Brave Spirits Announces Online Histories Reading Festival
Brave Spirits Theatre is excited to announce a virtual summer staged reading festival celebrating the history plays of the English early Modern Stage. A supplement to BST's two-year Shakespeare's Histories project, these plays reveal the breadth and popularity of the history genre during Shakespeare's era. Moved to an online event due to COVID-19, these plays are being planned and performed not only by the Histories ensemble, but also collaborators from across the world.
The reading festival will take place Mondays and Tuesdays from May 11 to June 2. Each performance will start at 7:30pm* and will be streamed on BST's YouTube channel. Written by playwrights such as Christopher Marlowe, Thomas Heywood, George Peele, and John Ford, these plays span historical events from 1199 to 1499. These plays live in conversation with Shakespeare's Histories, providing sources for Shakespeare's plays and alternate versions of events and characters. *The time of the final reading may change to accommodate International Artists.
Brave Spirits Theatre is also pleased to debut our online merchandise store. Though performances of The King's Shadow (Richard the Second, Henry the Fourth Part 1, Henry the Fourth Part 2, and Henry the Fifth) ended early, patrons can still access items from the gift shop, including t-shirts, magnets, and the souvenir program, packed with production photos and dramaturgical essays. Purchases support Brave Spirit Theatre in the wake of performance cancelations, enabling us to continue preparing for the second year of Shakespeare's Histories.
VIRTUAL READING SCHEDULE
The Troublesome Reign of King John
by George Peele
directed by Liam Thomas Daley
Monday, May 11th, 2020 @ 7:30pm (EDT)
Edward the Second
directed by Jon Jon Johnson
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020 @ 7:30pm (EDT)
Edward the Third
by Williams Shakespeare and others
directed by Marshall B Garrett
Monday, May 18th, 2020 @ 7:30pm (EDT)
Thomas of Woodstock
directed by Emily MacLeod
Tuesday, May 19th, 2020 @ 7:30pm (EDT)
The Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth
directed by Kelly Elliott
Monday, May 25th, 2020 @ 7:30pm (EDT)
Edward the Fourth, Parts 1 and 2
directed by Claire Kimball
Tuesday, May 26th @ 7:30pm (EDT)
The True Tragedy of Richard the Third
guest performance by the MFA class of Mary Baldwin University
Monday, June 1, 2020 @ 7:30pm (EDT)
Perkin Warbeck
by John Ford
directed by Alasdair Hunter
Tuesday, June 2, 2020 @ TBD
Festival dramaturgy by Claire Kimball, Liam Thomas Daley, and Emily MacLeod. All readings will be free to stream; donations are always welcome.
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