Melissa Chalsma News

 INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. (ISC), producers of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL WITH CHARLES DICKENS. In his lifetime, Charles Dickens was recognized not only as a great writer, but as an actor. His greatest successes on the stages of Britain and the United States were his solo performances of his own work. One of the first pieces he presented to great acclaim was A Christmas Carol. A CHRISTMAS CAROL WITH CHARLES DICKENS will perform at Independent Studio from Thursday, December 8 - Sunday, December 18(Thursdays - Sundays) at Independent Studio in the Atwater Crossing Arts + Innovation Complex, 3191 Casitas Ave., #168 in Atwater Village.

How many different ways are there to say how much Angelenos love the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival? Thousands. Ask anyone who's ever parked themselves on a blanket or lawn chair with their family and friends and you'll get as many different answers as there are people in the audience.

This summer INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. presents an electrified interpretation of Shakespeare's indelible anti-hero, RICHARD III, featuring David Melville as Richard and directed by Independent Shakespeare Co.'s Artistic Director, Melissa Chalsma. RICHARD III opened last night, June 30, at THE GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL and will perform through Sunday, July 24 at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

This summer INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. presents an electrified interpretation of Shakespeare's indelible anti-hero, RICHARD III, featuring David Melville as Richard and directed by Independent Shakespeare Co.'s Artistic Director, Melissa Chalsma. RICHARD III will begin previews at THE GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL on Saturday, June 25 at 7pm and will open on Thursday, June 30 at 7:00pm and perform through Sunday, July 24 at the Old Zoo in Griffith Park.  All ISC Summer Shakespeare productions are FREE to the public!  RICHARD III is the first of two productions being presented at this year's GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL. THE TEMPEST will play July 30 - September 4.

Grey Gardens/Ahmanson Theatre/July 6 - August 14, 2016 Based on the 1975 documentary of the same name, the story recounts the fall from uppercrust society of mother and daughter Edith Bouvier Beale, eccentric cousins of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who lived in poverty in East Hampton, New York. This is the long-awaited west coast premiere of the Tony winning musical, and it will star Rachel York as 'Little Edie' and Betty Buckley as 'Big Edie'. www.centertheatregroup.org Beautiful - The Carole King Musical/Pantages Theatre/June 22 - July 17, 2

INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. (ISC) is thrilled to return to the Old Zoo to celebrate the 13th year of presenting FREE Shakespeare in Los Angeles Parks for its 2016 season of its GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL. This year ISC will present, for the first time in Griffith Park, two can't miss summertime experiences by William Shakespeare: RICHARD III, directed by Melissa Chalsma, with performances June 25 - July 24 and THE TEMPEST, directed by Matthew Earnest, with performances July 30 - September 4.

Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC), announced today that EDUARDO A. BRANIFF has been unanimously elected as the new chairman of the board of INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. Eduardo has over 15 years experience in creating brands and brand experiences for corporate and cultural enterprises. As CEO and Creative Director of Imagination, he stewarded brands such as Ford, Claire's, SAP, Patron and Coca-Cola. More recently, as Partner of IDEAB he's focused on coaching leaders of creative enterprises in defining more effective growth strategies, leading more engaged teams and creating more compelling company cultures. In addition to serving on the board of Independent Shakespeare Co., he's a board director of Silkroad, Yo-Yo Ma's music and culture foundation. He is a graduate of Yale University.

Something interesting happens when you remove race as the primary motivator in Shakespeare's OTHELLO. The play's message about the progression of evil becomes even more universal. What was a story about a man destroying another man because of the color of his skin is now part of a larger more enigmatic narrative exploring hate, jealousy, and obsession from a less obvious perspective. It also reveals how masterfully Shakespeare wrote the nuances of human frailty.

Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC), presenters of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival announce performances of Shakespeare's great treatise on alienation, OTHELLO, directed by Independent Shakespeare Co.'s Artistic Director Melissa Chalsma. OTHELLO will begin previews on Saturday, March 19, will open on Saturday, March 26 at 7:30pm and will perform through Saturday, May 7 at Independent Studio in the Atwater Crossing Arts + Innovation Complex, 3191 Casitas Ave., #168 in Atwater Village.

Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC), presenters of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival announce a translation of Shakespeare's great treatise on alienation, OTHELLO, directed by Independent Shakespeare Co.'s Artistic Director Melissa Chalsma. OTHELLO will begin previews on Saturday, March 19, will open on Saturday, March 26 at 7:30pm and will perform through Saturday, May 7 at Independent Studio in the Atwater Crossing Arts + Innovation Complex, 3191 Casitas Ave., #168 in Atwater Village.

Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC), presenters of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival and recipients of the 2015 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater, announce the debut of a new works reading series, iambic lab, presented Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13 at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 14 at 2pm at Independent Studio in the Atwater Crossing Arts + Innovation Complex, 3191 Casitas Ave., #168 in Atwater Village.

Happy New Year and welcome back Shakespeare lovers! 2016 marks the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death (April 23, 1564 - April 23, 1616) and that means it's another big year ahead honoring one of the greatest writers of all time. Here's a look at what's coming so get out your calendars and make note.

INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. (ISCLA), producers of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, presents the 10th anniversary production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL WITH CHARLES DICKENS.

INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. (ISCLA), producers of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, presents the 10th anniversary production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL WITH CHARLES DICKENS.

SYMPHONY IN THE GLEN (SIG) and INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. (ISC) are collaborating for a third year to present an evening performance, SIGNIFYING NOTHING! led by SIG Music Director, Arthur B. Rubinstein, on the closing weekend of THE GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL.

SYMPHONY IN THE GLEN (SIG) and INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. (ISC) are collaborating for a third year to present an evening performance, SIGNIFYING NOTHING! led by SIG Music Director, Arthur B. Rubinstein, on the closing weekend of THE GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL.

One of the keys to providing great entertainment is understanding your audience. For a theatre company that means knowing what your audience wants and then being able to provide it so they keep coming back for more. Independent Shakespeare Co. has done a brilliant job of both. Not only do they play to crowds that number in the thousands each night during their Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival, but they always find a way to connect with the audience and make them feel included. 

This summer, visit the idyllic Mediterranean countryside as INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. brings you to the end of WWII as it presents its take one of Shakespeare's most loved comedies, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, directed by Jeffrey Wienckowski. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING began previews at THE GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL on Thursday, July 30 and will open tonight, August 8 at 7:00pm and perform through Sunday, August 30 at Old Zoo in Griffith Park.

INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. is thrilled to announce that its critically-acclaimed adaptation of Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET, directed by Independent Shakespeare Co.'s Artistic Director Melissa Chalsma is RETURNING to the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival for three performances in September following MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING.

This summer, visit the idyllic Mediterranean countryside as INDEPENDENT SHAKESPEARE CO. brings you to the end of WWII as it presents its take one of Shakespeare's most loved comedies, MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, directed by Jeffrey Wienckowski. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING will begin previews at THE GRIFFITH PARK FREE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL on Thursday, July 30 at 7pm and will open on Saturday, August 8 at 7:00pm and perform through Sunday, August 30 at Old Zoo in Griffith Park. All ISC Summer Shakespeare productions are FREE to the public! MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING will follow ROMEO & JULIET, currently playing through July 26. ISC is the 2015 recipient of the LA Drama Critics Circle's highest honor, the Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater, and a 2015 recipient of a grant award from the National Endowment for the Arts.