CTH's '06-'07 Season to Include De Shields as King Lear

Classical Theater of Harlem (CTH) has announced its eighth season, beginning with a new production of King Lear, which will star Tony nominated actor Andre De Shields. The season will continue with Peter Weiss' Marat/Sade and an original adaptation of Sophocles' Elektra titled (The Blood) Elektra. All performances will be at the HSA Theater (645 St. Nicholas Ave., near 141st Street).

King Lear (co-produced with the Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C.) will also be performed at The Carnival Center in Miami (November 15th through November 18th) and at the Folger (January 11th through February 18th) as part of the six-month long "Shakespeare in Washington" celebration. CTH's productions of Medea and Macbeth will tour, with stops in Pittsburgh and throughout New England.

De Shields received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in The Full Monty. Other Broadway credits include Prymate, Play On, Ain't Misbehavin,' Stardust, Andre De Shields' Harlem Nights (which he also directed and choreographed and for which he contributed the book and some songs), and The Wiz, among others.

"The Classical Theatre of Harlem is a dynamic and unique theatre company dedicated to producing the classics for a new, young, and culturally diverse audience. Their numerous awards and honors include a 2004 Drama Desk Award (as well as several nominations), 12 AUDELCO Awards (77 nominations) for Excellence in Black Theatre, and five OBIE Awards, off-Broadway's most prestigious honor. Their recent season included the Lortel Award winning revival of Adrienne Kennedy's Funnyhouse of a Negro and a highly acclaimed revival of Waiting for Godot, which starred Wendell Pierce," according to press notes.

Next season, CTH will expand their reach with co-productions and tours, as well as readings of new works. The company's new Future Classics Program is a collaborative partnership with the Fredrick Douglass Creative Arts Center (FDCAC) and The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Through this partnership, CTH and FDCAC will select eight new plays to workshop and present for a free public reading at The Schomburg Center.

Tickets for individual CTH shows are $35, with discounts available for groups of 10 or more. A season subscription for all three shows is $75. To order, please call Smarttix at (212)868-4444, or visit the company's web site at www.classicaltheatreofharlem.org.