Capital Classics Reveals Titles For 2025 Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival

Capital Classics Theatre Company announced the two titles that will comprise the 2025 Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival:. the comedy Twelfth Night and the tragedy King Lear.

 

Twelfth Night, which is set to be directed by Brian Jennings, and King Lear, directed by Sasha Brätt, will each be performed 10 times over the course of four weeks. The alternating productions will begin performance on July 9 and run through Sunday, August 3, 2025, outdoors on the campus of the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford. In the event of inclement weather, the production moves inside the university's Bruyette Atheneum. Performances will be Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30pm with Sunday performances occurring at 5:30pm. The repertory performance schedule and ticket information will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

Capital Classics Co-founder and Artistic Associate Geoffrey Sheehan states, "After the success of offering two plays in repertory in 2024, we are so excited to do it again and bring two of Shakespeare's greatest plays to our stage in 2025: King Lear and Twelfth Night. These plays possess so much of Shakespeare's genius: passionate characters, engaging stories, intense drama, laugh-out-loud comedy, and of course, brilliant writing, giving us insight into our common humanity of family, power, love, and loss. The 2025 Greater Hartford Shakesepare Festival will be another celebration of who we are and who we can become, especially if we're not careful!"

TWELFTH NIGHT, or What You Will

Directed by Brian Jennings

 

In this delightful romantic comedy, twins Viola and Sebastian are separated after a shipwreck. Viola falls into the service -- and in love with -- Duke Orsino, while disguised as his servant, Cesario. Her first task? Wooing Orsino's intended, the Countess Olivia, who finds herself smitten with Cesario. In true Shakespearean fashion, Viola encounters fights, fools, and mistaken identities. Will she reunite with her brother, win the heart of the Duke, or will she end up married to the Countess herself?

The Tragedy of KING LEAR

Directed by Sasha Brätt

 

In one of Shakespeare's most towering tragedies, King Lear finds the aging monarch of Britain dividing his kingdom between his three daughters. After demanding a test of their love, Lear is duped when two his daughters - Goneril and Regan - promise an exaggerated fealty to their father. His youngest and most favored daughter, Cordelia, refuses to join her sisters in their excessive theatrics and finds herself banished and disinherited. After Lear hands his realm to Goneril and Regan and their scheming husbands, he finds himself outcast and descending into madness. Can he reunite with his exiled daughter or will they both succumb to treachery and corruption? See where Succession started!

 

Capital Classics incoming Board President Edwin Thrower adds, "This year was a big year for Capital Classics! For this first time in our 33-year history we expanded our festival to include two Shakespeare plays: Hamlet and The Taming of the Shrew! And our wonderful audience responded and supported us, with a record turnout and great reviews! We look forward to bringing King Lear and Twelfth Night to life in 2025 and continuing our tradition of Shakespeare under the stars for all to enjoy!"

A new season also welcomes a new slate of officers and board members for Capital Classics. The recently elected officers include Edwin Thrower (President), Laura Sheehan (Vice President), Dennis Jakiela (Secretary), Geoffrey Sheehan (Treasurer), and Herb Emanuelson (Director of Marketing). New and returning board members include Julie Ackerman, Christina D'Amico, Brian Federman, Kathleen Fischer, John Holder, Michael Isko, Reinhard Kage, Owen McNamara, Matthew Morgan, Madeline Perez De Jesus, and Jennifer Whalley.

To post a comment, you must register and login.