Casting, Dates Set for Shakespeare & Company's 2015 Season; Launches May 22

Shakespeare & Company has finalized casting for its 38th performance season, and released a complete schedule of Opening Night dates. The announcement was made this week by Interim Artistic Directors Ariel Bock and Jonathan Croy, along with a positive report from Interim Managing Director Stephen D. Ball on the Company's box office successes to date. Shakespeare & Company's season opens on May 22 with The How and The Why, by Sarah Treem.

"We have so much great work in store for our 38th Season," says Ms. Bock. "Many of our shows are artist initiated, and it is especially gratifying to see these projects coming to fruition as full productions. We will be welcoming some new faces this year as well as bringing back many company artists. I am looking to forward to the wonderful energy of such dedicated and wide-ranging creative teams. We also have play readings and other special events and are thrilled to be bringing back Broadway in the Berkshires. Tina's book launch is here next week and our first show, The How and the Why, begins rehearsal shortly. We're off!"

"We're bursting with enthusiasm about the upcoming season," adds Mr. Croy, "and I'm humbled and honored to be part of the leadership team during this exciting time. It's been an invigorating phase for our Company-we've faced some challenges that every nonprofit organization faces, and it's brought us closer together. And thanks to our patrons, supporters, staff and members of our communities-both our artistic community at Shakespeare & Company, as well as our larger community in the Berkshires-we are able to unleash a terrific season and we're moving full steam ahead."

Mr. Ball reports box office sales to-date are ahead of last year's numbers and going strong. "After this tough winter, it is encouraging to see our summer season off to such a terrific start," he says. "We have aggressive and inspiring programs that are being very well received. We're seeing terrific interest in our summer youth programs and in our summer actor Training Institute - and basking in the excitement of Tina's book release, as we enjoy an increase in calls and clicks through to the box office. This good news, coupled with continued good news in contributory income including recent new and larger foundation and Town grants, shows that there is great confidence in our artistry."

Tickets for all Shakespeare & Company productions are available online at Shakespeare.org, or by calling the box office at (413) 637-3353 during business hours. Shakespeare & Company is located at 70 Kemble Street in Lenox, Massachusetts.

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2015 Performance Season Cast & Opening Nights:

The How and the Why by Sarah Treem

Directed by Nicole Riccardi

Cast: Tod Randolph as Zelda, Bridget Saracino as Rachel

Previews begin May 22

Opening Night: May 30, 7:30pm

Runs through July 26th at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre

Henry V, by William Shakespeare

Directed by Jenna Ware

Cast: Caroline Calkins (Bishop of Ely, Boy, Katherine), Jonathan Croy (Chorus, Westmoreland, Pistol, French King, Soldier), Kelly Galvin (Chorus, Monk, Scroop, Constable, Governor, Soldier, Burgoine), Jennie Jadow (Chorus, Grey, Bardolf, Orleans, Alice, Erpingham, Soldier), Tom Jaegar (Chorus, Exeter, Fluellen, soldier), David Joseph (Bishop of Canterbury, Nym, York, Dauphin), Sarah Taylor (Chorus, Monk, Mountjoy, Hostesse, Cambridge, Gower, Soldier), Ryan Winkles (Henry V).

Previews begin June 18

Opening Night: June 26, 7:30pm

Runs through August 23 at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre

The Comedy of Errors, by William Shakespeare

Directed by Taibi Magar

Cast: Aaron Bartz (Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse), (Ben Chase (Merchant/ensemble), Kelley Curran (Adriana), Cloteal Horne (Luciana), Malcolm Ingram (Egeon), Yahya Abdul-Mateen (Antipholus of Epheseus and Antipholus of Syracuse), Josh McCabe (Dr. Pinch/Prince), Christianna Nelson (Abbess), Daniel Rios (Merchant/ensemble), Doug Seldin (Luce/ensemble), Michael Toomey (Goldsmith).

Previews begin July 2

Opening Night: July 11, 7:30pm

Runs through August 23 at the Tina Packer Playhouse.

Shakespeare and the Language that Shaped a World (SLaW), by Kevin G. Coleman

Directed by Kevin G. Coleman

Cast: Greg Boover, Annie Considine, Sean Kazarian.

July 10 through August 15 at the Rose Footprint Theatre

Hamlet, by William Shakespeare

Directed by Jonathan Croy

Cast: Ally Allen (Ophelia/ensemble), Greg Boover (Polonius/ensemble), Sean Kazarian (Claudius/ensemble), Luke Reed (Hamlet), Concetta Russo (Gertrude/ensemble), Zoe Wohlfeld (Rosencrantz/ensemble).

Opening Night: July 16, 6pm

Runs through August 22

The Dell at the Mount, 2 Plunkett Street, Lenox, MA

The Unexpected Man, by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton

Directed by Seth Gordon

Cast: Corinna May (Woman), and John Woodson (Man).

Previews begin July 18

Opening Night: July 24, 7:00pm

Runs through September 6 at the Tina Packer Playhouse

Mother of the Maid, by Jane Anderson

Directed by Matthew Penn

Cast: Elizabeth Aspenlieder (The Lady of the Court), Jason Asprey (Father Gilbert), Nigel Gore (Jacques Arc), Tina Packer (Isabelle Arc), Nathaniel Kent (Pierre Arc), Anne Troup (Joan Arc).

Previews begin July 30

Opening Night: August 7, 8:00pm

Runs through September 6 at the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre

Red Velvet, by Lolita Chakrabarti

Directed by Daniela Varon

Cast: Aaron Bartz (Casamir/Henry), Ben Chase (Charles Keane), Kelley Curran (Ellen Tree), Malcolm Ingram (Bernard/Terence), Christianna Nelson (Halina/Betty/Margaret), Joe Tapper (Pierre), John Douglas Thompson (Ira Aldridge).

Previews begin August 6

Opening Night: August 14, 7:00pm

Runs through September 13 at the Tina Packer Playhouse.

Cry Havoc, by Stephan Wolfert

Directed by Eric Tucker

Cast: Stephan Wolfert

Limited Engagement, August 28 & 29 at the Tina Packer Playhouse

Hampton

Directed by Seth Gordon

Cast: Corinna May (Woman), and John Woodson (Man).

Previews begin July 18

Opening Night: July 24, 7:00pm

Runs through September 6 at the Tina Packer Playhouse

For the complete 2015 Season line up, visit shakespeare.org.

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Located in The Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, Shakespeare & Company is one of the largest Shakespeare Festivals in the country, founded in 1978 by Tina Packer. The Company develops and performs Shakespeare, classics, contemporary, and new plays of social and political significance, generating opportunities for collaboration between actors, directors and designers of all races, nationalities and backgrounds. Shakespeare & Company also reaches more than 45,000 students annually with innovative performances, workshops and residencies. For more information, visit www.shakespeare.org.