Review: Southwest Shakespeare Company Announces Virtual Live Theatre Schedule

In creatively adapting to the current COVID-19 crisis, Southwest Shakespeare Company has announced an initiative featuring alternative online productions in its STANDING O SERIES and VIRTUAL CLASSICS LIVE!"

Under the direction of Director of Production Stacey Walston, Artistic Directors Betsy Mugavero and Quinn Mattfield, Community Engagement Director Clay Sanderson, and Executive Director Mary Way, the series VIRTUAL CLASSICS LIVE! has already presented four of Shakespeare's finest on ZOOM.

This innovative program is a unique opportunity to experience theatre with "Dream Teams" of award-winning Shakespearean actors such as Brian Vaughn, Debra Ann Byrd, Mugavero and Mattfield.

The free presentations with world renowned actors will continue in the coming months and are not just for Shakespeare nerds. According to Way, "The performances represent a unique opportunity to experience the language that defines what it is to be human."

The schedule commences with RICHARD III LIVE on Saturday, April 25th at 7:30 p.m. on ZOOM or Facebook. Login at https://zoom.us/j/487707012. The performance includes Bo Foxworth as RICHARD III, Jesse James Kamps as BUCKINGHAM, Maren Maclean as QUEEN MARGARET, and Debra Ann Byrd as QUEEN ELIZABETH.

Thereafter, on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.:

April 25th ~ Richard Ill ~ Zoom https://zoom.us/j/487707012

May 2nd ~The Merry Wives of Windsor Zoom https://zoom.us/j/554709388

May 9th ~ Henry lV Part 1

May 16th ~ Henry IV Part 2

May 23rd ~ The Merchant of Venice

May 30th ~ The Comedy of Errors

May 6th ~ The Winter's Tale

In addition, the company will launch an online Education series, Storytime Classics, A Novel Experience. Students and their families can listen and read along with classic literary works like Peter Pan, Wizard of Oz, and Treasure Island as part of SSC's continuing mission of education and preservation of classical literature and live performance. The series begins Monday 12:00 - 2:30 with Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde. (See the Schedule at the end of this article.)

To pursue its mission, the Company is inviting contributions that can be made at swshakespeare.org or by check to Southwest Shakespeare Company, Inc, PO Box 30595, Mesa AZ 85275.

Storytime Classics Schedule

Monday, April 27: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ~ https://zoom.us/j/97110392001?pwd=MEMzNXhNM1c0Y3Fid3grR2ltYXdrQT09 ~ Password: 809530

Tuesday, April 28: Peter Pan - Part 1 ~ https://zoom.us/j/96467802434?pwd=RWZOWlk3eW5GYTFaUk9zbzNnUDd1UT09 ~ Password: 266882

Wednesday, April 29: Peter Pan - Part 2 ~ https://zoom.us/j/93275795224?pwd=Yjh4dHVQUC9pYkppeDlibUhVYStMdz09 ~ Password: 986546

Thursday, April 30: Peter Pan - Part 3 ~ https://zoom.us/j/98382714755?pwd=bzNGTHlhaHRYTnhTbERHeGVjeEZsdz09 ~ Password: 807817

Friday, May 1: Poetry Hour - Edgar Allan Poe ~ https://zoom.us/j/96977898834?pwd=Zm5UNm1HTUoxZEVaaWFxWGJQTFlBZz09 ~ Password: 995786

Monday, May 4: Dracula - Part 1

Tuesday, May 5: Dracula - Part 2

Wednesday, May 6: Dracula - Part 3

Thursday, May 7: Dracula - Part 4

Friday, May 8: Dracula - Part 5

Monday, May 11: The Wizard of Oz - Part 1

Tuesday, May 12: The Wizard of Oz - Part 2

Wednesday, May 13: The Wizard of Oz - Part 3

Thursday, May 14: The Wizard of Oz - Part 4

Friday, May 15: Poetry Hour - Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson

Monday, May 18: The Hound of the Baskervilles - Part 1

Tuesday, May 19: The Hound of the Baskervilles - Part 2

Wednesday, May 20: The Hound of the Baskervilles - Part 3

Thursday, May 21: The Hound of the Baskervilles - Part 4

Friday, May 22: Poetry Hour - Maya Angelou

Tuesday, May 26: Candide - Part 1

Wednesday, May 27: Candide - Part 2

Thursday, May 28: Candide - Part 3

Friday, May 29: Poetry Hour: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman

Monday, June 1: The Secret Garden - Part 1

Tuesday, June 2: The Secret Garden - Part 2

Wednesday, June 3: The Secret Garden - Part 3

Thursday, June 4: The Secret Garden - Part 4

Friday, June 5: The Secret Garden - Part 5

Monday, June 8: Treasure Island - Part 1

Tuesday, June 9: Treasure Island - Part 2

Wednesday, June 10: Treasure Island - Part 3

Thursday, June 11: Treasure Island - Part 4

Friday, June 12: Treasure Island - Part 5

For further information on the series, contact Mary Way, Executive Director, at 602-315-8482 ~ swshakespeare.org

Poster credit to Southwest Shakespeare Company