Jim Helsinger News

Inspired by a true friendship, Deborah Brevoort’s My Lord, What a Night produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF will be available to stream February 3 - 14, 2021. This Video on Demand production of My Lord, What a Night is part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere.

As Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF prepares to enter 2021, the theater is making big changes to the remainder of their 2020-2021 Season. To maintain safety for patrons and artists, all upcoming productions will now be performed either outside or offered virtually.

Just in time for the holidays, Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF brings Central Florida two heartwarming holiday offerings. Return to the theater in person for The Laura Hodos Holiday Cabaret! The Darden Courtyard will be transformed into an outdoor performance space with a new tented canopy for all to enjoy the incomparable Laura Hodos in a charming, holiday cabaret performance. 

For the first time since 2006, Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF will make an enthusiastic return to the Walt Disney Amphitheater at Lake Eola with productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream (March 31 -  April 11, 2021) and Little Shop of Horrors (May 5 - 23, 2021). Orlando Shakes got its start as a cultural touchstone of the Central Florida arts scene by performing an annual season of Shakespeare at Lake Eola beginning in 1989. To promote new safety measures during  the pandemic, the theater is returning to its original home. 

I needed this; we needed this; and if you are reading this, I know that you need this right now too.

A hilarious, holiday treat, The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge by Mark Brown, is the cheeky sequel to a beloved Christmas classic. Produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF, the Video on Demand virtual theater experience runs from December 10 - 20, 2020. 

This deliciously dark and compelling drama, Mark Rector and Mark Brown's Poe: Deep Into That Darkness Peering, is about one of America's most haunting poets, Edgar Allan Poe. Produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF, the Video on Demand virtual theater experience runs from October 22 - November 1, 2020.

Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF releases a new statement, continuing their commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement. The letter to the community features a list of goals for the organization, the execution of which will be guided by the newly formed Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee.

In light of recent developments of the global pandemic, Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF has made the decision to go virtual for the remainder of the 2020 calendar year in order to best protect the health and safety of the theater's patrons, artists, and staff.

Walt Disney World is now fully open, with two of its parks (Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom) having opened their gates over the weekend, and two more (Epcot and Hollywood Studios) opening today, July 15.

Virtual ShakesBeer: Hamlet Edition is a free Facebook Live event produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF, directed by Mark Routhier, and adapted by the cast.

Even during a time when patrons can't gather at the theater, Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF is offering a chance to satiate the palettes of those thirsty for arts and culture.

Virtual ShakesBeer: Hamlet Edition is a free Facebook Live event produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF and written and directed by Mark Routhier. During the comedic, abbreviated Shakespeare performance, the narrator and a?oedrinking guidea?? will guide viewers-and the performers-through a fun and silly drinking game. 

Acting master classes for adult performers now offered by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF's professional teaching artists. Actors of all skill levels are invited to brush up their acting skills by joining professional instructors for a Zoom class.

As school, work and social interactions go online, Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF announces a series of free online classes for adults. From Storytelling for Seniors to Interview skills to Shakespeare technique, these stand alone classes are ideal for adults seeking to broaden skills and develop new ones in the safety of their own homes. Participants will be able to livestream the class with Orlando Shakes professionals via webcam.

Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF's building may be closed but that hasn't stopped its creative reinvention of how the show must go on. Each week, actors from past productions are featured in 'throwback' videos on the company's Facebook page. Actors are submitting their own fresh takes of their previous performances from living rooms and backyards following stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The series of videos are a peek into the life of an actor while the country is on lockdown and a celebration of the undaunted spirit of the artist.

Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF will suspend performances March 16 - March 31, 2020. The theater will continue performances through Sunday, March 15. The novel coronavirus situation is rapidly evolving and Orlando Shakes will update plans as necessary.

A few weeks back, I attended the opening night of The Three Musketeers at Orlando Shakes. I marveled, in particular, at a rotating stage and staircase designed by Bert Scott. The way the production team used that stage always impressed me. Imagine my delight when I came back to Orlando Shakes for the opening weekend of HENRY IV, PART 1 and saw that same exact stage now being used to represent 1492 England rather than 1628 France. Part of it is my fault, I didn't know they'd be using the same stage and assumed another theatre space at Orlando Shakes would house HENRY IV. But now knowing that this same space was used for two plays got the wheels in my head turning. It's a genius move on Orlando Shakes' part, creating a very fitting double-feature of entertainment. The same cast, the same stage, but two wholly different stories unfold.

Shakespeare's epic Fire and Reign series continues with a dynamic production of Henry IV, Part 1, produced by Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF. This production will run in repertory February 19 - March 21, 2020 along with Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers, as adapted by Catherine Bush. Tickets (starting at $30) are available now by phone (407) 447-1700 ext. 1, online at orlandoshakes.org, or in person at the John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 East Rollins Street).

From the theater's greatest endeavor, staging Shakespeare's turbulent epic, to a comedic, sci-fi musical, Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF is offering a diverse array of classic, contemporary, and children's plays for their 2020-2021 Season.