AS YOU LIKE IT to be Presented as Part of Capital Classics Theatre Company's 30th Anniversary Season

"All the world's a stage" and on it, Capital Classics Theatre Company will celebrate its 30th anniversary season this summer with a return to live theatre. The centerpiece of the troupe's beloved Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival will be an outdoor staging of As You Like It, one of the Bard's most popular romantic comedies. The production will run for three weekends, July 29 through August 15, 2021, on the grounds of the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT. As part of COVID-19 safety protocols, all performances will be held outdoors with limited seating. Capital Classics is also requiring masks for audience members, social distancing, and online ticket sales.

"After such a challenging year, we've really connected with the theme of celebration in As You Like It," said Director and Co-Founder Geoffrey Sheehan. "We're celebrating the return of live theatre and community gatherings; the 30th anniversary of Capital Classics; and the healing and redemptive power of love and nature in the play. So, through the outdoor gathering of actors, artists, and audiences, we will all celebrate together this summer."

The cast from past productions includes fan favorites: Mikayla Brown (Audrey), Jhulenty Delossantos (Oliver), Meg Gwyn (Phoebe), Nick Roessler (Jacques), Christopher Rowe (Orlando), Kiera Sheehan (Rosalind), Laura Sheehan (Duchess Senior), Debra Walsh (Corín), and Tonille Watkis (Duchess Fredericka). Talented newcomers to Capital Classics include Isabelle Archer (Celia), Eddie Cruz, Jr. (Touchstone), and Nathan Podziewski (Silvius).

The production will be directed by Capital Classics artistic associate Geoffrey Sheehan, who is also a theatre professor at Housatonic Community College. Sheehan will be joined by longtime collaborators Robyn Joyce (lighting design), Vivianna Lamb (costume design), and Christine Simoes (choreography).

As Connecticut's oldest continuously running outdoor Shakespeare festival, Capital Classics has a 30-year reputation for making Shakespeare accessible and affordable. Over its three-weekend run, the Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival attracts theatre fans who gather each summer with family, friends, and picnic baskets on the grounds of the University of Saint Joseph to enjoy outdoor Shakespeare under the stars.

All 2021 performances of the Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival will be held outdoors at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ), 1678 Asylum Avenue in West Hartford, Connecticut. Tickets are $20 for adults, $14 for students/seniors, and $14 for discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more and "Let's GO Arts!" members. Prices include a $2 USJ fee per ticket. This year tickets are only available online at HartfordShakespeare.org or Autorino.usj.edu. To limit audience sizes, tickets will not be sold at the door. Groups will be seated in "pods" and are encouraged to bring their own picnic dinners, lawn chairs, and blankets.

Learn more about Capital Classics and the Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival at HartfordShakespeare.org.

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