Chesapeake Shakespeare Company's Next Season Promises Exciting Firsts and Large-Scale Projects

The award-winning Chesapeake Shakespeare Company announces its 2010-2011 season filled with exciting firsts and long-term, large-scaled projects. The season will include an original adaption of Aristophanes' Lysistrata, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company-in-the-Ruins will return in 2010 with everyone's favorite Shakespeare comedy Much Ado About Nothing and Shakespeare's most popular tragedy Hamlet, CSC will return to the Ruins in Fall of 2010 for Titus Andronicus in the Haunted Ruins, and the season will conclude with The Booth Project, a new epic script that tells the story of the lives of the Booth family.

Lysistrata by Aristophanes is a classical masterpiece bursting with sexual high jinks and slapstick comedy that packs a punch with political and social satire. While it is a significant piece of feminist anti-war drama, it also possesses a well- deserved reputation of being bawdy, off-color and very funny. CSC Artistic Director and Lysistrata director Ian Gallanar has written an original, contemporary adaptation based on two of Aristophanes' comedies: The Assemblywomen and Lysistrata. Lysistrata runs February 11-March 6, 2010; Thursdays through Fridays at 8pm, and Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm at the Oliver's Carriage House, 5410 Leaf Treader Way, Columbia, Maryland 21044.

The summer of 2010 finds CSC returning to its summer home, the picturesque ruins of the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park in Ellicott City, to present everyone's favorite Shakespeare comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, and Shakespeare's most popular tragedy, Hamlet. As in seasons past, patrons are encouraged to bring friends, families and picnics to enjoy Shakespeare under the stars. Much Ado About Nothing runs June 11-July 11, 2010. Hamlet runs June 25-July 15, 2010. Performances are Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 5pm. Hamlet will have additional Thursday performances on July 8, 15 & 22 at 8pm and additional Saturday performances on July 17 & 24 at 3pm. All shows are performed at the PFI Historic Park, 3691 Sarah's Lane, Ellicott City, Maryland 21043.

Chesapeake Shakespeare in the Haunted Ruins returns in October of 2010 to bring the bloodiest Shakespeare tragedy to life, Titus Andronicus. Audiences and actors will travel throughout the Ruins for an exciting, theatrical adventure. Instead of building a stage and seating the audience in a conventional way, the play will be performed in various locations in and around the Ruins. In this way, the Ruins themselves become the stage. Patrons are highly encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes and dress in layers appropriate to the weather. Titus Andronicus run in October 2010 in, on and around the ruins of the PFI Historic Park, 3691 Sarah's Lane, Ellicott City, Maryland 21043.

For winter 2011, CSC will be developing a new epic script that tells the story of the lives of the Booth Family. Many know about John Wilkes Booth and possibly know about Edwin Booth, considered by many to be America's greatest Shakespearean actor of the 19th century, but many might not know that they were part of an acting dynasty, and CSC is located in their old stomping grounds (the family compound still exists just North of Baltimore).

CSC will be commissioning a playwright to work with us on this project. Two months of play development will cultivate in public performances of a "bare-bones" production to be held in February of 2011. The Booth Project will continue with further development, and CSC plans to produce a full blown production in either winter 2012 or 2013.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com, by calling 866.811.4111 or prior to the performance at the box office. Groups of 10 or more, please call 410.313.8874. For general information, call the CSC offices at 410.313.8874. (9/8/08)

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