William Shakespeare News

With a $38 million project under construction, a world premiere adaptation, a visit from England and the continuation of the Complete the Canon and History Cycle initiatives, the Utah Shakespeare Festival showed no signs of slowing down in 2014, its 53rd season. Producing 235 performances in rotating repertory in three theatres for 17 weeks is no easy feat, but through countless hours, a dedicated group of artists has pulled off another artistically successful year. Scroll down for photos from the 2014 season!

The Shakespeare Theatre Company announces an extension of its current production of As You Like It, by William Shakespeare, directed by Michael Attenborough, with Associate Director Alan Paul. As You Like It now plays through December 14, 2014, at the Lansburgh Theatre (450 7th Street NW).

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents CPS Shakespeare!, a transformative arts-in-education program that engages Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students and teachers in creating an original Shakespeare production with CST theater and education professionals.

Promethean Theatre Ensemble has announced the first play of our ninth season, William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale.

Kaliyuga Arts and Bridge Street Theatre present The Philadelphia Artists' Collective Production of The Rape of Lucrece by William Shakespeare Adapted and Performed by Dan Hodge this weekend, November 7 and 8 at 7:30 pm, November 9 at 3:00 pm at Bridge Street Theatre Speakeasy, 44 West Bridge Street, Catskill, NY 12414.

On September 15, 2014, Mine is Yours officially announced their upcoming production of R&J, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, edited and gender-reversed by Hannah Pell, and directed by the bold and brilliant Abby Craden*.

The several intertwined stories about characters motivated by the seven deadly sins and shocking scenes of excessive cruelty and suffering (especially the violent blinding of Gloucester, Lear's descent into madness, the raging storm, and the tragic death of Cordelia), make KING LEAR a profound exploration of the human condition in all its extremes and complexities. And when well performed by actors who fully comprehend the psyche of their character as well as the meaning of Shakespeare's vocabulary, brilliance happens.

If you are a Shakespeare connoisseur who knows the plays and who thrills at new stagings of familiar material, by all means get thee to the Lansburgh Theatre to see Michael Attenborough's fascinating production of As You Like It. With a rock-solid cast, and a Spartan stage design that throws their great work into high relief, you will be in for a rich experience indeed.

The 44th season at Kumu Kahua Theatre continues with a world premiere of a new Susan Soon He Stanton play. Susan also wrote Whatever Happened to John Boy Kihano' and The Art of Preservation, both of which also premiered at Kumu Kahua Theatre.

Steeped in a mystic atmosphere, director Robert Richmond and his excellent company of actors breathe new life to Shakespeare's political and personal tale of assassination and retribution. JULIUS CAESAR is visually stunning, a feast for the ears, and boasts a commanding ensemble. If you thought JULIUS CAESAR was about guys in togas and Marc Antony's funeral speech, think again. This is a production not to miss.

The Music Hall's Writers in the Loft series welcomes Kathryn Harrison, the New York Times bestselling author and celebrated essayist for The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, and O Magazine, on Tuesday, December 2, 2014. Harrison will discuss JOAN OF ARC: A Life Transfigured, her expertly woven account of a young peasant girl who became a heroine of profound historical and almost mythical stature.

The Colony Theatre will present the third production of its historic 40thAnniversary season, the West Coast Premiere of HANDLE WITH CARE by Jason Odell Williams, directed by Karen Carpenter. HANDLE WITH CARE will preview tonight, November 5; Thursday, November 6; and Friday, November 7 at 8:00pm. It will open on Saturday, November 8 at 8:00pm and continue through Sunday, December 14, with no performances Thanksgiving week.

Lifeline Theatre's KidSeries presents Lions in Illyria, a world premiere based on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, written by Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Robert Kauzlaric and directed by Lifeline Theatre ensemble member Amanda Delheimer Dimond.

Ghostlight Records has announced the release of the new CD from MARY TESTA - the two time Tony Award nominated singer and actress currently starring in Wicked on Broadway - and MICHAEL STAROBIN, the Tony Award winning orchestrator and arranger. The album will be available in stores and via online outlets December 2, 2014. Mary and Michael will perform a special CD release engagement at The Laurie Beechman Theater at The West Bank Cafe January 4-5,11-12, 2015 at 7:00 PM. For tickets, please visit www.lauriebeechmantheatre.com.

Following the enormous success of last year's VAULT Festival, Heritage Arts today announces the programme for VAULT's triumphant return to the Leake Street tunnels for six frenetic weeks of live entertainment. From 28 January 2015 they will present a carefully curated, high quality multi-arts programme across seven different spaces under Waterloo station.

South County Theatre presents A Midsummer Night's Dream, Nov. 14-15. The show will perform on November 13-15 at 7 PM. General admission ticket prices will be $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens and students at the door. Discounted tickets may be purchased in advance at www.southcounty theatre.org.

Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF dares audiences to take a risk on new plays at PlayFest from this weekend, November 1 - 3, 2014. Presented by Harriett's Charitable Trust, the fast-paced weekend is packed with lively discussions, engaging playwright panels, and new play readings, along with a keynote speech from playwright Mark St. Germain. This season's event marks the twelfth festival of new plays at the Theater.

PlayMakers Repertory Company takes audiences into the darker reaches of the forest with two tales of magic and transformation in the theater's annual rotating repertory event. The professional theater in residence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill performs 'Into the Woods' by Tony Award-winner Stephen Sondheim and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' by William Shakespeare today, Nov. 1 to Dec. 7.