Austin Shakespeare to Host Off Weekly Reading Group SHAKESPEARE ALOUD on Sundays

Austin Shakespeare invites anyone interested to join "Shakespeare Aloud" where on Sunday afternoons, we read each Shakespeare play in its entirety aloud (approximately one act each week) and stop often to talk about the images, the characters, the story--whatever that day's group finds interesting. Every session's diverse backgrounds make for lively discussion as the group mines each scene for all its gold. This is a cold reading, no preparation is expected. Please bring your own copy of the play.

"Shakespeare Aloud is a book club in the truest sense. It is more than a rigid play recital where we simply read lines from the plays. If we want to ham it up, we are welcome to try. If we don't want to read aloud at all,, that is an option as well. What I love most about "Shakes Aloud!" is that it is a group activity. We read, we discuss, we learn history (especially if we are doing the historical plays), we even occasionally gossip or talk politics or current events. If you are looking for a formal activity, I would suggest taking a class. If you want to enjoy Shakespeare with other enthusiasts, then please join us." -- Scott Polk, Shakes Aloud! Member

Austin Shakespeare - Classic Theater in Central Texas will host "Shakes Aloud!" on Sundays 5:00 - 7:00 pm at First United Methodist Church Family Life Center, 1201 Lavaca St., Austin, TX. Admission: $5 per session. For more info, email swan@austinshakespeare.org.

About the Moderator: Jill K. Swanson is an actor, director, writer, and teacher who has worked in Austin theatre for the past 17 years, including a longstanding relationship with Austin Shakespeare. 2010 saw her work as Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, assistant director for A Midsummer Night's Dream in the park, and dramaturg and AD for BLACK SWAN's Hamlet with Justin Scalise. Past performances with AS include Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Desdemona in Othello, Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Portia in Julius Caesar and Mariah in Twelfth Night. Austin audiences have also seen her in Twelfth Night (2008) and As You Like It (2009) at the Scottish Rite Theatre. Other notable local performances include Lady in The Incubus Archives, and Vernon Lee in Ann Ciccollela's Madame X. She is a contributor and co-editor of 111 Shakespeare Monologues and 60 Shakespeare Scenes, and is currently assisting Austin Shakespeare with Education/Outreach, teaching scansion technique, and administration. Ms. Swanson studied Shakespeare at Florida State University with Jean McDaniel-Lickson, and acting with Richard G. Fallon; at Texas State University she studied directing with Dr. Charles Ney and Michael Costello. 2002 Best Supporting Actress, Austin Critic's Table, for Ann Ciccollela's Madame X; nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress, 2000 B. Iden Payne Awards, for Othello.

ABOUT AUSTIN SHAKESPEARE: Founded in 1984 and the only professional classical theater company in Central Texas, Austin Shakespeare presents professional theatre of the highest quality with an emphasis on the plays of William Shakespeare, bringing to the public performances that are fresh, bold, imaginative, thought-provoking, and eminently accessible, connecting the truths of the past with the challenges and possibilities of today. Continuing its 30 years of free Shakespeare at Austin's Zilker Hillside Theatre, Austin Shakespeare also annually produces shows at The Long Center for the Performing Arts Rollins Studio Theatre, and their Young Shakespeare Company performs at Richard Garriott's Curtain Theater, an outdoor replica of an Elizabethan theater. Additional programs include the weekly "Shakespeare Aloud" reading group, Shakespeare summer camps, and the Young Shakespeare Company. Austin Shakespeare's education program 20/20 sends professional actors into the schools to encourage love of language.