RICHMOND SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL Returns for 25th Anniversary Season In May

Richmond Shakespeare has announced the 24th Anniversary Richmond Shakespeare Festival lineup of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus.

“This year we celebrate the festival's 25th Anniversary and we plan to celebrate by producing two incredibly influential pieces of theatre. First, Much Ado About Nothing is arguably one of Shakespeare's funniest and most relatable comedies, depicting some of his most beloved characters. Then we are bringing the seldom-produced Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe to the stage. This play launched Marlowe into rock-star status, with its exciting depiction of Faust's famous deal with the devil. Complemented by angels, devils, clowns and the seven deadly sins, this piece will showcase a host of incredible local theatre artists.” artistic director James Ricks remarked.

The Festival kicks off with Shakespeare's beloved Much Ado About Nothing. Masquerades reveal as much as they hide in this hilarious comedy. There is no comedic couple quite as beguiling as Beatrice and Benedick. Wielding words as both weapon and armor (but always with a charming, effervescent glint), their banter is code for so many things - part longing, part loathing, part love. All of it a threat to their carefully cultivated swag. Their chemistry is a barely restrained force of nature. It may just break its bindings. A perpetual Shakespearean favorite; rich, uplifting and oh-so-funny.  

Closing out the season is Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. A brilliant but embittered academic, Faustus is a solitary scholar who has exhausted the confines of human knowledge. Frustrated with the futility of religion, law, and science he is desperate for a deeper understanding of the universe – and for the worldwide fame that it will bring. Risking everything, he conjures the demon Mephistophilis and asks him to strike a deal with Lucifer. Twenty-four years of absolute knowledge and infinite power in exchange for his soul. Despite being tormented by doubt, Faustus agrees to the deal and signs in blood. But as he begins to revel in his new powers, the world around him starts to collapse and the clock inexorably counts down to the final moment of reckoning.

“The Richmond Shakespeare Festival is a summer tradition that screams ‘You're Very Richmond If',” says managing director Jase Smith Sullivan. “We return to Agecroft Hall's beautiful Shakespearean Courtyard to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. Arrive early to explore the gardens and sample local food and beverage trucks. The combination of theatre under the stars with the gorgeous surroundings of Agecroft on the James River make for an evening of magic.” 

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