California Shakespeare Theater Sets 2015 Season: TWELFTH NIGHT, LIFE IS A DREAM & More

California Shakespeare Theater today announced its plans for 2015 season, which includes boldly imagined productions of two of Shakespeare's greatest works, a beautiful new adaptation of a classic from the Spanish Golden Age of Drama, and an outrageously funny romp from a modern American master. The season will feature the company directing debut of Magic Theatre's Producing Artistic Director Loretta Greco, and the return of directors Amanda Dehnert (The Verona Project) and Christopher Liam Moore (Lady Windermere's Fan) in addition to artistic director Jonathan Moscone.

Opening the season at the Bruns will be Shakespeare's beautiful romantic comedy, Twelfth Night, from May 27 through June 21, featuring a gender-bending company of 7 women and 1 man, directed by Christopher Liam Moore. Next up, Loretta Greco makes her Cal Shakes debut with Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz's brilliant adaptation of Life is a Dream, by Pedro Calderón de la Barca's from the Spanish Golden Age of Drama. Often compared to Shakespeare's Hamlet, this tale of a young prince imprisoned by his father at birth because of a prophecy plays at the Bruns from July 8 through August 2.

Opening in August is Charles Ludlam's fantastically funny farce, The Mystery of Irma Vep, helmed by Cal Shakes Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone and starring Bay Area favorite Danny Scheie, from August 12 through September 6. Mummies, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, haunted mansions, and every other staple of the Victorian horror genre make an appearance as the ghost of her ex-husband wife, Irma Vep, haunts Lady Enid, with all the characters portrayed by just two actors in a mad dash that will leave you breathless with laughter.

Concluding the 2015 season is Shakespeare's tragic masterpiece, King Lear, from September 16 through October 11. Directed by nationally renowned Amanda Dehnert, creator of revelatory productions of Julius Caesar at OSF and the world premiere of The Verona Project at Cal Shakes, among others, the production will feature OSF alumnus Anthony Heald as the king. Mr. Heald is a two-time Tony nominee (for Anything Goes and Love! Valour! Compassion!), who will appear in the upcoming Broadway revival of The Elephant Man; his film and television credits include The Silence of the Lambs, The Pelican Brief, Boston Legal, and The Closer. Some of his many OSF credits include: Duke of Buckingham in Richard III, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Alfred Doolittle in My Fair Lady (directed by Amanda Dehnert), Stage Manager in Our Town, and Vincentio in Measure for Measure.

"I look forward to deepening our investigations into the breadth of meaning in Shakespeare's work through boldly imagined and deeply entertaining productions that see his great works with new eyes," says Jonathan Moscone. "Bringing Loretta Greco's rare directing talent to our stage has been something I have been working on for years, and finally we get her, helming Nilo Cruz's exciting adaptation of a Spanish classic, bringing immediacy to one of the great works of theatrical literature. And I just can't wait to work with Danny Scheie on Charles Ludlam's gender-bending comedy, which is a perfect addition to growing roster of playwrights and other artists in our mission to create joyful, authentic, and inclusive theater experiences for everyone in our communities."

Season packages for the four play season and group tickets for parties of 10 or more are available now; single tickets go on sale April 6, 2015. Prices start at $124 for a four-play subscription, with discounts available for seniors, youth, and full-time K-12 educators.

For information or to charge tickets by phone with VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express, call the Cal Shakes Box Office at 510.548.9666. Additional information and online ticketing is available at www.calshakes.org.

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