PERICLES Will Headline Hofstra's 78th Shakespeare Festival

Photo: Savannah Stone '28 as Diana in Pericles, part of Hofstra University's 78th Annual Shakespeare Festival.

An ancient prince's adventures will unfold through the worlds of film noir, Westerns, and monster movies when Pericles, Prince of Tyre headlines Hofstra University's 78th annual Shakespeare Festival, October 23-November 1, 2026.

The festival presents the sweeping Shakespearean romance and adventure along with Something Wicked (a one-hour version of Macbeth) and a concert of early music by the Hofstra Collegium Musicum. Together, the three productions offer audiences opportunities to experience Shakespeare's storytelling and the music of his era.

For Pericles director Royston Coppenger, this year's production is also a return to a personal milestone. He first directed the play for Hofstra's Shakespeare Festival about 30 years ago, marking his debut as a director for the festival.

While revisiting the same play initially gave him pause, the years between productions offered an opportunity to approach it with new ideas.

'It's been a long time, and I figured, well, maybe I got better over the years,' Coppenger laughed.

The story follows Pericles (Andrew Canese '27) as he flees a dangerous king, survives shipwrecks, and experiences loss and separation from his family. His travels take him across the Mediterranean in a tale that spans decades and ultimately offers the possibility of reunion.

'I adore playing a character who has the opportunity to develop so much over the course of the story, both mentally and physically, and I love the play's ever-present themes of perseverance, persistence, faith, and determination,' Canese said. 'It's a classic romance/ adventure story.'

Coppenger recognized a connection between the prince's predicament and classic suspense films: an innocent person discovers something dangerous and must run for his life. From that he was inspired to make the play's starting point reminiscent of 1940s film noir.

As Pericles travels, however, the production's visual language changes. Each destination evokes a different cinematic world: from a Western to a setting inspired by The Bride of Frankenstein, and to Cold War Russia.

Set designer David Henderson has created towering screens that will display video imagery to establish locations and help audiences follow the play's rapid transitions. The production's narrator, Gower (played by Morgen Mighty '27), will take on the personality of a beat poet.

Live music adds another layer to the storytelling. Student performers will alternate between acting and playing instruments, improvising much of the accompaniment in response to the mood of a scene.

'It's a really fun play that takes advantage of the students' different talents,' Coppenger said.

The production also gives students experience with one of Shakespeare's less familiar works. While the festival does stage favorites such as Macbeth and Hamlet, Coppenger sees value in introducing students to a broader range of Shakespeare's writing.

'We like to show them how these more obscure, and in some ways, more difficult plays work,' Coppenger said. He added that the romantic fantasy of Pericles offers opportunities for casting across genders and having actors play multiple roles, making it a good fit for this year's student ensemble.

Working with dramaturge Iska Alter, professor emerita of English, Coppenger and the cast are also examining passages that require clarification or cutting, making decisions about the text as rehearsals progress.

Canese, a BFA in Performance major from New Hyde Park, said the Shakespeare Festival helps student actors build essential skills and prepare for future roles. Pericles marks his second Shakespearean production at Hofstra.

'Performing Shakespeare's work is a fantastic way for the growing actor to develop their most fundamental skills,' he said. 'Shakespearean acting is also a performance style all in itself, and knowing how to work with the text is essential in being able to find work in productions of his plays elsewhere.'

Pericles will be performed at the Toni and Martin Sosnoff Theater in the John Cranford Adams Playhouse, South Campus, at 8 p.m. on October 23, 24, 30, and 31, and at 2 p.m. on October 25 and November 1.

The festival's companion production, Something Wicked, directed by Keith Michael Pinault, explores the destructive effects of unchecked ambition through a condensed version of Macbeth. Performances will take place at the Joan and Donald Schaeffer Black Box Theater in Joseph G. Shapiro Family Hall, South Campus, on October 29 at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.; October 30 at 11 a.m.; and October 31 at 3 p.m.

The Hofstra Collegium Musicum, directed by Christopher Morrongiello, will perform 'Dowland to Thee is Dear,' featuring songs and instrumental music celebrating the work of English Renaissance composer John Dowland. The concert is Saturday, October 31 at 2 p.m. at the John Cranford Adams Playhouse. One of the oldest music ensembles on campus, the Collegium has presented early music concerts at Hofstra since 1969.

For theater tickets and additional performance information, visit Hofstra's Department of Drama and Dance current season page.