Chesapeake Shakespeare Company Announces 19th Season Lineup Through Summer 2022

On the heels of its annual holiday presentation of A Christmas Carol, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company will resume a regular production schedule in 2022 with three shows to comprise their 19th season.

This shortened subscription season begins in February with a presentation of the modern American classic, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry (Feb. 4 - 27, 2022), followed by the final installment of William Shakespeare's Henriad, Henry V, later in the spring (Apr. 22 - May 15, 2022). Both will be performed in the company's downtown Baltimore theatre.

After a successful return to PFI Historic Park in Ellicott City, Md. last summer, "Shakespeare Under the Stars" returns with the bard's beloved romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing (June 17 - July 24, 2022). The show was originally slated for summer 2019, but had been postponed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This will be the fourth production of the popular Much Ado in the company's history, while the sweeping war epic Henry V has only been staged once before, in 2007. And though the winter presentation of A Raisin in the Sun is not CSC's first foray into presenting plays from the past century, it will be the company premiere of this seminal work and Producing Executive Director Lesley Malin is excited to continue growing CSC's repertoire with the play that "changed American theater forever." (The New York Times)

Malin says, "Our commitment to bringing classic theatre to audiences in Baltimore and beyond may have begun with Shakespeare, but it doesn't end there. The canon of classic plays is ever expanding. A Raisin in the Sun is decidedly one of the most important works of theatre to be created in the past hundred years, especially for its compelling, unfiltered depiction of the Black experience in America. But Lorraine Hansberry's potent and honest characterization of the universal struggle between individual autonomy and familial duty is, dare I say it, downright Shakespearean. While Raisin may still be timely because the fight to end systemic racism in this country is far from over, it will always be timeless because of Hansberry's nuanced and profound portrayal of family."

In addition to mainstage and summer shows, CSC will also revive in-person performances for its School Matinee program with special winter presentations of A Raisin in the Sun, as well as its customary spring production of Romeo and Juliet. Prior to the pandemic, over 14,000 Maryland middle and high school students attended student matinees at CSC annually.

For those interested in securing their first choice of seats for CSC's 19th Season, subscription packages go on sale today and include a 20% savings on single ticket prices. Single tickets for all shows will go on sale in the new year. Patrons can purchase a two-show package for the Baltimore productions (A Raisin in the Sun and Henry V), or create a three-play subscription by adding on the summer show (Much Ado About Nothing) at PFI. Any patrons who opted to keep their money "on account" for use at a future performance due to COVID-19 cancellations will be able to apply that reserve to a subscription or single tickets for any of these upcoming shows in 2022.

Full details for each show, including casting, will be announced closer to the dates of production. For more information about subscriptions, single tickets and School Matinees, visit www.chesapeareshakespeare.com or call the box office at 410-244-8570.

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