Shakespeare & Company News

The Theatre @ Boston Court announces two critically acclaimed Main Stage productions to receive New York premieres in June, 2015.

The Muny announced today several principal cast members for the seven shows in its spectacular 97th season, which opens on June 15 with My Fair Lady. Full casts and companies will be announced throughout May.

Today in 1982, Macbeth opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where it ran for 21 performances. Written by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607. The earliest account of a performance of what was probably Shakespeare's play is April 1611, when Simon Forman recorded seeing such a play at the Globe Theatre.

Following the success of their UK tours in 2013 and 2014 the Reduced Shakespeare Company are pleased to announce a further 19 dates this Summer by popular demand.

An all-new THEATER TALK welcomes back show favorite and leading lady Helen Mirren, currently starring on Broadway as Queen Elizabeth II in Peter Morgan's new play The Audience – now rivaling big musicals for its more-than-million-dollar weekly grosses at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Mirren's latest theatrical triumph returns her to the world of royalty, specifically that of Queen Elizabeth II, one that she previously assumed in her Oscar® winning role in the 2006 film, The Queen, also written by Morgan.

As Britain prepares to go to the polls, Lara McDonnell, Anna-Louise Knight, Matilda Shapland and Violet Tucker discuss what they would do if they were Prime Minister. The four girls share the title role in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical which is now booking through to 29 May 2016.

The Royal Shakespeare Company continues its commitment to creating live theatre for young audiences with its First Encounters with Shakespeare production of The Famous Victories of Henry V - a 90 minute adventure condensing the three great plays of Henry IV Parts I and II and Henry V.

BAFTA Award-winning writer, Geoff Thompson's personal and haunting new play, The Pyramid Texts will be making its world stage premiere at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 26 to 30 May. It will be performed by the prolific British actor, Christopher Fairbank and directed by twice Oliver Award-nominee, Michael Vale.

Aurora Theatre Company closes its 23rd season with the Bay Area Premiere of Lisa D'Amour's (Anna Bella Eema, Airline Highway) wicked Obie-winning satire about our uncertain economic times, DETROIT. Josh Costello (Wittenberg) directs this explosive dark comedy, featuring Amy Resnick (Body Awareness, Collapse), Jeff Garrett, Luisa Frasconi, and Patrick Kelly Jones (Metamorphosis), that brilliantly captures our current economic moment. DETROIT plays June 19 through July 19 at the Aurora Theatre in Berkeley. For tickets ($32-60) and information the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.

Carrie receives its long awaited London Premiere in The Large at Southwark Playhouse from Friday 1 to Saturday 30 May 2015, with a press night tonight 6 May. Preview performances were sold sold out, following the best on-sale week of any show in the venue's 22-year history.

BroadwayWorld is ecstatic to report that The Muny in St. Louis will welcome Alexandra Silber and Anthony Andrews to the stage in its summer production of MY FAIR LADY, running June 15-21, 2015.

59E59 Theaters will welcome acclaimed actor Edward Petherbridge to Brits Off Broadway in MY PERFECT MIND, created by Told by an Idiot, written by Kathryn Hunter, Paul Hunter and Edward Petherbridge, directed by Kathryn Hunter. Produced by Told by an Idiot, Young Vic, and Theatre Royal Plymouth, MY PERFECT MIND begins performances on Wednesday, June 10 for a limited engagement through Sunday, June 28.  Press opening is Tuesday, June 16 at 7 PM.  The performance schedule is Tuesday - Thursday at 7 PM; Friday at 8 PM; Saturday at 2 PM & 8 PM; and Sunday at 3 PM. Please note, there is an additional performance on Sunday, June 21 at 7 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison Avenues). Tickets are $70 ($49 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.59e59.org. 

Tennessee Shakespeare Company, in partnership with the University of Memphis' Department of Theatre & Dance, presents its first developing musical reading on the U of M mainstage with Tenderly, The Rosemary Clooney Musical by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Freidman on May 23 at 7:00 pm.

Portland Shakespeare Project is thrilled to present staged readings of the first two plays of The Wars of the Roses trilogy, Henry VI on June 1 and Edward IV on June 2, both starring Dame Janet Suzman, on the Alder Stage at Artists Repertory Theatre.

Melissa's Choice, a new play by award-winning playwright Steven Somkin opens tonight, May 5 for a limited run at Theatre Row's Lion Theatre, 410 West 42nd St.

The Bard SummerScape festival presents an entirely new way to experience Oklahoma!, Rodgers and Hammerstein's quintessential celebration of the American frontier

Space is still available for visual and performing arts summer camps at the Howard County Arts Council (HCAC) in Ellicott City. Programs are open to the public, regardless of residency in Howard County, for students entering grades K-7. 

Nigel Terry, English stage and film actor best known by film audiences for his portrayal of King Arthur in John Boorman's Excalibur (1981) has died of emphysema at age 69.

When going to see a show you hope for at least one aspect of the show be something good that you can hold onto. The acting, directing, sets, lights, something to make the night worthwhile. Lucky for all of us the current production of Shakespeare's tragic tale of betrayal and lies "Othello", currently playing from Seattle Shakespeare Company, is firing on so many levels that you're just not sure where to focus your attentions. But then, this should be no big surprise as it's from director John Langs whose name attached to a piece is usually the harbinger of "this one's gonna be good!"