STC Welcomes James Earl Jones to Classic Conversations with Michael Kahn

The Shakespeare Theatre Company has announced that Academy Honorary Award® winner James Earl Jones will join Artistic Director Michael Kahn for the third installment of the Classic Conversations series to be held at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F St. NW) on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 8 p.m. Classic Conversations with Michael Kahn is a series of discussions with classically-trained actors presented as part of the 25th Anniversary Season.

Audiences are invited to join Kahn for an evening of in-depth discussions on classical theatre and the craft of acting. Kahn, known not only for his rigorous and ingenious presentation of classical works but also for his signature charm and wit, welcomes James Earl Jones to STC for a chance to analyze and discuss the importance of classical theatre in today's society. This one night only event will provide patrons with a look into some of the great minds of classical theatre.

Classic Conversations with Michael Kahn has provided the audience an exclusive experience with STC's Artistic Director. Kahn's previous guests in the series include Kevin Kline and Patrick Stewart; both guests have captivated the audience through their stories, covering all aspects of their careers. "The Shakespeare Theatre Company is honored to host such esteemed actors and to hear their thoughts on classical theatre. It is a tremendous opportunity for our patrons and I have a great time as well," says Kahn.

Tickets for this event start at $35. To reserve tickets or for more information, please call the box office at 202.547.1122, or go online to ShakespeareTheatre.org.

ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS

Michael Kahn recently directed The Heir Apparent, kicking off his 25th year as STC's Artistic Director. Kahn has directed a wide variety of Shakespearean and classical works for STC, including Old Times, All's Well That Ends Well, The Liar, Richard II, The Alchemist, Design for Living and The Way of the World. Having brought works of international significance like The Great Game: Afghanistan and Black Watch to the theatre last season, Kahn continues to demonstrate the versatility and relevance of STC's theatre programming with this season's productions. In 1991, he created the Free For All, which brings an STC production to audiences completely free of charge every year. The Free For All has reached more than 600,000 people to date. In addition to leading STC, he is also the founder of the Academy for Classical Acting at The George Washington University and the former Richard Rodgers Director of the Drama Division at Juilliard. Since the 1960s, Kahn's work has been seen by audiences across the country and the world: in New York City, both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, as well as at both the American Shakespeare Theatre and the McCarter Theatre where he served as Artistic Director concurrently. In 2003, STC performed his production of The Oedipus Plays at the Athens Festival in Greece, where it received standing ovations and critical acclaim. In the summer of 2006, the Company took Kahn's production of Love's Labor's Lost to the Royal Shakespeare Company's "Complete Works Festival" in Stratford-upon-Avon.

James Earl Jones may be best known for his distinct voice. He was the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, and he can be heard on countless Verizon commercials and on CNN. His stage credits include performances in Henry V, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear, The Great White Hope, Fences, The Blood Knot, Boseman and Lena, Master Harold...and the Boys, On Golden Pond, Thurgood, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy and many others. His film credits include performances in Dr. Strangelove, The Man, Claudine, The River Niger, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, Matewan, Field of Dreams, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, Cry, The Beloved Country and numerous others. His awards include two Tonys, four Emmys, a Golden Globe, two Cable ACEs, two OBIEs, five Drama Desks and a Grammy. He was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the John F. Kennedy Center Honor in 2002 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.

ABOUT THE Shakespeare Theatre Company

During the 2011-2012 Season, the Shakespeare Theatre Company is set to celebrate! Not only is it the 25th year of Michael Kahn's leadership, vision and artistic direction but, over the past quarter of a century, STC has become one of the nation's leading theatre companies. Today, STC is synonymous with artistic excellence and making classical theatre more accessible.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company's innovative approach to Shakespeare and other classic playwrights has earned it the reputation as the nation's premier classical theatre company. By focusing on works with profound themes, complex characters and poetic language written by Shakespeare, his contemporaries and the playwrights he influenced, the Company's artistic mission is unique among theatre companies: to present theatre of scope and size in an imaginative, skillful and accessible American style that honors the playwrights' language and intentions while viewing their work through a 21st-century lens.

In its 2007-2008 Season, the company opened the Harman Center for the Arts, consisting of the new 774-seat Sidney Harman Hall and the 451-seat Lansburgh Theatre, both located in downtown Washington's Penn Quarter neighborhood. A dynamic hub of activity, the Harman Center showcases the company as well as outstanding local performing arts groups and nationally renowned organizations. STC's annual Free For All performance, a re-creation of a production from seasons past staged for free in August and September, is now held at Sidney Harman Hall. Sidney Harman Hall is located at 610 F Street NW. The Lansburgh Theatre also plays host to a number of different performing arts organizations, among them Synetic Theater and several of STC's mainstage productions. The Lansburgh Theatre is located at 450 7th Street NW.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos