Tickets for the 2010 NC Shakespeare Fest Go on Sale 7/5

Tickets go on sale July 5th for The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival's 34th season featuring Shakespeare's mystical and romantic adventure, The Tempest, and NCSF's beloved family theatre production, Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

For the first time in its history, The Festival will have a Producer involved in mounting one of its productions. "The Producer in Theatre is the force that provides the funding necessary to mount a production, usually on Broadway," says Silva. "But the Producer function is much more impactful than this single role. The Producer is intimately involved in the production process itself, bringing into focus issues of casting, overall production values, even the actual length of rehearsal time."

"Jim and Debbie Millis have been visionary champions of The Festival over the years. Their role as Producers of The Tempest will affect every aspect of the show, from The Festival's ability to cast the play's roles more effectively, to the nature of sets and costumes for the show, to the scope of the production's music. Their involvement will result in helping The Festival set an even higher standard of excellence to its already renowned productions. Our plan is to develop this Producer concept with individuals and corporations for future seasons."

The Tempest is regarded by almost all scholars as Shakespeare's last and most mature complete work, revealing The Bard at his best as playwright, poet and Theatre artist. The play evades easy categorization and today plays best as a romance with ample comic and, some would say, even tragic elements.

Literary scholars have referred to The Tempest as Shakespeare's New World Play, due to opinions that Shakespeare's sea island adventure, written in 1611, was inspired by events of the ship-wrecked English vessel, Sea Venture, destroyed by a hurricane, casting survivors onto the island of Bermuda, known then as the Devil's Islands, just off the coast of North Carolina.

Shakespeare's tale is set on an island in the Mediterranean, just off the coast of Italy. Prospero towers over The Tempest story. As rightful Duke of Milan, his position was usurped by his brother, Antonio, and he was set adrift on the ocean to die with his young child, Miranda. Fate cast them on an island where, using his skillful art, Prospero gained control over the witch Sycorax, freeing sprites like Ariel, who now do him service. Even Caliban, Sycorax's, beast-man child, comes under Prospero's sway.

Knowing his usurping brother and other lords are voyaging home to Milan from a trip to Tunis, Prospero engages Ariel to create a tempest that cracks the struggling ship and sets aground on Prospero's isle the usurping Duke and his train of nobles - some corrupt, others honorable. Finally, Prospero will get revenge for his brother's ill-deed! The Tempest takes us on a magical journey. Highlighting that journey is the love that develops between Miranda and the noble youth, Ferdinand.

Some say The Tempest is a play about magic. In truth, it is a play that traffics in magic to search the timeless issues of the heart - forgiveness, justice, mercy and, of course, love. NCSF's beloved, original stage adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol will follow with performances in December.

The Tempest performs September 18 - October 3. A Christmas Carol performs December 3 - 19. All performances are at The High Point Theatre, 220 E. Commerce Avenue, in downtown High Point. Tickets are priced from $12 - $31 and go on sale beginning July 5th at The High Point Theatre Box Office. Box Office hours are 12:00 noon - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday. Visit or call 336-887-3001, or purchase tickets via email at www.highpointtheatre.com. Tickets will also be available at the door one hour before curtain for seating to that performance only.

Group tickets including The Festival's popular SchoolFest 10:00 a.m. matinees may also be purchased beginning July 5th, through NCSF's Administrative Office. Home School Groups of 2 or more also receive group rates. Call Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, 336-841-2273, x226, or via email at sales@ncshakes.org. For a complete calendar of performances, including Preview, Rush and Community Night discounted admission rate specials, to learn more about The Tempest, about A Christmas Carol, or other Festival programming and opportunities visit NCSF's website at www.ncshakes.org.

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