Actors' Theatre of Columbus Presents SHAKESPEARE IN THE COMMONS, Beginning Today

Love is in the air this summer at the Columbus Commons. Following up on last year's success, The Commons has invited the award-winning Actors' Theatre of Columbus (ATC) back to perform in the Bicentennial Pavilion.

Up first is a farce by William Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors, which runs for two long weekends, today, May 10 to 12, and May 17 to 19, with performances starting at 7:30 p.m. If you like tales of twins switched at birth, slapstick emanating from mistaken identities, and attempted seduction, sprinkled liberally with puns and word play, this performance is for you.

The play, directed by John S. Kuhn, Actors' Artistic Director, characterizes it this way: "This is a delightful play--fun for the actors and the audience. It has always been one of Shakespeare's most popular plays."

Four months later, love once again makes an appearance in The Commons, this time in the form of one of Shakespeare's most romantic and tragic love stories, Romeo and Juliet, directed by Ross Shirley. "This play personifies young, idealistic love that ends in heartbreak, but many people forget that there are also moments of fun and humor." And, if romance doesn't strike your fancy, think: the Hatfields and McCoys in Venice, with capes and swords. The play runs Thursday through Sunday, September 6 to 8, and September 13 to 15. All performances start at 7:30 p.m.

In between its two runs at the Columbus Commons, Actors' Theatre will be performing its regular summer season in the outdoor amphitheater in Schiller Park in historic German Village.

King Arthur and the Sword of Britain, by local playwright Philip J. Hickman, will run from May 23 to June 23. Then, starting on June 27 and running through July 28, ATC will be performing Twelfth Night, one of Shakespeare's most popular, lightest, and most musical of all his comedies. The Schiller season ends with a production of Beaux Stratagem, a comedy by George Farquhar, adapted by Thornton Wilder and adapted again by Ken Ludwig. The play runs from August 1 to September 1.

The very first play of the season is The Crucible, by American playwright Arthur Miller. This play, which is being performed in conjunction with the Columbus School for Girls (CSG), is a dramatization of the infamous Salem Witch Trials that took place in 1692 and 1693. Performance dates are: February 28 and March 1, 2, and 3, 2013 at CSG.

Kuhn points out that, with the exception of The Crucible, which is only a minimal cost, all the productions are free. "We are pleased that we are able to continue to offer our summer productions at no charge. However, we always strongly encourage attendees to make donations to support our efforts. Donations remain an important income source for our continuing sustainability."

For additional information about the upcoming season, visit www.TheActorsTheatre.org or check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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