ROMEO AND JULIET Opens 2012-13 North Carolina Shakespeare Festival Season, 9/9

The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival will mark its 2012-13 schedule with the 35th MainStage production, an innovative, contemporary look at Romeo and Juliet, along with its beloved annual production of A Christmas Carol and a spring statewide tour by the Shakespeare To Go program.

Romeo and Juliet, which will run tonight, Sept. 9-Sept. 30, marks the festival's return to presenting a MainStage season at the High Point Theatre.

The production of Shakespeare's best-known tragedy will use the period text, but will have a recognizably contemporary setting, said NCShakes Artistic and Managing Director Pedro Silva.

"The reason that Shakespeare's plays are still so popular after four centuries is that they deal with timeless themes such as love, retribution, hope and loss, which never go out of style. That's particularly true of Romeo and Juliet," Silva said. "But even as widely known as this story is, our interpretation of it will inspire audiences to discover it all over again."

NCShakes will also present the 35th annual production of A Christmas Carol from Dec. 6-23 at the High Point Theatre. The production features original and traditional music arranged by David Bishop and a cast made up of both professional and Triad-area actors.

To commemorate the 35th anniversary, the festival plans to produce and sell a limited-edition soundtrack recording, Silva said.

NCShakes is already booking stops on the spring 2013 tour of the Shakespeare To Go program, which performs for over 20,000 North Carolina elementary, middle and high school students each year. The spring 2013 season will offer productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and Star-Crossed Shakespeare, an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet for younger audiences.

The upcoming season of Shakespeare To Go will be presented with support from GlaxoSmithKline and the Lincoln Financial Foundation, said NCShakes President and CEO Wil Elder.

"We are incredibly grateful to our corporate partners, who understand the importance of our programs in educating and enriching the lives of students all over our state," Elder said. "Arts organizations such as NCShakes don't just stimulate the economy; they also improve our quality of life and make North Carolina the type of place where people want to live, work and play. We could not accomplish that without the generous support of our patrons."

The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival has been based in High Point since its founding in 1977, and has been honored by the General Assembly as the state's official Shakespeare festival. In addition to public performances, NCShakes offers a number of educational programs, camps, teacher workshops and seminars. Affiliate company Festival Stage of Winston-Salem performs a three-play season of contemporary works at Hanesbrands Theatre.

For further information about the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, call 336-841-2273 or visit www.NCShakes.org. For further information about affiliate company Festival Stage of Winston-Salem, call 336-841-2273 or visit www.FestivalStage.org.