BARD AT THE GATE Season 3 Launches Tomorrow With SHAPESHIFTER by Laura Schellhardt

BARD AT THE GATE will launch its 3rd season on October 19 with the premiere of Laura Schellhardt's play SHAPESHIFTER, with an opening night pre-show Zoom party hosted by the digital theater series' creator, Paula Vogel at 7 pm, followed by a performance of the play online starting at 7:30 pm. Afterwards, a virtual Talk Back featuring members of the creative team and SHAPESHIFTER companies will be held. For info and tickets, visit www.broadwayondemand.com.

This is the first season in which BARD AT THE GATE is available exclusively on the popular streaming service BROADWAY ON DEMAND, joining a growing number of commercial productions and regional theaters presenting content on the site, including Vineyard Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Irish Repertory Theater, Lincoln Center Theater, La Jolla Playhouse and Manhattan Theatre Club.

By way of celebrating its new partnership with Broadway on Demand, BARD AT THE GATE will offer free streaming of Season 2 productions, which included SONNETS FOR AN OLD CENTURY by Jose Rivera, HOW TO RAISE A FREEMAN by Zakiyyah Alexander, CHARLES FRANCIS CHAN JR.'S EXOTIC ORIENTAL MURDER MYSTERY by Lloyd Suh, and PASSING by Dipika Guha. Those productions can be streamed beginning October 19-25 at www.broadwayondemand.com

The 2022-23 BARD season begins with SHAPESHIFTER by Laura Schellhardt, directed by Halena S. Kays. A contemporary folktale about restricting the agency of women, SHAPESHIFTER is the story of a young girl grappling with the mysterious loss of her mother. The cast of SHAPESHIFTER features Anita Abdinezhad, Gabriela Torres, Ora Jones, Francis Guinan, Stephen Plunkett, Robbie Tann and Calvin Leon Smith. Ms. Schellhardt's play was previously produced at Brown University and Trinity Rep.

BARD's season 3 will be comprised of four plays by women: following SHAPESHIFTER, the series continues with:

The world-premiere of TENT REVIVAL by Majkin Holmquist is set for January 25, 2023 (time TBA). TENT REVIVAL concerns a family living on the American plains whose fortune appears to change when the father believes he has been chosen as a messenger of God. Director and casting TBA.

CUT by Nikki Massoud, directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh, will receive its world-premiere on February 25. CUT is a dark comedy about Samson and his addiction to the Philistine Delilah, who beguiles him with her wit, fury as an outsider and bondage. Casting TBA.

WINGS OF NIGHT/WINGS OF MORNING LIGHT - a solo work written and performed by Joy Harjo - will be given its world premiere on April 19. The 23rd United State Poet Laureate - and the first Native American to hold that honor - Ms. Harjo is a member of the Muscogee Nation and is a key figure in the second wave of the literary Native American Renaissance in the late 20th century. She is prolific as a poet, composer and author. WINGS OF NIGHT/WINGS OF MORNING LIGHT blends storytelling, movement, music and poetic language as a healing ceremony that chronicles the challenges young protagonist Redbird faces on her path to self-determination.

Following their debut dates, all BARD AT THE GATE productions will continue to stream indefinitely.

States Ms. Vogel, "I am so excited and proud to continue the partnership between BARD AT THE GATE and the McCarter Theatre. Our third season presents four perceptive, funny and lyrical voices - for women playwrights who have written journeys that explore the experience of women's bodies, women's agencies and women's strategies in worlds that are seen as patriarchal. With wit, determination and compassion as we as a country are at a flashpoint, our writers witness the resiliencies of women's lives."

BARD co-curator Nicole Watson notes, "To be in the third season of Bard is a gift. To be in conversation with artists about the widening possibilities of how we are using this digital platform to create the work and foster both in person and virtual sharing of the work is exciting. Moreover, to use this medium to support 4 more incredible theatrical voices in Laura, Majkin, Nikki, and Joy: I am beyond excited to produce their work and invite audiences anywhere and everywhere to join us this season."

"We are excited and honored to partner with one of the world preeminent authors Paula Vogel and the illustrious McCarter Theatre company to bring BATG globally." said Sean Cercone CEO & President of Broadway Licensing. "Our collective passion and commitment to support new playwrights, new work and new voices combined with Broadway On Demand's ability to reach new audiences provides an unprecedented opportunity for these authors. It' a thrilling moment for theatrical innovation."

Co-curated by the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Tony-nominated playwright Paula Vogel and Nicole A. Watson, associate artistic director at McCarter Theater Center, BARD AT THE GATE is one of the leading innovators of digital theater. Borne of the pandemic in 2020, BARD AT THE GATE presents new works - often overlooked, underappreciated, unproduced on stage - and provides easy access to audiences who may be unable to travel, especially during this complicated time in the live performing arts. BARD is produced by Rosey Strub, along with associate producer Ryan Pointer.

To date, BARD AT THE GATE has presented digital productions of eight plays, viewed by thousands worldwide.

Season 3 of BARD AT THE GATE is produced in conjunction with the renowned McCarter Theater Center in Princeton, NJ; Sarah Rasmussen, artistic director. Milan Eldridge is stage manager. Digital filming and editing by Virtual Design Collective (ViDCo). Creative direction by Jared Mezzochi.

BARD AT THE GATE is sponsored by its Vanguard Circle: Roz and Jerry Meyer, Sallie B. Goodman Fund, Daryl Roth, Elizabeth Armstrong, Larry Hirschhorn and Melissa Posen.

For performance and ticketing information, visit www.bardatthegate.org

BROADWAY ON DEMAND is the premiere streaming platform offering exclusive livestream events, a wide-ranging library of video on demand content, interactive engagements, and educational resources. It is a virtual performing arts complex offering a variety of programming, including not only Broadway shows and movie musicals but also individual artists, concert series and engaging content from performance venues and theatres around the world.

Watch the trailer below!