Three Plays by the Bard and More Slated for Shakespeare & Company's 2017 Season
By: BWW News Desk Feb. 07, 2017
"Marking this 40th Season at Shakespeare & Company represents a thrilling opportunity for us to celebrate our company's legacy, to take stock of where we are, and to look forward to an exciting future," said Artistic Director Allyn Burrows. "Our robust 2017 programming highlighting the Bard is expanded to include special musical guests and contemporary women writers. We heartily invite people to make our grounds a destination to picnic, and enjoy a true Berkshire theatrical experience, including our new outdoor theatre in the Shakespeare's Garden."
The new Garden Theatre, located directly across from the Tina Packer Playhouse, is an intimate outdoor performance space with comfortable seating. This summer the space will be home to the Tempest, performed in-the-round at dusk. The Company will also present a 90-minute production of A Midsummer's Night Dream outdoors in the Dell at The Mount, Edith Wharton's Home. The popular Fourth of July Community Event, featuring the reading of the Declaration of Independence, will return this summer.
In celebration of the Company's 40th Season the summer program will include a special August event series, Storytellers and Songwriters. Each event will explore various characters through solo performances by Company artists. These stories will be interwoven with live music from extraordinary musicians and songwriters who have a deep appreciation of poetry reminiscent of Shakespeare. Special musical guests include Kris Delmhorst, Michi Wiancko, and Bobby Sweet.
Casting and additional details about Shakespeare & Company's 2017 programming will be made available at a later date.
Following is Shakespeare & Company's official 2017 Summer Performance Season:
4,000 Miles
by Amy Herzog
Directed by Nicole Ricciardi
May 25-July 16
Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre
Featuring Annette Miller
In this Obie Award-winning and beautifully crafted piece, Amy Herzog gives us Vera and Leo, a grandmother and grandson, locked in a moving and most amusing battle of wits. Life has dealt them a series of shocks, and yet, they and two intrepid young women, continue to seek meaning through human contact in a touching and humorous portrait of the disenfranchised.
Cymbeline
Directed by Tina Packer
July 4 - August 6
Tina Packer Playhouse
Featuring Jonathan Epstein and Tamara Hickey
A rarely performed story of intrigue and deception in the face of steely resolve, Cymbeline bears the wondrous language of the seasoned playwright through wild plot twists, mistaken identities, and a heart-rending quest for love. Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer directs this stunning tale, produced for the first time on the Company's Mainstage.
Intimate Apparel
by Lynn Nottage
Directed by Daniela Varon
July 20 - August 13
Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre
Featuring Nehassaiu deGannes and ChristiAnna Nelson
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage explores the strength of the human spirit through the story of Esther, an African American seamstress in Manhattan in 1905, when social and class lines were distinctly drawn. A letter arrives and romance is sparked, betrayal is born, and six lives are forever changed. Winner of the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award.
The Tempest by Twilight
Directed by Allyn Burrows
August 10 - September 3
Garden Theatre (Outdoors)
Featuring Nigel Gore and Jason Asprey
Likely the Bard's final piece that he penned alone, The Tempest sets the stage for a betrayed magician bent on revenge. Prospero's seething softens when he sees through his daughter that love and forgiveness conquer darkness. Revel in twilight performances in the new Garden Theatre under the Berkshire summer skies as the cast leads you on this magical and moving journey.
An Evening of Edith Wharton One-Acts:
Roman Fever and The Fullness of Life
Adapted by Dennis Krausnick
Directed by Normi Noel
August 17 - September 10
Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre
Featuring David Joseph, Corinna May, and Diane Prusha
Edith Wharton's sublime wit shines through in these two delightful one-act comedies, complete with her delectable signature twist. In Roman Fever Grace and Alida reminisce above the Colosseum, having known each other so well for their entire lives, or so they think. The Fullness of Life unveils that the afterlife, while enchanting, may not be all that it's cracked up to be. Tea and levity shall be served.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Directed by Jonathan Croy
July 11-August 20
The Dell at the Mount, Edith Wharton's Home (Outdoors)
Four lovers lost in the woods and a group of rude mechanicals who have set out to put on a play become entangled in a dream world. The Fairy Kingdom is at odds, spells are cast and the devilish sprite Puck weaves his mischief amongst the mortals. This fast-paced romp promises to be an unforgettable midsummer adventure for the whole family. Presented by Shakespeare & Company's Northeast Regional Education Tour.
God of Carnage
by Yasmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Matt Penn
September 14 - October 8
Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre
Featuring Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Allyn Burrows, and Jonathan Croy
The season ends with the Tony and Olivier Award-winning New York smash hit by the author of ART. This 90-minute thrill ride takes you into the most dangerous place on earth: parenthood. Two sets of parents meet for the first time to settle their son's nasty schoolyard tangle. Tensions quickly emerge around the best way to raise a child. The meeting progresses, the liquor flows, and the gloves come off in this viciously funny comedy of bad manners.
Tickets for the 2017 performance season go on sale to members and groups on February 14; tickets for the general public will be released on February 21. Shakespeare & Company will once again offer a 40% discount to full-time, year-round Berkshire County residents. Both the Tina Packer Playhouse and the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre are wheelchair accessible and hearing assisted. For more information on our summer performance season, or our year round programming, call the Box Office at (413) 637-3353 or visit www.shakespeare.org.
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.
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