Shakespeare & Company Adds Performance of GOD OF CARNAGE to Aid Hurricane Relief

Shakespeare & Company adds a special benefit performance to its God of Carnage run to give back to those impacted by the recent hurricanes. The proceeds from the added performance will be donated to the One America Appeal to support those effected by the terrible devastation of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

Shakespeare & Company joins efforts to help our fellow citizens in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean as they recover and rebuild. The One America Appeal, a joint appeal that was originally launched by all five living former American Presidents to encourage their fellow citizens to support recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey which inundated the Texas Gulf Coast with unprecedented flooding, has been expanded to include areas most affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

"We are so fortunate here at Shakespeare & Company to have stages and spaces in which to work and play in reflection of what it means to be human," said Artistic Director Allyn Burrows. "When basic human comforts are ripped away from people, we can't help but be moved when hearing about such devastating news. We'd like to do our small part in helping those affected rebuild their lives."

Written by Yasmina Reza, the author of ART, translated by Christopher Hampton, and directed by Regge Life, God of Carnage runs through October 8th in the Elayne P. Bernstein, now with an added performance on Thursday, October 5. The play won a Tony Award for Best Play and an Olivier Award for Best Comedy, and now this award-winning New York hit has received rave reviews in the Berkshires.

At the play's opening two sets of parents meet for the first time to address their sons' recent playground fight. Tensions quickly emerge between the parents around the best way to raise a child. The meeting progresses, the liquor flows, and the gloves come off in this comedy of bad manners. Audiences can expect a 90-minute thrill ride into the most dangerous place on earth: parenthood.

"After a great summer season Shakespeare & Company is proud to give back to our wider community," said Managing Director Adam Davis. "So many people have been affected by the recent hurricanes, including our own employees, artists, volunteers and board members, and we felt it was important to contribute to the relief efforts happening across our country."

The cast features four Shakespeare & Company veterans: Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Jonathan Croy, Kristin Wold, and Artistic Director Allyn Burrows. The creative team includes Devon Drohan (Set Design), James W. Bilnoski (Lighting Design), Charlotte Palmer-Lane (Costume Design), and Amy Altadonna (Sound Design).

Tickets for God of Carnage are available online at shakespeare.org, or by calling Shakespeare & Company's box office at (413) 637-3353. The Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible. Shakespeare & Company is located at 70 Kemble St. in Lenox, Massachusetts. This production is generously sponsored by Deborah and Bill Ryan.

About One America Appeal: The One America Appeal is a joint appeal that was originally launched by all five living former American Presidents to encourage their fellow citizens to support recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey - which inundated the Texas Gulf Coast with unprecedented flooding. This special appeal has been expanded to include areas most affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. All donations made today will go to help victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida. In Texas, monies will go to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund focusing on the greater Houston region, and the Rebuild Texas Fund assisting communities across the state. In Florida, monies will go to the Florida Disaster Fund, which is the state's official private fund to assist the state's communities as they respond to and recover from destructive storms. In the Caribbean, donations will be distributed to Unidos Por Puerto Rico launched by the office of First Lady Beatriz Rosselló together with private sector coalition; and the Fund for the Virgin Islands which was established 25 years ago by the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands for relief efforts. For more information, visit www.oneamericaappeal.org/#donations.

About Regge Life (Director, God of Carnage). Regge Life directed the widely acclaimEd Kaufman's Barbershop in 2013. He has directed across the country with credits such as Cross That River for the Aspen Theater, I Just Stopped by to See the Man for Milwaukee Rep, Yellowman and Gem of the Ocean for Pittsburgh Public Theater, Ghosts for the Pearl Theater, Piano Lesson for Virginia Stage Company, A Walk in the Woods at Capital Rep, Rebel Armies into Deep Chad, Laurence Fishburne's Riff Raff and Arthur Miller's The American Clock for the Juilliard School and Living in the Wind and Do Lord Remember Me at The American Place Theatre.

About Yasmina Reza (Playwright, God of Carnage). Yasmina Reza is a French playwright and novelist, based in Paris, whose works have all been multi-award-winning, critical and popular international successes, produced worldwide and translated into 35 languages. She has written seven plays (Conversations after a Burial, The Passage of Winter, ART, The Unexpected Man, Life x 3, A Spanish Play, God of Carnage, How You Talk the Game) and 6 novels ("Hammerklavier," "Une Desolation (Desolation)," "Adam Haberberg," "Dans la Luge d'Arthur Schopenhauer," "Nulle Part" and "L'Aube, le Soir ou la Nuit (Dawn Dusk or Night)"). Films include: "Le Pique-Nique de Lulu Kreutz," directed by Didier Martiny and "Chicas," written and directed by the author.

About Shakespeare & Company: Located in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, Shakespeare & Company is one of the largest Shakespeare Festivals in the country. Founded in 1978, the organization attracts over 30,000 patrons annually. The Company is also home to Shakespeare & Company's internationally renowned Center for Actor Training and nationally renowned and award-winning Education Program. More information is available at www.shakespeare.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.