William Shakespeare News

Artistic Director Tony Simotes kicks off a celebratory season in honor of the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth with Shakespeare's Will, directed by Daniela Varon and featuring Kristin Wold. This provocative one-woman play by Canadian Playwright Vern Thiessen imagines the bold and unapologetic journey of Shakespeare's enigmatic wife, Anne Hathaway, and the couple's unconventional courtship and marriage. Performances run in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre May 23 - August 24.

Esta semana se estrena 'Como gusteis' en el Centro Dramatico Nacional con Carmen Barrantes, Victor Ullate Roche, Edu Soto, Maria Victoria Di Pace y Alberto Frias entre otros.

Midsommer Flight announces its third summer season of Shakespeare in the Park with the delightful comedy Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare and directed by Midsommer Flight's Founder and Producing Artistic Director Beth Wolf. Dedicated to presenting outdoor performances of Shakespeare's plays, Midsommer Flight is a proud arts partner with the Chicago Park District.

On May 4th - at its annual fundraising gala, A Marvelous Party! - Penfold Theatre Company announced its 2014-15 season line-up: Now Then Again, Miracle on 34th Street: a classic Penfold radiocast, The Last Five Years, and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Penfold Theatre Company cultivates a love for live theatre in northern Travis and Williamson Counties by offering first-class, professional theatre performances and education programs. The 2013-2014 Season will close with Romeo & Juliet, running June 5-28, 2014. This is Penfold's seventh season. More information is available online at http://www.penfoldtheatre.org/about/2014_15.

Stage Left Theatre has announced added performance for their hit production of Principal Principle by Joe Zarrow, as well as the programming for its 33rd season - Against the Grain. The company will offer three mainstage productions that center on characters who choose to fight against the expectations placed on them by others - for better or for worse.

Shrunken Shakespeare Company and Pulp Variety Streamcast members star in new authorized adaptation of IDW's Graphic Novel Kill Shakespeare. Cast members include: Yvonne Cone (Shakespeare & Co, SSC, TBG), Jennifer Martina (SSC, PVS), Sam Parrott (Shakespeare & Co, SSC), Michael Moreno (Shakespeare Forum: Merchant of Venice; Shakespeare & Co.: All's Well...), Sketkh Williams (PVS), Robert Davenport (SSC, UCB), Eric Chase (One Life to Live, SSC, PVS), Amanda Baumler (SSC, PVS), Matt Golden (PVS), Equiano Mosieri (Shakespeare & Co: Romeo and Juliet; Berkshire Theatre Fest), Richard Templeton (PVS), Adam Luke (PVS)

WAM Theatre has announced the cast for a staged reading of Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare. This story of a woman's struggle to preserve her identity in the face of hypocrisy and exploitation will be given a unique telling with an all-female company of actors and a streamlined adaptation. WAM Theatre will present the reading on Sunday, May 18 at 3:00 p.m. at No. Six Depot Roastery and Cafe, 6 Depot Street in West Stockbridge, MA. Measure for Measure is the second presentation in WAM's new Fresh Takes Play Reading series, which offers new and reimagined works that tell women's stories.

'Denmark's a prison.' Those words spoken by Hamlet in William Shakespeare's play, written more than 400 years ago, inspired veteran director James Cady to set his production of Hamlet in a state penitentiary. 'I don't know if I'm the first director to stage the play this way, but actual prisoners have been producing the play as part of their rehabilitation for several years. The play seems to speak, on a deeply emotional and redemptive level, to inmates whose crimes parallel the characters in Hamlet, primarily murder and revenge.'

PICT Theatre's Artistic and Executive Director Alan Stanford has selected a bold assortment of classic plays for PICT's 18th season, Something Wicked This Way Comes. Each play contains its own version of wickedness, with the Noel Coward classic Blithe Spirit opening the season tonight, May 3rd (May 1 and 2 previews.)

UATG to present Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, directed by Megan Dansie. Introducing Akkshey Caplash and Abby Hampton as 'Romeo' and 'Juliet'. The production will run at the Little Theatre, The Cloisters, University of Adelaide, today 3, Tues-Sat 6-10 & 13-17 May 2014 at 7.30pm.

THEATER 2020, Brooklyn Heights' professional theater company is pleased to announce a modern gothic production of William Shakespeare's masterpiece "KING LEAR" starring David Fuller, and running 12 performances in Brooklyn Heights, Friday, May 23rd through Sunday, June 15th, 2014. Press is invited beginning Saturday, May 24th.

