William Shakespeare News

The Lyceum Theatre Company, Scotland's largest producing theatre, has announced its 2012/2013 Season. Collaborations National Theatre of Scotland, Citizens Theatre, Dundee Rep Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre as well as in-house productions will present more than seventy actors in seven plays, three of which are world premieres. Highlights of the season include THE GUID SISTERS, trasnlated into Scots from the original French, TAKING OVER THE ASYLUM by Donna Franceschild and a new commission from David Haig which has yet to be titled.

Since 1976, young artists have flocked to Stagedoor Manor to pursue their dreams of performing. And on Monday, April 30, 2012, some of the Manor's best and brightest will pay tribute to their alma mater as it receives the prestigious Theatre Arts Education Award at the 2012 Theatre Museum Awards Gala Celebration. See photos of this year's alumni participants below!

Today, April 23 the Utah Shakespeare Festival is inviting the community to celebrate William Shakespeare's birthday with cake and the final performance of the Shakespeare-in-the-Schools touring production, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. The festivities begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Randall L. Jones Theatre. Tickets are $5 for general admission and can be purchased online at bard.org or by calling 1-800-PLAYTIX.

City of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proclaimed today, April 23, Talk Like Shakespeare Day, an occasion for citizens from Chicago and across the globe to celebrate Shakespeare's 448th birthday by bringing the spoken words of Shakespeare into their daily lives. The holiday, which originated in Chicago in 2009, became a worldwide sensation garnering extensive national and international media coverage and more than one million hits to TalkLikeShakespeare.org.

'The Wizard of Oz' by L. Frank Baum, book by John Kane, music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, directed by Jonah Hagans, will be presented on TIP's mainstage May 17-20. TIP has also announced several upcoming performances and the program for its 2012-2013 season.

Promethean Theatre Ensemble invites friends, theatre supporters, and Shakespeare lovers to gather on Sunday, April 22, to celebrate the birthday of William Shakespeare. The birthday party will be from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at The Red Lion Lincoln Square, 4749 N. Rockwell (www.theredlionlincolnsquare.com).

Pizza and birthday cupcakes will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own picnic fare and, after the completion of the balcony scene, to stay on for free family entertainment from various local performers. In keeping with Elizabethan tradition, all dogs are welcome.

In honor of William Shakespeare's birthday, Shakespeare in the Square, a student group at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts will perform A Midsummer Night's Dream, rain or shine, in Washington Square Park's Garibaldi Plaza (east of the fountain), Saturday, April 21 at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 22 at 3:00 p.m. Subway: A,B,C,D,E,F,M (W. 4th St.). The performances are free and open to the public. Seating is not provided.

Great Lakes Theater (GLT) is seeking a male, child actor of any culture or background, aged seven to thirteen, to portray the character Mamillius in the company's fall 2012 production of William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. Rehearsals begin on September 14th, with performance dates scheduled from September 28th through November 4th. The production's run includes evening and student matinees during the week. Two young actors will be cast to split the role's performance commitments.

Sideways The Play, adapted by Rex Pickett from his own novel, will play in its world premiere by the Ruskin Group Theatre in Los Angeles, May 18 through July 22, Fridays-Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. It is the story of two friends - Miles and Jack - and their journey across the Santa Ynez wine country, on one last blowout trip before Jack gets married. Miles and Jack must face their uncertain futures…just as soon as they figure out how to survive their chaotic present.

Simon Callow has brought his highly acclaimed show BEING SHAKESPEARE to the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre at the Broadway Playhouse for a limited engagement through April 29, 2012. Performances began April, 18 2012. The Chicago engagement follows productions at BAM in New York and Trafalgar Studios 1 in London. Click below to watch Callow in action!

In honor of William Shakespeare's birthday, Shakespeare in the Square, a student group at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts will perform A Midsummer Night's Dream, rain or shine, in Washington Square Park's Garibaldi Plaza (east of the fountain), Saturday, April 21 at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 22 at 3:00 p.m. Subway: A,B,C,D,E,F,M (W. 4th St.). The performances are free and open to the public. Seating is not provided.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company have announced their season line up for 2012-13, featuring a variety of Shakespeare plays and literary adaptations as well as THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. On tour 2012-13 will be Two Hour's Traffic's productions of THE TEMPEST and MACBETH, beginning August 5.

Actors' NET of Bucks County will present William Shakespeare's AS YOU LIKE IT from April 20 - May 13, 2012 at The Heritage Center.

The Castillo Theatre will be presenting alumni from its youth theatre, Youth Onstage! in Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare under the direction of Craig Pattison, for only 6 performances: April 20 - 29.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company concludes its fantastic and popular eighteenth season with William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" opening May 11. This production features CSC Producing Artistic Director Brian Isaac Phillips as Shylock, CSC Ensemble Member Kelly Mengelkoch as Portia and introducing to Cincinnati audiences, Jared Joplin as Antonio, the Merchant of Venice. "The Merchant of Venice" opens on May 11 and runs through June 3 2012. The production design is generously sponsored by Taft, Stettinius and Hollister.

Previews begin Friday, April 20th for Epic Theatre Ensemble's production of William Shakespeare's MACBETH, part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, a national program of the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The production, directed by Ron Russell, opens Sunday, April 29 at 6PM, and continues through Saturday, May 26th, at the 47th Street Theatre (304 W. 47th Street).

City Parks Foundation and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation today announced the winners of the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater performing arts grant, a one-time $25,000 award intended to attract premier arts presenters to produce works at the recently constructed Richard Rodgers Amphitheater at Marcus Garvey Park in historic Harlem.

Actors' Theatre of Columbus will present a steady line up of comedy, drama, and adventure for their 31st season, including Goldoni's THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS and THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE (ABRIGED) This year, for the first time ever, Actors' Theatre will perform in two different locations.

The Boston College Theatre Department concludes its year-long celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Robsham Theater Arts Center with an exciting new production of William Shakespeare's classic comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Directed by BC Adjunct Associate Professor of Theatre Luke Jorgensen, the production takes inspiration from the romance and spectacle of Bollywood movies, and shifts the action from Shakespeare's mythical Athens to an equally mythical colonial India--complete with fairies inspired by Indian deities, elaborate costumes, and big Bollywood dance sequences. Performances will take place on Robsham's Mainstage April 26-29, 2012 as part of the 14th annual Boston College Arts Festival.