The Acting Company's 44th National Tour Pairs William Shakespeare and Malcolm X in Repertory

The Acting Company announces its 2016-17 season and 44th national tour featuring two new gripping dramas in repertory -- the world premiere of Marcus Gardley's X: Or, Betty Shabazz vs. The Nation and William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Both will be staged in an exciting artistic and educational collaboration with University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Kansas, University of Central Missouri, University of Missouri-Columbia and area high schools and community partners.

The assassinations of Rome's great ruler of the Republic and the revolutionary leader Malcolm X share the stage when The Acting Company pairs Shakespeare's Julius Caesar with X, a compelling new play by lauded playwright Gardley. The two gripping dramas examine the charismatic leaders who rise only to fall victim to rivalry, resentment and retribution. Gardley is a multiple award-winning playwright whose works include Desire Quenched by Touch (The Acting Company Off-Broadway production), The House That Will Not Stand and The Gospel of Lovingkindness. Ian Belknap, The Acting Company's artistic director, directs X and Devin Brain, The Acting Company's associate artistic director, directs Julius Caesar.

The Acting Company's 15-city tour comes to the Missouri/Kansas region on February 15-16 at the University of Kansas Lied Center, February 18-19 at University of Missouri-Columbia's Rhynsburger Theatre, February 21-23 at University of Missouri-Kansas City's Spencer Theatre and February 24-25 at University of Central Missouri's James L. Highlander Theatre.

This project was made possible by funding from Hall Family Foundation; The Stanley H. Durwood Foundation, administered through Greater Kansas City Community Foundation; Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation; The Roy Cockrum Foundation; The National Endowment for the Arts; and Shakespeare in American Communities, a national program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

The tour comes to New York City March 15-26 at The New Victory Theater. (A complete list of play dates and venues is at the end of this release.)

Both plays will be performed in each city.

The Acting Company is America's most honored touring repertory theatre, having reached four million people with 143 classic and new works. It brings live classical theatre to those who might otherwise never get an opportunity to gain an appreciation for it and have the transformative experience of attending live theatre.

To broaden its national reach, The Acting Company has announced a new artistic and educational collaboration with universities, colleges and community partners. "It's an exciting, innovative approach that embraces America's current cultural landscape and better serves the communities we visit on tour," The Acting Company's Executive Director Elisa Spencer-Kaplan said.

"It uniquely positions The Acting Company to become truly part of the community rather than simply being in it," Belknap added. "We have reinvented our model and deepened our impact with a repertory that draws on the past to illuminate the present."

Beginning in 2014, college and high school students in theater, education and the humanities have collaborated to explore ideas and artistic practice across the curriculum. On-site workshops, class visits, theater performances and public forums engage students, faculty and community members with opportunities to learn from our past while inviting critical dialogue about current events and social issues.

The new touring model includes three-year residencies with highly-engaged colleges, schools and civic organizations; long-term relationships that bolster theatre students' professional development; greater opportunity for community engagement; new and expanded partnerships with more than 100 institutions by 2018 and up to 120 performances a year for The Acting Company's actors.

For tickets to X: Or, Betty Shabazz vs. The Nation and Julius Caesar, please visit www.theactingcompany.org , call 212-258-3111 or contact local box offices.

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