Inspired by noted linguist David Crystal's YouTube videos, Kate Pogue decided to bring an original pronunciation performance of Shakespeare to Houston. This summer, she and UH-D's O'Kane Theatre are remounting their popular production of JULIUS CAESAR, giving Houston audiences another chance to experience this novel approach to Shakespearean plays.

Shining a spotlight on one of the greatest actors alive, today we celebrate the stunning stage and screen career of actor, director and patron of the arts Kevin Spacey.

Evolution Theatre Company presents ELIZABETH REX by Timothy Findley in its area premiere. There will be one preview on Wednesday, June 4 at 8 PM. Performances run Thursday through Saturday, June 5 - 7 and Thursday through Saturday, June 12 - 14 at 8 PM, and Sunday, June 8 at 2 PM.

For the first time ever, the Brooklyn College Theater Department will present an original play penned by a graduate of the College's M.F.A. Playwriting program. Happily Ever, by Amina Henry '14 M.F.A., will run from today, May 2-6 at the New Workshop Theater in the Brooklyn College Center for the Performing Arts.

This May, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to 'Complete the Canon' by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. The final play needed to 'Complete the Canon' is William Shakespeare's 'The Two Noble Kinsmen', which CSC will open tonight, May 2, 2014. This production is generously sponsored by Charles Parsons and Bill McKim and the Canon Club. The design sponsor is PNC Bank.

Stark Naked Theatre Company concludes its third season with a compelling production of one of William Shakespeare's most fascinating plays, The Winter's Tale. Directed by acclaimed Houston actor/director Philip Lehl, The Winter's Tale opens tonight, May 2nd and runs through May 16th at STUDIO 101.

Due to family issues, actor David Wald is no longer a part of Stark Naked Theatre's upcoming production of THE WINTER'S TALE. To address this unforeseen circumstance, Director Philip Lehl will assume the role of Leontes, and the play's opening weekend is postponed by one week. THE WINTER'S TALE will now open on Thursday, May 8th, at 7:30 p.m.

Last night I had the particular privilege of discussing the intricacies and intrigue of William Shakespeare's legendary history play RICHARD III with one of the greatest actors of our age and a true patron of the arts - two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey. Discussing the finer points of his characterization of the hunchback antihero, Spacey paints a vivid portrait of his experiences in reteaming with his AMERICAN BEAUTY collaborator, director Sam Mendes, on bringing a truly 21st century take on the classic play to the stage - and then bringing the production all the way from the hallowed ground of Spacey's own The Old Vic in London, to the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City to a whirlwind worldwide tour spanning the globe. NOW, a compelling new documentary following the project from rehearsal through to opening night and ensuing world tour is set to be released next month and is highlighted by the fly-on-the-wall intimacy and access it provides viewers, as well as offering copious performance footage of Spacey and company in action onstage. Additionally, Spacey and I address and analyze the undeniable connections between RICHARD III and his super-successful Netflix dramatic series HOUSE OF CARDS, touching upon not only the dramatic parallels, but the lucky sequence of events that made the entire endeavor possible in the first place. After all, Frank Underwood is the modern Richard III in many ways - bloodlust, ambition, ego, humor and darkness included; but, also, the humanity. Plus, Spacey expresses his enthusiasm for starting work on Season Three of the series now that they have been granted Maryland filming tax breaks once again, which was holding up production until this week. Besides all of that, Spacey also clues us in on his future endeavors of interest, mentioning his spate of recent musical performances and his desire to pursue a musical role once again sometime soon following his acclaimed turn as Bobby Darin in musical biopic BEYOND THE SEA. FOLLIES, perhaps?! A wide-ranging conversation with a stage and screen mega-star like none other awaits in today's special spotlight.

Stark Naked Theatre Company is closing their 2013-2014 season with a production of William Shakespeare's THE WINTER'S TALE. As a company that emphasizes text over staging, it is always a treat to see Stark Naked bring works to life on the stage, and with eight cast members playing dozens of roles, this production seems to be no exception. While it has been dubbed one of Shakespeare's most misunderstood plays, THE WINTER'S TALE is sure to have something for everyone, as it is wrought with elements of tragedy, comedy, and romance. Taking time out of their busy schedule, Philip Lehl, who is directing this production as well as stepping into the role of Leontes, and cast member Matt Lents sat down with us to talk about programming Shakespeare for modern audiences and what Houston can expect from Stark Naked Theatre Company's THE WINTER'S TALE.