THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE AND WAR and HAMLET Slated for Shakespeare Royal Oak's 17th Season

This summer will mark Water Works Theatre Company's 17th season presenting Shakespeare Royal Oak, the largest outdoor Shakespeare event in Michigan.

The festival will present three theatrical productions: The Taming Of The Shrew as its featured evening show; an original production, Shakespeare In Love and War, as its daylight presentation; and Hamlet directed and produced by Water Works Teen Ensemble. The festival will also welcome performance-minded students in grades k-8 to its unique outdoor education experience KidsAct!

Tickets for all productions ("pay what you will," $15, and $25) are on sale now online at ShakespeareRoyalOak.com. Registration for Water Works Teen Ensemble and KidsAct! are also available. A complete festival schedule and details follow.

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The Taming Of The Shrew

"The Taming Of The Shrew is full of empowered, feisty characters and we are lucky to have Oakland University's esteemed Lynnae Lehfeldt directing it this summer. She is an artist of consequence, and it matters that she is directing this show this year", said Water Works President Ed Nahhat. "In our version, the taming goes both ways for these lovers, Petruchio and Katherina. Audiences will have to decide who the shrew actually is. Lynnae is the perfect director to bring this wonderful comedy to our stage."

Directed by Lehfeldt, The Taming Of The Shrew will feature real-life husband and wife Anne Marie Damman and Mitchell A. Koory as Kate & Petruchio. The show will appear in Starr Jaycee Park July 27 - August 6 with performances at 8:00pm Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings and a 5:00pm performance on Sundays.

The cast for this production includes:

Kyle Clark (Tranio)
Shelby Lynn Coleman (Curtis/Tailor/Widow)
Anne Marie Damman (Kate)
Annie Dilworth (Bianca)
Joey Feldmann (Biondello)
Jason Garza (Baptista)
Mark Gmazel* (Merchant)
David Gram (Gremio)
Clifford Katskee (Vincentio)
Mitchell A. Koory* (Petruchio)
David Meese (Lucentio)
Danielle Peck (Joseph/Haberdasher)
Alexander H. Trice (Grumio)
Mark Anthony Vukelic (Hortensio)
*Member of Actor's Equity Association

Tickets for The Taming Of The Shrew are $25.

Shakespeare In Love And War

Shakespeare in Love and War is another Water Works Theatre Company original, based on the Bard's timeless tales of the most dramatically important times in life: war and love. This fun daylight presentation finds Shakespeare's enduring lovers and enemies, who are sometimes both to each other, at their best and their worst. Soldiers returning from war, lovers awaiting their return, romance under the cloud of war, the epic comedy of the battle of the sexes. This stellar cast of four versatile actors, who are equally skilled in full combat as they are in heartache, brings to life the most intense times that Shakespeare ever wrote. Directed and compiled by Water Works Theatre Company's Artistic Director, Sara Catheryn Wolf, Shakespeare in Love and War is destined for greatness.

The cast for Shakespeare In Love and War includes:

Craig Ester
Alison Megroet
Mathew Pecek
Nancy Penrose
with fight choreography by Michael Brian Ogden.

Presented as the daylight presentation for the festival, Shakespeare In Love and War appears July 29 - August 5 with Tuesday and Wednesday performances at 7:00pm, and Saturday performances at 4:00pm. Tickets are $15.

Hamlet - Water Works Youth Ensemble

Water Works Teen Ensemble returns to the festival for its seventh summer. The original two-week outdoor creative experience for high school students provides an opportunity for the participants to cast, direct, and present a complete performance of a Shakespeare play. This summer, the ensemble will present Hamlet on the Starr Jaycee Park stage.

Auditions for the ensemble, and Hamlet, will take place June 4 from 1-4pm at Starr Presbyterian Church in Royal Oak. Rehearsals will take place July 17 - 31 with performances of Hamlet, July 29 - 31 Saturday and Sunday at 12 Noon and Monday, July 31 at 7:00pm

Tuition for Water Works Teen Ensemble is $300 and available online now at shakespeareroyaloak.com. Tickets for Hamlet will be a pay-what-you-will donation at the festival box office. Performance roles require an audition on June 4. Non-acting participants (production crew and creative) do not require an audition, but registration in advance is required. KidsAct!

Water Works Theatre Company will welcome performance-minded students in grades K-8 to its annual outdoor education experience in Starr Jaycee Park July 31 - August 5. KidsAct! offers instruction in Shakespeare, stage combat, dance, and comedic improvisation from highly qualified, professional teaching artists. Students then perform in an hour-long showcase presented for friends and family in Starr Jaycee Park.

Tuition is $230 per student and available now online at shakespeareroyaloak.com. Shakespeare Royal Oak Festival ScheduleAll performances and education experiences take place in Starr Jaycee Park, 1201 West 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak MI 48073. Tickets for performances and tuition for educational experiences can be purchased online at www.shakespeareroyaloak.com.

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Water Works Teen Ensemble Education Experience
July 17 - 31 | Tuition $300

The Taming Of The Shrew
Tickets: $25

Thursday, July 27 @ 8:00pm
Friday, July 28 @ 8:00pm
Saturday, July 29 @ 8:00pm
Sunday, July 30 @ 5:00pm

Thursday, August 3 @ 8:00pm
Friday, August 4 @ 8:00pm
Saturday, August 5 @ 8:00pm
Sunday, August 6 @ 5:00pm

Shakespeare In Love And War
Tickets: $15

Saturday, July 29 @ 4:00pm
Tuesday, August 1 @ 7:00pm
Wednesday, August 2 @ 7:00pm
Saturday, August 5 @ 4:00pm

Hamlet
Tickets: Pay-what-you-will

Saturday, July 39 @ Noon
Sunday, July 30 @ Noon
Monday, July 31 @ 7:00pm

KidsAct! Education Experience
July 31 - August 5 | Tuition: $230

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Since 2001 Water Works Theatre Company has presented Shakespeare Royal Oak and other award-winning productions. Water Works enhances the quality of life in the community by offering Michigan's premier outdoor professional Shakespeare event in Royal Oak's Starr Jaycee Park. Water Works provides a place to call home for local professional actors, designers, directors, teachers, and other artists in a dynamic collaboration with skilled volunteers and other community supporters. Learn more at: www.shakespeareroyaloak.com.

Pictured: Mitchell A. Koory and Anne Marie Damman as Petruchio and Kate in THE TAMING OF THE SHREW. Photo by Don Schulte.

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