Scrawny Cat Theatre
1st – 26th April 2014
[button url=”http://scrawnycat.co.uk/richard-iii/” target=”blank”]Buy Tickets[/button]
Notorious villain, child murderer, hated despot. Richard III was evil, or so Shakespeare told us. But history tells another tale.
Who was he really? A dangerous tyrant or a dutiful king?
Who was the man found in the car park when all the stories are done?
Scrawny Cat Theatre Company’s unique, site specific production of Richard III will explore just that. Down among the foundations of The Rose Bankside – the theatre Shakespeare began his career in – puppets, music and physical theatre will bring history to life and let one of England’s most debated figures finally have his say.
Syracuse Shakespeare Festival
April 4 – April 14, 2014
[button url=”http://syrsf.ticketleap.com/” target=”blank”]Buy Tickets[/button]
Our second plunge into 17th century French comedy gives us even more laughs than last year’s Molierean tickler. It’s another comedy by a French icon, The Suitors, by Jean Racine, Judith Harris directing; one of the most hilarious French plays ever written, Racine’s only comedy (1688), tells of a judge named Nigaud who has lost his mind from overwork but is still possessed with the desire to go to court and try cases day and night. After a brief intermission the second half of this double bill gives you, Commedia dell’Arte, Lynn Barbato directing; the roots of improvisation date back to 16th century Italy where “stock” character types mocked social conventions and they’ll be mocking unconventionally for your laughter and delight.
Chicago Shakespeare Festival
April 29 – June 15, 2014
Director: Christopher Luscombe
[button url=”http://www.chicagoshakes.com/plays_and_events/henryv#sthash.h3ESXDbR.dpuf” target=”blank”]Buy Tickets[/button]
“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!” In a rousing finale to the 2014 season, Shakespeare’s powerful history play takes center stage in our magnificent Courtyard Theater for the very first time. Acclaimed British director Christopher Luscombe, whose work has been featured at the Royal Shakespeare Company, sheds new light on the Bard’s legendary coming-of-age story. Against all odds, a charismatic young monarch confronted by the ferocity of war proves his worth as a man—and king. Henry V is Shakespeare’s rallying cry, celebrating the power of language to summon battlefields from thin air and ignite our souls to action.
The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ
Begins May 28
Directed by Bonnie J. Monte
[button url=”http://www.shakespearenj.org/OnStage/PurchaseTickets.html” target=”blank”]Buy Tickets[/button]Artistic Director Bonnie J. Monte directs The Tempest for the first time since 1991, her inaugural production at The Shakespeare Theatre. Prestigious company veteran Sherman Howard, an actor Ms. Monte describes as “a force of nature in himself,” will portray Prospero, the powerful magician who rules over his enchanted island home.
The Shakespeare Theatre of NJ
Begins October 15
Directed by Paul Mullins
[button url=”http://www.shakespearenj.org/OnStage/PurchaseTickets.html” target=”blank”]Buy Tickets[/button]
Longtime company director Paul Mullins returns to direct Shakespeare’s final play, the rarely produced historical epic about the young King Henry and the first two of his six wives.
Begins December 4
Directed by Scott Wentworth
[button url=”http://www.shakespearenj.org/OnStage/PurchaseTickets.html” target=”blank”]Buy Tickets[/button]The 2014 season concludes with the of Shakespeare’s delightful comedy Much Ado About Nothing, which has not been seen at the Theatre in over a decade. Renowned actor and director Scott Wentworth sets the play post-World War II, à la “White Christmas,” and will appear on stage alongside his wife, Marion Adler (last seen in Our Town).