Elise Kibler Leads Shakespeare in the Square's THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET, Beginning Tonight Off-Broadway

Always a bridesmaid, appearing off-Broadway and as a Broadway understudy, Elise Kibler is now the Broadway bride, with her upcoming debut in The Heidi Chronicles. During the months of rehearsal leading up to her Broadway debut, Elise will also star in William Shakespeare's THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET as the title character, Juliet at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street), which begins previews tonight, January 14th and opens on Sunday, January 18th.

Elise, who was recently cast in the upcoming Broadway production of The Heidi Chronicles will be featured alongside Elizabeth Moss, Jason Biggs, and Bryce Pinkham. She recently served as an understudy for the fall production of The Is Our Youth at the Cort Theatre. Her role in The Heidi Chronicles will finally be her breakout opportunity into the Great White Way.

Elise has starred in previous productions with Shakespeare in the Square including her roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew, and a former performance as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. She also recently filmed an untitled drama pilot for an upcoming Netflix Original Series. Two weeks after the final performance of THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET, Elise will begin previews with The Heidi Chronicles on February 23. The show opens on March 19, 2015.

Now in their fifth season, Shakespeare in the Square, known for their performances in Washington Square Park is presenting William Shakespeare's THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET, in their Off-Broadway debut, this time indoors, at The Gym at Judson . This production is directed by Shakespeare in the Square co-founder Dan Hasse. Elise Kibler plays Juliet and Taylor Myers plays Romeo, with Chris Dooly, Constantine Malahias, and Jack De Sanz.

THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET continues through Sunday, February 8th. The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 8:00 p.m., Fridays at 7:00pm and 10:00pm, with matinees on Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $45 and are $15 for students. Audiences can also enjoy the show from gallant stools, right up against the stage, with the opportunity to interact with the characters. Tickets for these seats are $75, and include one drink. There are additional $15 student matinee performances on Mondays, January 19, January 26, and February 2 at 10:30 a.m. The production runs through Sunday, February 8th at 2pm. For tickets and more information, visit www.shakespeareinthesquare.com or call 718-790-3081.

The design team for THE TRAGEDY OF ROMEO AND JULIET is comprised of sets and props by Phil Falino, costumes by Liz McGlone, lighting by Timothy Meola and musical direction by Chris Dubrow.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE SQUARE (SITS) was founded in 2010 by Rose Bochner and Dan Hasse. It is the mission of this company to perform Shakespeare to the hilt, with a respect for the words and an awareness of original staging practices. SITS believes that his language still has the power to captivate a crowd without the use of elaborate sets or lighting effects; we trust the audience's imaginations to "piece out our imperfections." Above all else, the company strives to create shows that are fast, accessible, and precise. Each season, SITS is committed to providing (free to the public) two of Shakespeare's plays as Shakespeare intended: under the sun, and in front of a loud, standing, possibly distracted audience.