Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's Free Shakespeare on the Common Announces New Dates

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's Free Shakespeare On The Common is one of Greater Boston's most beloved traditions. For their 18th annual season, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is excited to present the comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona July 6 - 28, 2013. Directed by the company's Artistic Director Steven Maler, The Two Gentlemen of Verona tells the tale of two friends who leave their hometown of Verona to find their happy fortunes in Milan. Instead, they find temptation, trickery, and trouble as they vie for favor with the high-society Duke... and his debutante daughter. All are drawn into a web of disguise and secrecy where the last thing anyone wants is for the truth to surface - least of all the dog. Inspired by Rat Pack-era Vegas - the glamour, the hedonism, and the morning after agonies - the production brings new meaning to the line "what happens in Milan, stays in Milan."

The performance schedule is July 6 at 8pm; July 7 at 7pm; July 8-12 at 8pm; July 14-15 at 8:30pm; July 17 at 8:30pm; July 18 at 1pm; July 21 at 7pm; July 23-26 at 8pm; July 27 at 2pm & 8pm; and July 28 at 7pm. Free and open to the public. For reserved lawn chairs and to learn more go online at www.commshakes.org. (Wednesday July 10 at 8pm is press performance).

According to Maler, "For Two Gentlemen of Verona. we have assembled a stellar design team. Beowulf Boritt returns to CSC to design the set. His recent credits Broadway credits include Chaplin and the Paul Rudd/Michael Shannon play Grace, and If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet starring Jake Gyllenhaal at New York's Roundabout Theater Company. Eric Southern (lighting) and Nancy Leary (costumes), whose exquisite work on The Last Will were universally praised, return to CSC this summer. And longtime collaborator J Hagenbuckle returns to design sound."

Beowulf Boritt designed A Midsummer Night's Dream for CSC in 2007. Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys (Tony Nomination), Chaplin, Grace, Rock Of Ages, Sondheim On Sondheim, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee , LoveMusik, The Two And Only. Off- Broadway: More than 50 shows including The Last Five Years, Toxic Avenger, If There Is I Haven't Found It Yet, Miss Julie, at Roundabout, Public, MTC, 2nd Stage, Vineyard, MCC, Primary Stages, New Group, Pearl, American Place, and Keen Company. Other Designs: The Seven Deadly Sins (New York City Ballet) Paradise Found (London), Reel to Real (Beijing) and two editions of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He also received a 2007 OBIE Award.

J Hagenbuckle (Sound Designer) is a freelance sound designer and composer. He was in residence for ten seasons with CSC from 1999 through 2008 and has worked with Steve Maler on many other theater projects. He designed sound for Jackie: An American Life on Broadway, for numerous Off Broadway and NYC theaters, regional theaters including twelve years with TheaterWorks Hartford and seven years with The Berkshire Theater Festival. He has worked with many Boston theater companies as well. J is the first sound designer to receive an NEA/TCG Designer Grant, the first sound designer to receive an Elliott Norton Award and the first person to receive an MFA in Sound Design from Brandeis University.

Eric Southern is a New York based lighting and set designer. Most recently his work on The Secret Agent (Sam Helfrich director) was seen at the Avignon Opera House and as part of the Armel International Opera Festival in Szeged Hungary. Other recent credits include Die Fledermaus with director Dorothy Danner at Virginia Opera, Coriolanus, and Robert Brustein's The Last Will with director Steve Maler, Bruja and The Other Place with director Loretta Greco at the Magic Theater, Cymbeline and Venus in Fur at Portland Center Stage, The Last 5 Years with director Leah Gardiner at Crossroads Theater, The History of Kisses with director David Cale at Kansas City Rep, a fully staged version of Handel's Messiah with director Sam Helfrich at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming projects include Good Television at the Atlantic Stage 2, and a new evening length dance piece with Susan Marshall Dance Company that will premier at BAM, UCLA, and The Kennedy Center.

Nancy Leary (Costume Designer) has a theatrical career that spans two decades. She had designed costumes for Pittsburgh Symphony, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Boston, Chautauqua Opera, Mobile Opera, Juillard Opera, and Boston Musica Viva. Nancy has also designed costumes for the regional premier of Permanent Collection which won an Elliot Norton Award and Into The Woods which produced an acclaimed IRNE award for Costume Design, both shows produced by New Repertory Theatre. Other design credits include; Shakespeare Theatre New Jersey, Commonwealth Shakespeare Co., Weston Playhouse, Actor's Shakespeare Project, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, North Shore Music Theatre, ART Institute, Chamber Repertory Theatre, Boston Theatre Works, and Merrimack Repertory Theatre. Current projects include A Magic Flute for Boston Lyric Opera and Ariadne auf Neoxis for Virginia Opera. Nancy also teaches in the Production and Design Department at Boston University School of Theatre.