Royal Shakespeare Company
11 December 2013 – 29 March 2014
Directed by Jeremy Herrin
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Hilary Mantel’s Man Booker Prize Winning Novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies are adapted for the stage by Mike Poulton and directed by Jeremy Herrin.
Chicago Shakespeare Festival
February 6 – March 23, 2014
Directed by: Gary Griffin
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Boasting one show-stopping song after another—like “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and “Let Me Entertain You”—this classic musical is inspired by memoirs of the burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee; and it marks Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin’s continued exploration of the Sondheim canon. Tony Award® nominee Louise Pitre makes her Chicago Shakespeare debut as Rose, the most infamous of all stage mothers. Pitre’s career highlights include many critically acclaimed performances in the theater, on television and concert stages across North America and Europe. Gypsy, a jewel of the American musical theater, has been described by The New York Times critic Frank Rich as “Broadway’s own brassy, unlikely answer to King Lear.”
The Tempest
- February 14 – November 2, 2014
- Angus Bowmer Theatre
- By William Shakespeare | Directed by Tony Taccone
Rough magic and brave new worlds
For 12 years, the exiled Duke Prospero has waited for this moment: Old enemies have sailed too close to his enchanted island, and a mighty storm has forced them ashore. Now it’s time to settle old scores and reclaim his former dukedom for his daughter, Miranda. Aided by supernatural powers, Prospero dispenses justice while overseeing the growing attraction between Miranda and the princely son of one of his foes. In Shakespeare’s romance, sorcery and love transmute vengeance into humility and humanity, making it possible for all to return to a world made new by the power of forgiveness.
This production of “The Tempest” is part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, a national theatre initiative sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest.
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
By William Shakespeare
Edited and Directed by Tarell Alvin McCraney
February 18 – March 23, 2014
In an exciting international collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company and GableStage, Miami, The Public welcomes back writer/director Tarell Alvin McCraney (The Brother/Sister Plays) as its new artist in residence with ANTONY & CLEOPATRA. At the fringes of a war-torn empire, a man and a woman have fallen desperately, passionately in love. But for a soldier set to enforce the imperial will and the queen of a people intent on throwing off the yoke of empire, there is no place for personal desire. McCraney creates a stripped down, radical new version of Shakespeare’s gripping story of romance set against a world of imperial politics and power play and transports us to 18th century, sun-soaked Saint-Domingue on the eve of revolution. RSC in America is presented in collaboration with The Ohio State University.
The Comedy of Errors
- The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland, OR
- February 20 – November 2, 2014
- Thomas Theatre
- By William Shakespeare | Directed by Kent Gash
Double double trouble
Antipholus and his servant, Dromio, go looking for family they lost years ago. Traveling from the rural South, they journey to the big city and find themselves in the heart of the Harlem Renaissance. And surprise! Suddenly there are two identical Antipholi and two identical Dromios, which has everybody in town (including significant others) seeing double. To make matters worse, another family member is about to be executed for breaking local law. Laughs fly as the clock ticks in Shakespeare’s farce about the craziest family reunion ever.
Chicago Shakespeare Festival
February 22 – March 22, 2014
Director: David H. Bell
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A magical forest filled with a host of some of Shakespeare’s most comedic characters make A Midsummer Night’s Dream one of his most popular plays. CST’s 75-minute abridged Short Shakespeare! production serves as an ideal introduction to the Bard—for audiences of all ages. When lovers cross with mischievous sprites in an enchanted forest, a series of mishaps occur and nothing is what it seems. Add to the mix a bevy of fumbling actors and chaos breaks loose until dawn breaks and all is once again right with the world. After the performance, the actors remain on stage for a brief question-and-answer session. Then join the audience in the Lobby for one-on-one conversations and photo opportunities.