays on the Elizabethan stages of the 1590s. Productions use universal lighting, allowing the actors to see and interact with the audience. Just as Shakespeare's actors would have entertained audiences with the songs of the day, BSF actors perform modern music (thematically related to the show) prior to the show and during intermission. BSF also makes liberal use of cross-gender casting as a nod to the conventions of the Elizabethan stage-since women weren't allowed to perform in Shakespeare's time, all his female roles were originally played by boys. Productions regularly feature women playing the parts of men and men playing the parts of women.

Charm City's Hometown Shakespeare
After spending several years as a touring company without a permanent venue, The Shakespeare Factory is now proud to be at home in Baltimore producing five shows a season. BSF also actively partners with local businesses. Adoptable dogs from the Baltimore Humane Society are featured in each show (City Paper recognized BSF's use of adoptable animals in its 2012 Best of Baltimore issue); local wine and beer are served at every show. BSF also continues to expand its outreach into the community, offering programs in local schools and libraries, as well as extensive summer camp programs for local elementary, middle, and high school students. The Baltimore Shakespeare Factory is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and a member of the Shakespeare Theatre Association and the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance.

Ticket Information:
Tickets for Baltimore Shakespeare Factory productions are available online at: theshakespearefactory.com