Imagine a young, wisecracking '80s movie star - say Robert Downey Jr. or John Cusack - plugged into Shakespeare's tragedy. It makes for lots of laughs, but it also divests the play of its tragic aspect, which leaves the ending unearned.

From April 24 through June 1, one of William Shakespeare's most famous histories 'Richard III' gets an innovative PNT treatment in this boldly re-imagined tale of power, treachery, seduction, and fate.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Cincinnati's stage for the classics, is proud to present William Shakespeare's 'Henry IV: Part 1 & 2', playing now through April 19, 2014. This production is directed by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Producing Artistic Director Brian Isaac Phillips and features CSC Resident Ensemble Members Jim Hopkins, Justin McCombs and Matthew Lewis Johnson. Scroll down to check out some photos from the production!

Across the globe the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare's birth will be commemorated in many ways. In Paris a week-long conference will occur. In London anew indoor Jacobean theatre within the complex of Shakespeare's Globe opens. And here in New York the Richmond County Orchestra (RCO) marks its 15th season by celebrating the anniversary with a Happy Birthday Bill performance on April 26 at The Music Hall at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden. The concert is FREE for students and children.

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, Sat 3, Tues-Sat 6-10 & 13-17 May 2014 at 7.30pm.

Piffaro, The Renaissance Band celebrates the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth with a concert program woven around the musical moments in his work. All of Piffaro's instruments will be in play, from rowdy shawms to dulcet lute to Grant Herreid's sweet tenor. The result will be a lively, audience-friendly spring program of old English ballads, instrumental fantasies, and country dances. Tickets range from $15 for students to $40 for premium seating and are on sale now. Call 215-235-8469, email info@piffaro.org, or visit www.piffaro.org.

The story of a man's lust for power and his ruinous taste for intrigue, Richard III comes to Baltimore this spring to kick off the Baltimore Shakespeare Factory's 2014 season.

Two Noble Kinsmen: Fire and Shadows will run May 23-31, 2014 at 8:00pm at Raleigh Little Theatre, 301 Pogue St Raleigh, NC 27607. By William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, the show is co-produced with Bare Theatre and directed by G. Todd Buker.

Michael Pennington, two-time Olivier Award nominee, an artist of international stature and one of England's greatest classical actors, will play the title role in William Shakespeare's tragedy King Lear directed by Arin Arbus. For the second production in Theatre for a New Audience's inaugural season at its first permanent home, the new Polonsky Shakespeare Center, 262 Ashland Place in Brooklyn, Mr. Pennington leads a company of 22 actors. King Lear began previews on March 14 and will open tomorrow, Thursday, March 27, running through May 4. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The City Shakespeare Company is kicking off its 2014 season with a bash. The Santa Monica-based theater company is hosting a red carpet masquerade ball on opening night, tonight, March 27.

Bare Theatre mounts its 18th Shakespeare production with Cymbeline,­ a play that is loved by many actors and theatre practitioners, and was even a favorite of the great poet John Keats. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast below!

Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum celebrates the Bard's 450th Birthday with an All-Shakespeare Season under the stars and live oaks of Topanga Canyon.

TATC's Education through Theatre presents the enchanted world of William Shakespeare through A Midsummer Night's Dream, opening on April 4 at 7pm with shows on April 6th at 11:00am and 1:30pm, and April 7th at 1:30pm.

Romeo and Juliet, one of William Shakespeare's best-known and most beloved works, was penned and first performed at the end of the sixteenth century, and has remained enormously popular throughout the ages. This tragic tale of star-crossed lovers, with its themes of love, family, passion and Fate vs Free Will have entertained, enthralled and inspired audiences for centuries. Scroll down to see some photos of the cast!

St. James Studio is proud to announce an exciting lineup of events for April 2014. From Shakespeare to Kara Wilson, there is sure to be something for everyone. Check out the full lineup of events below!

