MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, BLITHE SPIRIT, KISS ME KATE & More Set for Annapolis Shakespeare Company's 2017-18 Season

Annapolis Shakespeare Company's Founding Artistic Director Sally Boyett announced the Company's 2017-18 season!

Boyett said, "I am thrilled to announce our fifth professional season of Shakespeare and the classics. Annapolis Shakespeare Company has quickly built a solid reputation for presenting Broadway-quality, bold, re-imagined, entertaining and accessible interpretations of classical works, contemporary plays, and musicals. Our patrons have doubled and our subscriptions have tripled over the past two seasons and our 2017-18 season has expanded to include a full-length musical and popular modern classics. We are a destination for professional theatre in the region with five Main Stage productions as well as additional outdoor programming at Reynolds Tavern and the Charles Carroll House. Additionally, we will inaugurate an exciting Cabaret Series in our spacious new lobby."

"I'm so proud to offer this terrific season in our new home at 1804 West Street where we will present our Main Stage productions in a 99-seat black box theatre. This facility will provide enhanced production elements, comfortable seating, convenient parking and retain the intimacy between actor and audience which has become the hallmark of the Annapolis Shakespeare Company experience. The dynamic at ASC is unique in the region and this season will provide a powerful and delightful experience for every theatrical taste!"

On the Main Stage at 1804 West Street in Annapolis:

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING by William Shakespeare and directed by Sally Boyett runs September 29 - October 29, 2017. Love's in the air in this fast, beautiful and fun production that will make 2 1/2 hours of Shakespearean verse seem like a great American musical in the style of 1950s retro glamour. Much Ado About Nothing is Shakespeare's most frequently performed comedy.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens and directed by Tony Award nominee/Helen Hayes Award-winning director/ASC resident director Donald Hicken runs November 25 - December 31, 2017. A Christmas Carol is a world premiere adaptation of a traditional holiday favorite with the distinctive Annapolis Shakespeare Company flair.

BLITHE SPIRIT by Noel Coward and directed by Sally Boyett runs January 26 - February 25, 2018. Experience what happens when a comfortable marriage in a peaceful English village is turned upside down by a seance and a visitor from the other side. Blithe Spirit is Noel Coward's comic masterpiece!

THE GLASS MENAGERIE by Tennessee Williams and directed by Donald Hicken with Sally Boyett runs March 16 - April 15, 2018. The Glass Menagerie is a modern American classic of great tenderness, charm and beauty. Tennessee Williams' most personal work for the stage continues to fascinate audiences around the world.

KISS ME KATE with Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter and directed by Sally Boyett runs May 4 - June 3, 2018. With romance, comedy, sophistication, and behind-the-scenes high jinks, Kiss Me Kate combines the irreverent humor of two brilliant writers: Cole Porter and William Shakespeare.

Outdoor experiences include:

THE MISER by Moliere runs May 15 - September 25, 2018. Moliere's Commedia-inspired masterpiece centering around the classic conflict between love and money. ASC's sixth annual production to be presented Tuesdays in the outdoor courtyard at Reynolds Tavern.

LOVE'S LABOURS LOST by William Shakespeare and directed by Sally Boyett and Donald Hicken runs for three weekends in July 2018, Friday-Sunday at 7:30pm. Love's Labours Lost is a delightful comedy about young love with a surprise ending, performed under the stars. The production is ASC's third annual epic outdoor Shakespeare! ASC's Continuing 2016-17 Season.

ASC's Continuing 2016-17 Season:

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED)
directed by John Bellomo
May 16 - September 26, 2017
Complete Works Abridged is presented in the outdoor Courtyard at Reynolds Tavern

RICHARD III
directed by Tony Award nominee/Helen Hayes Award-winning director Donald Hicken
May 19-June 11, 2017
Richard III is presented at the ASC Theatre

THE TEMPEST
directed by Sally Boyett and Donald Hicken
July 7 - 23, 2017
ASC's epic outdoor Shakespeare presented in the gardens of Charles Carroll House

ALICE AND THE BOOK OF WONDERLAND
a world premiere adaptation
directed and choreographed by Sally Boyett
with original music by James Fitzpatrick
July 29 - August 20, 2017
Alice and the Book of Wonderland is presented at the ASC Theatre

Ticket prices range from $25-$60 with discounts for seniors, students and groups. FLEX PASS Season Subscriptions provide additional savings. Please call the box office at 410-415-3513 or visit AnnapolisShakespeare.org for ticket details. All performances are accessible for wheelchair patrons. Please call the box office to arrange any special seating needs.

Annapolis Shakespeare Company (ASC) is the foremost professional theatre company in Annapolis, Maryland and the only theatre company dedicated to producing Shakespeare and the Classics. Founded by Artistic Director, Sally Boyett, ASC is a member of theatreWashington/Helen Hayes Awards and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit providing extensive educational outreach partnerships with local Performing and Visual Arts Programs and other public schools.

The vision of Annapolis Shakespeare Company is to be a destination for professional theatre in the region. ASC's mission is to produce bold, re-imagined, entertaining and accessible interpretations of classical works, contemporary plays, and musicals with a core commitment to the works of Shakespeare and other major dramatists. ASC is committed to promoting the highest level of artistic excellence, to cultivating the widest possible audience, and to contributing to the economic and cultural growth of our community, state, and region with the following experiences and programs:

• Year-Round Season of Professional Theatre
• Educational Artist-in-Residence Programs
• Pre-professional Training and Internship Programs

The Annapolis Shakespeare Company enriches the human community through the revelation of beauty and the illumination of fundamental truths of human experience.