EastLine Theatre Tours Long Island Parks With Free Summer Repertory Productions of KING LEAR and EMMA

EastLine Theatre will launch its fifth annual free summer tour in the courtyard at South Huntington Public Library on June 18th with Shakespeare's iconic story of family strife King Lear. This year's tour is double trouble: in addition to Shakespeare's tragedy, EastLine will also bring audiences the romantic comedy Emma in celebration of Jane Austen's 250th birthday.

The productions are performed in repertory according to artistic director, Nicole Savin, which means the versatile company of eight actors each play a role in both plays: "You'll see Michelle Osojnak as Austen's charming heroine Emma and also Lear's wicked daughter Regan," Savin says. "This is our largest tour yet and we are thrilled at the prospect of audiences being able to enjoy this talented ensemble in two very different stories." Performances run through August 14th at a variety of Long Island locations.

Scheduled Performances:

6/18 • King Lear • South Huntington Public Library • 6:30PM
6/22 • Emma • Long Beach Public Library • 2PM
6/26 • Emma • Long Island Museum, Stony Brook • 5:30PM
6/28 • Emma • Hicksville Public Library • 1PM
7/05 • King Lear • Heckscher Park, Huntington • 8PM
7/12 • King Lear • Clark Botanic Garden, Albertson • 4PM
7/13 • Emma • Heckscher Park, Huntington • 8PM
7/20 • King Lear • Amityville Beach • 5PM
7/26 • Emma • Northport Public Library • 2PM
7/27 • Emma • Amityville Beach • 5PM
8/02 • King Lear • Port Jefferson Free Library • 3PM
8/07 • Emma • North Merrick Public Library • 6:30PM
8/09 • King Lear • Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Community Library • 2PM
8/10 • King Lear • Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library • 3PM
8/14 • King Lear • Elmont Memorial Library • 6PM

All performances are free to audiences, who should supply their own blankets or chairs at most venues. More information is available at eastlinetheatre.org or by calling 516-749-5047. Weather updates are posted on EastLine's social media pages.

King Lear by William Shakespeare is adapted and directed by Paul DeFilippo. Emma by Kate Hamill is adapted from the novel by Jane Austen and directed by Nicole Savin. Featuring original music by John Brautigam, fight choreography by Giovanni Marine, and costumes by Lyn Adler and Wendy Grimm.

The cast of both productions features Amy Benjamin, John Brautigam, Tom Ciorciari, Genevieve Henderson, Kuan Hao Huang, Deanna Ibrahim, Stephanie Moreno, and Michelle Osojnak.

"One of the boldest, bravest theatre companies on Long Island," according to Fire Island News, the nonprofit EastLine Theatre aims to create theatre in unlikely spaces while re-examining the canon, exploring modern plays, and bringing original works to the attention of the community.

EastLine Theatre is fresh off a sold out run of Yentl at the BACCA Arts Center in Lindenhurst. In recent years, EastLine has produced a marathon staging of both parts of Angels in America, a Treasure Island that BroadwayWorld said was "bursting at the seams with imagination"; and a production of In the Next Room by Sarah Ruhl that Long Island Theatre Scene said "raises the bar of creativity for all theaters." EastLine will return to the BACCA Arts Center in September to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with José Rivera's Long Island-set drama The Hours Are Feminine.