The Drunk Shakespeare Society presents the world premiere production of DRUNK SHAKESPEARE, an irreverent and outrageous new theatrical experience directed by David Hudson, conceived by Scott Griffin & Three Day Hangover (David Hudson, Lori Wolter Hudson and Beth Gardiner) and produced by Scott Griffin. DRUNK SHAKESPEARE will begin performances on Wednesday, March 26 at Quinn's Bar Upstairs (356 West 44th Street, 2nd Floor). This is a limited engagement through June 8, 2014. Scroll down for a first look at the cast!

The Shakespeare Theatre Company, recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award, presents Shakespeare's Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2 as part of the Clarice Smith Repertory. STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn will direct both parts of this sweeping epic - one of Shakespeare's culminating achievements in the history play genre - over multiple nights. As Kahn says, describing Parts 1 and 2 as his favorite Shakespearean drama: 'It brings to the stage every issue we as human beings experience.' The two productions will run in the Company's Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from today, March 25 - June 8, 2014.

Helena's Act II lamentation in A Midsummer Night's Dream, 'O weary night, O long and tedious night, abate thy hours,' is not something anyone will ever say watching the Kennedy Center's current revival. This innovative production uses a synergy of human and puppet interaction to bring alive Shakespeare's timeless classic in a splendid production.

On Friday & Saturday, April 25 & 26, Elements Theatre Company of Orleans, MA will present a series of performances, lectures, and celebrations honoring the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare and his enduring legacy. As the focal point of the weekend-long celebration, Elements will present an original work, Labyrinth: A Legacy of Language, exploring Shakespeare's influence on playwrights through the centuries with scenes by Tom Stoppard, Tennessee Williams, Henrik Ibsen, Richard Sheridan, and Shakespeare himself.

New York City actor and musician James Parenti has nurtured a love of verse all his life, and May Violets Spring is his first outing as an adapter and playwright. In 2011, while preparing to play the title role in Shakespeare's Hamlet, Parenti became frustrated by Ophelia's limited place in the story. Dreaming of a production of Hamlet that gave Ophelia a voice, over the next three years Parenti adapted the material himself. The result is a love letter to classical heroines slighted by the narratives of our past and too often in productions of the present.

Orlando Shakespeare Theater presents JULIUS CAESAR by William Shakespeare, directed by Tina Packer. JULIUS CAESAR runs March 19 - April 20, 2014, Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. All performances run at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater in the Goldman Theater, Lowndes Shakespeare Center, 812 East Rollins Street, Orlando, Fla. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

According to the Daily Mail, Benedict Cumberbatch as solidified his place as Hamlet in the West End. The Shakespearean drama will run at the Barbican Theatre, beginning in August 2015 and will be produced by Sonia Friedman and directed by Lyndsey Turner.

After the hugely successful and modernized Music Man this past December, Redhouse is continuing its tradition of updating the classics. Next up on the MainStage is the newly reimagined classic tale of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Set in the 1980s, big hair, graffiti and all, Hamlet this time around is sure to surprise and delight! Come see all the classic characters as they've never been seen before!

Rehearsals are underway and tickets are now on sale for Happy Few Theatre Company's inaugural production, a seven-person adaptation of Shakespeare's As You Like It in which every member of the ensemble will play multiple parts. Featuring original music performed by the cast and a modern setting, the production will open at Theaterlab NYC on W. 36th St. on April 10, 2014, with performances running through April 27, 2014. Scroll down to see some pics from rehearsals!

Westport Country Playhouse announces a world premiere musical revue, 'Sing for Your Shakespeare,' as the second production in its 2014 season, running June 3 - 22. Directed by Mark Lamos, and co-conceived by Lamos, Wayne Barker, and Deborah Grace Winer, the show is based on an original idea and production for 92nd Street Y's Lyrics & Lyricists, New York, NY. Celebrating its 84th season, Westport Country Playhouse was recently named Theater Company of the Year by The Wall Street Journal.