A VALENTINE'S AFFAIR 2023 to Bring Classic Love Stories To The Stage at Madison Shakespeare Company

Madison Shakespeare Company will present A Valentine's Affair 2023, a collection of classic love scenes directed by Annie Jay. The limited run of these love scenes from the works of William Shakespeare and prominent contemporaries spans just three dates in Madison: February 9, 10, and 11 at The Brink Lounge. All performances begin at 7:30 PM and are presented without intermission.

For the fifth year, an ensemble of dedicated classical theater performers bring wily courtship, young love, and secret passions to the stage just in time for Wisconsin's coldest winter nights. This year's edition includes eight scenes collected from Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, Othello, and Henry the Sixth (Parts Two and Three). This year's edition also includes selections from Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe and Women Beware Women by Thomas Middleton. All eight scenes are new to this year's collection.

Every evening of bite-sized tales of love, heartbreak, jealousy, and passion is rounded out by a truly unique flourish: "Sonnets From a Hat." In this improvisational break, cast members are challenged to perform a randomly selected sonnet, directed by suggestions from the audience.

Shakespearean lovers on display each evening include Lucentio and Bianca, Hamlet and Ophelia, Queen Margaret and Suffolk, and Petruchio and Katharina. The ensemble includes Paige Abbatacola and Heather Klinke making their MSC debuts, and MSC veterans Madeleine O'Keefe, Ben Seidensticker, Henry Zavos, Matt Reines, Laura Kochanowski, and Jason Compton.

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