STC Partners With Madame Tussaudes To Display Shakespeare Figure

The Shakespeare Theatre Company is pleased to partner with Madame Tussauds, bringing a wax figure of William Shakespeare to Washington, D.C. in celebration of STC's 25th Anniversary Season. This STC debut marks the first U.S. public appearance of the wax William Shakespeare; he will be on display at the Company's Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) through May 31, 2012.

The wax figure has arrived just in time for STC's current production of a Shakespeare play: Much Ado About Nothing, which runs through January 1, 2012. Guests and patrons visiting the Shakespeare Theatre Company are encouraged to take photos of themselves and the wax figure during business hours; 10 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, as well as before performances and during intermission. The gift shop will have extended holiday hours December 1-23: Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

The wax figure of William Shakespeare arrived in the U.S. via plane direct from Madame Tussauds London. The first William Shakespeare figure was sculpted by Madame Tussauds herself in 1819. It was re-sculpted for Madame Tussauds London in 1951 and again in 1993. Wearing the prevalent style of the time, Mr. Shakespeare is adorned by the "puff and slash" apparel.

During the 2011-2012 Season, the Shakespeare Theatre Company is set to celebrate! Not only is it the 25th year of Michael Kahn's leadership, vision and artistic direction but, over the past quarter of a century, STC has become one of the nation's leading theatre companies. Today, STC is synonymous with artistic excellence and making classical theatre more accessible.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company's innovative approach to Shakespeare and other classic playwrights has earned it the reputation as the nation's premier classical theatre company. By focusing on works with profound themes, complex characters and poetic language written by Shakespeare, his contemporaries and the playwrights he influenced, the Company's artistic mission is unique among theatre companies: to present theatre of scope and size in an imaginative, skillful and accessible American style that honors the playwrights' language and intentions while viewing their work through a 21st-century lens.

In its 2007-2008 Season, the company opened the Harman Center for the Arts, consisting of the new 774-seat Sidney Harman Hall and the 451-seat Lansburgh Theatre, both located in downtown Washington's Penn Quarter neighborhood. A dynamic hub of activity, the Harman Center showcases the company as well as outstanding local performing arts groups and nationally renowned organizations. STC's annual Free For All performance, a re-creation of a production from seasons past staged for free in August and September, is now held at Sidney Harman Hall. Sidney Harman Hall is located at 610 F Street NW. The Lansburgh Theatre also plays host to a number of different performing arts organizations, among them Synetic Theater and several of STC's mainstage productions. The Lansburgh Theatre is located at 450 7th Street NW.

Madame Tussauds Washington D.C. is a fully interactive, full-sensory experience, where visitors are able to touch, see and hear major historical events and celebrities in a way unlike any other Washington D.C. attraction. The attraction showcases wax figures of some of the world's most recognized icons, including: international superstars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt; music megastars and NHL Capitals captain, Alex Ovechkin; superstars Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Tyra Banks; as well as all 44 U.S. Presidents, featured in the recently-launched U.S. Presidents Gallery. Madame Tussauds is located on the corner of F and 10th Streets, NW, within walking distance of the National Mall and the White House. For more information, visit MadameTussaudsdc.com or call 202.942.7300 or 888.WAX.IN.DC.

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