Pear Theatre to Explore Shakespearean Authorship in THE BEARD OF AVON

Pear Theatre continues its 2015/2016 season with THE BEARD OF AVON, a brilliant farcical treatment of the Oxfordian theory regarding authorship of Shakespeare's plays. Were they really written by a nobleman? What was Shakespeare really like? How did his wife deal with Shakespeare's fame? THE BEARD OF AVON takes us on a wild ride through Elizabethan England, even bringing the Queen herself along.

Directed by Karen Altree Piemme, THE BEARD OF AVON previews on April 7th; with Press and Opening Night on April 8th, followed by a champagne gala. The run continues through April 24. All performances are held at the Pear Theatre's new space at 1110 La Avenida St., Mountain View. For tickets ($10-$35) and information the public may visit www.thepear.org or call (650) 254-1148.

"There's a lot in THE BEARD OF AVON that has to do with my own completely insane love affair with actors and theater," said playwright Freed. "It's very much a valentine to the whole theatrical experience, at its silliest and most rewarding."

Written with a deep affection for Shakespeare's works, THE BEARD OF AVON is equally enjoyable for audiences with no experience with his plays. Often bawdy and tongue-in-cheek, and occasionally anachronistic, the play examines the essence of inspiration, creativity, and human nature itself; the public and private faces of an artist; the mortality of artists, and the immortality of their creations.

Amy Freed is the Playwriting Artist-in-Residence at Stanford University and the author of The Monster Builder, Restoration Comedy, Freedomland, Safe in Hell, The Psychic Life of Savages, Nero, and other plays. Awards include the Charles McArthur Playwriting Award, the Joseph Kesserling Award, and LA Critic's Circle Award and Pulitzer Prize Finalist (Freedomland). Freed's work has been produced at New York Theater Workshop, South Coast Repertory Theater, The Goodman, Seattle Repertory, American Conservatory Theater, Yale Rep, California Shakespeare Theater, Berkeley Rep, Portland Artists Rep, and others. Freed has served as TCG Resident Playwright at South Coast Rep, Resident Playwright at the Old Globe, and was a Mellon Foundation Playwriting Resident for the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. 2009-2012. Current commissions include South Coast Rep and Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Karen Altree Piemme is a director, actor, dramaturg, workshop facilitator and acting instructor, specializing in social justice theatre and community access to the arts. She is the Director of the Red Ladder Theatre Company, a nationally acclaimed, award-winning company which empowers marginalized populations in the community. Piemme spent 21 years with San Jose Repertory Theatre, where she was the Director of Outreach and Resident Dramaturg. As a theatre professional, she has directed productions for both youth and adults, taught classes and conducted workshops locally, nationally and internationally for nearly thirty years. She also serves as the Associate Director for 2nd Stages at Dragon Productions Theatre Company, and the Artistic Associate for Playwrights Foundation where she produces the annual Bay Area Playwrights Festival. She teaches in the Department of Television, Radio, Film and Theatre at San Jose State University, and serves on the Theatre Services Committee (the advisory council) for Theatre Bay Area. Piemme is the recipient of the 2011 Champion of Arts Education Award, awarded by the Mayor/City of San Jose and the San Jose Arts Commission, and in 2012 she was named one of the 35 Faces of Theatre Bay Area. Piemme is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.

The cast for this production includes Dante Belletti as Will Shakspere, Michael Champlin as Edward De Vere, Caitlin Papp as Anne Hathaway, and Doll Piccotto as Queen Elizabeth I. Other cast members include Nicolae Muntean, Evan Michael Schumacher, Brian Flegel, Jeremy Ryan, and Jason Pollak. The production team includes Stage Manager Marissa Stough, Set Designer Paulino Deleal, Lighting Designer Ben Hemmen, Costume Designer Patricia Files, Sound Designer Caroline Clark, and Prop Designer Miranda Whipple.

Pear Theatre began as the Pear Avenue Theatre in June 2002, under the leadership of Artistic Director Diane Tasca, by a group of theatre artists who believe that audiences are eager for plays that challenge as well as delight and move them. Pear Theatre produces intimate theatre by passionate artists, whether classic works or cutting-edge plays. Now in its fourteenth season, The Pear attracts theatre artists and audience from all over the Bay Area for its award-winning and high-quality productions; and this year The Pear's ongoing commitment to excellence has been recognized by the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle with the Paine Knickerbocker Award, an annual special award for a Bay Area company contributing to the high quality of theatre in the region.

Pear Theatre moved in 2015 from its original 40-seat warehouse space to a new, state-of-the-art black box theatre close by, with capacity of 75-99 seats depending on the configuration of the production. This exciting move allows The Pear to continue its tradition of intimate theatre while taking on new challenges and opportunities.