William Shakespeare News

Libra Theater Company, in association with The TRUF, presents the World Premiere of ROYAL FABLES a new musical that explores the lives of classic and not-so-classic fairy tale princesses. Featuring book, music and lyrics by Nick Luckenbaugh, the production is directed by Megan Mekjian starring a cast of 18. Previews begin October 30 at Access Theater. Opening is set for Wednesday, November 5.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) opens its 2014-15 Mainstage Series with William Shakespeare's dark and twisted tragedy Macbeth. Under the direction of Brant Russell, Assistant Professor of Drama, Macbeth will make its CCM debut Oct. 2 through 5 in CCM's Patricia Corbett Theater, with a preview performance at 8 p.m. tonight, Oct. 1.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents the comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare and directed by Paul Mason Barnes. This enchanting play will be performed on the Browning Mainstage of the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts, 130 Edgar Road (on the campus of Webster University), Webster Groves, October 15-November 9, 2014.

Parson's Nose Theater (PNT) will kick off their 2014-15 Season with a Readers' Theater Series performance of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

BroadwayWorld.com has just learned the casting for an upcoming New York City developmental lab of the Casey Nicholaw directed and choreographed, and Broadway (via Seattle) bound new musical, Something Rotten!

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) opens its 2014-15 Mainstage Series with William Shakespeare's dark and twisted tragedy Macbeth. Under the direction of Brant Russell, Assistant Professor of Drama, Macbeth will make its CCM debut Oct. 2 through 5 in CCM's Patricia Corbett Theater, with a preview performance at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

The third SCrIBE Scriptwriting Competition has given five local playwrights a chance to develop their work, with three grand prizes to be won when their plays are staged at the Cape Town Fringe Festival this week. The top entries for this annual competition will have their plays presented at nightly staged readings, with a professional director and cast, from today, 30 September to 3 October at the Garrick Theatre in the Waterfront Theatre School, with the winners being announced at an awards ceremony on 4 October. Each night will be hosted by a prominent member of the theatre community.

The Modern Theatre at Suffolk University announces the programming lineup for its 2014-2015 season, featuring conversation, film, and new and classic plays.

The Film Society of LINCOLN Center will host Ethan Hawke tonight, September 30 and Richard Gere on October 8 as guests of honor for 'An Evening With...' at the 52nd New York Film Festival.

NYU Skirball presents Shakespeare's Globe's acclaimed production of William Shakespeare's KING LEAR. Directed by Bill Buckhurst and starring Joseph Marcell in the title role, KING LEAR begins performances at NYU Skirball (566 LaGuardia Place at Washington Square, New York, NY, 10012) tonight, September 30, 2014, with opening night set for Wednesday, October 1, 2014, and running through Sunday, October 12, 2014.

The Old Globe will celebrate its 80th Anniversary as part of the Balboa Park Centennial Celebration with a 2015 Summer Season featuring Shakespeare onstage and in film. 2014 Tony Award winner for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder and former Old Globe Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak returns to direct the spectacular musical classic Kiss Me, Kate, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Sam and Bella Spewack, and choreography by Peggy Hickey, in association with Hartford Stage.

The third SCrIBE Scriptwriting Competition has given five local playwrights a chance to develop their work, with three grand prizes to be won when their plays are staged at the Cape Town Fringe Festival this week. The top entries for this annual competition will have their plays presented at nightly staged readings, with a professional director and cast, from 30 September to 3 October at the Garrick Theatre in the Waterfront Theatre School, with the winners being announced at an awards ceremony on 4 October. Each night will be hosted by a prominent member of the theatre community.

William Shakespeare's swift and relentless tragedy, Macbeth, comes to Theater at Monmouth. Filled with ghosts, witches, and dark prophecies, Macbeth will run for one weekend only in Cumston Hall October 17-19 before heading out on the road as part of the theatre's Shakespeare in Maine Communities Education Tour. Macbeth will tour for three weeks to schools and community centers across the state.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues their season with a Regional Premiere for the Halloween season of "The Birds" by Conor McPherson, from the short story by Daphne du Maurier October 17- November 8, 2014. This production is directed by Cincinnati Shakespeare's Producing Artistic Director, Brian Isaac Phillips and features Cincinnati Shakespeare's Resident Ensemble members Sara Clark, Sherman Fracher, Nicholas Rose and Brent Vimtrup. The design is generously sponsored by Raymond James.

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*.

Present Company, a sponsored project of the Austin Creative Alliance, will return to East Austin's Rain Lily Farm this Fall for 12 performances of William Shakespeare's The Tempest. Promoting the philosophy of 'accessible & immediate art,' SHAKESPEARE ON THE FARM is a free, professional production, presented as a gift to the community with the support of local businesses and organizations. Performances will run October 9th- November 1st, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at Rain Lily Farm, 914 Shady Lane.

The American Repertory Theater/Moscow Art Theater School Institute for Advanced Theater Training, in partnership with Playwrights of New York (PoNY), presents Samuel D. Hunter's (2014 MacArthur Genius Grant Recipient) comedy, A Bright New Boise, directed by Marcus Stern. Performances will take place at the Zero Church Performance Space, Harvard Square on October 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, and 18 at 7:30PM.

Bootless Stageworks will present the first officially licensed production of Terminator, The Second, a staged adaption of the hit Hollywood blockbuster Terminator 2: Judgment Day. What makes Terminator, The Second such a unique theater production is that it is completed entirely in Shakespearean language. Every line and phrase is taken from the original folios of William Shakespeare, with changes only to proper nouns, pronouns, and verb-tenses that serve to create a hilarious parody about a boy and his cyborg protector with the utmost accuracy.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC), recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award, opens its 2014-2015 mainstage season with William Shakespeare's romantic comedyAs You Like It, directed by Michael Attenborough in his American regional directing debut. As You Like It will play at the Lansburgh Theatre (450 7th Street NW) from October 28-December 7, 2014.

The University of Southern Maine (USM) Department of Theatre is presenting an innovative and enlightening six-show season for 2014-2015, replete with skirt-chasing dames, lonely love-torn souls, original dance, a production at the Portland Stage Studio Theater featuring a satirical southern belle and her hypochondriac son, followed by a pistol-packing nun, and the Maine premiere of the sensational new musical, 'Catch Me If You Can,' as well as one of Shakespeare's most beloved comedies 'shadowed' by American Sign Language interpreter-performers.