Tickets Are On Sale Now For 19th Annual SHAKESPEARE ROYAL OAK

Shakespeare Royal Oak is proud to announce that tickets are on sale now for its 19th season presenting Michigan's largest professional outdoor Shakespeare festival July 25 - August 4 in Royal Oak's Starr Jaycee Park.

For its 2019 season, Shakespeare Royal Oak will present William Shakespeare's Othello Thursday through Sunday evenings July 25 - August 4. Othello lives for love, passion and pride, but is manipulated by jealousy and revenge. No modern thriller can match the suspense of the Bard's adventure deep into the mind of a powerful man boldly facing the deepest fear of his life. Directed by Water Works Theatre veteran Frannie Shepherd Bates, Othello features Will Bryson* (Othello), Catherine Coffey (Desdemona), Connie Cowper (Duchess), Jonathan Davidson (Iago), Annie Dilworth (Lodivico), Matthew Van Meter (Montano), Sarah Hawkins (Emilia), Dante Jones (Roderigo), Artun Kircali* (Cassio), Chris Martin (Gratiano), Allison Megroet (Bianca), and Sean Paraventi (Brabantio). Performances will be at 8:00pm Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings and 5:00pm Sundays July 25 - August 4. Tickets are $25. *Will Bryson and Artun Kircali are members of Actors' Equity Association.

For its Daylight Family Show, Shakespeare Royal Oak will present William Shakespeare's The Tempest. The Tempest is a massive magical storm that throws its shipwrecked survivors onto an island of fantastic exuberance. But the island is far from deserted. There, a brave woman and her magestic father wait with secret knowledge about the survivors, holding the key to their fate in their hands. With clever staging and direction, this daylight production is a perfect fit for adults and younger audiences. Directed by Water Works Theatre Company veteran Barton Bund, this all-ages production will feature Erika Hoveland (Prospero), Claire de Vries (Miranda/Ensemble), Jarvis Pitts (Caliban/Ensemble), Lee Cleaveland (Ferdinand/Ensemble), and Erin Prouty (Ariel & Gonzalo). Performances will be at 7:00pm Wednesday evening, July 31, 4:00pm Saturday afternoons and 1:00pm Sunday afternoons July 27 - August 5. Tickets are $15.

First Friday is this year's annual fundraiser, held for the first time in the park. On Friday, July 26, Shakespeare Royal Oak welcomes its donors and supporters to join the company for a special fundraiser before Othello, featuring pre-show hors d'eouvres and drinks in an exclusive VIP Tent from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. First Friday guests will have their chairs placed for them prior to the show for easy seating at show time. First Friday tickets are $100 and include the pre-show reception and a ticket to the performance.

Tickets for both productions and the First Friday fundraiser are on sale now online at www.shakespeareroyaloak.com or www.brownpaptertickets.com. Shakespeare Royal Oak tickets are sold as General Admission by performance date, but festival rain policy allows guests to use their purchased ticket for any performance of that same play. Guests may bring their own blankets, low-to-the-ground and regular lawn chairs for lawn seating or choose bleacher seating in the outdoor theatre. Parking for Shakespeare Royal Oak is free and best found on the west end of Starr Jaycee park, toward Crooks Road, across a grassy field. Plan a minimum of 5 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the gate. Special access needs? Please call ahead. Our volunteer staff will assist anyone who needs it on site.

In addition to its professional productions, Water Works Theatre Company is proud to bring its 18th year of outdoor education programs to this year's Shakespeare Royal Oak festival.

Water Works Teen Ensemble returns to the festival for its ninth summer. The original two-week outdoor creative experience for high school students provides an opportunity for the participants to audition for, rehearse, stage, and present a complete performance of a Shakespeare play. This summer, the ensemble will present Macbeth. Believing their evil acts are justified by spirits, Macbeth and his wife climb to the top of the kingdom the old-fashioned way, only to face the wrath of the same charms that first guided their hands.

Performances of this all high-school Macbeth will be at 12:00pm on Saturday, July 27; and at 7:00pm, Monday, July 29 and Tuesday, July 30. Tickets are Donate At The Gate.

Registration for Water Works Teen Ensemble is $300 and available online now at www.shakespeareroyaloak.com.

Water Works Theatre Company will welcome performance-minded students entering grades 1-8 to its annual outdoor education experience in Starr Jaycee Park July 29 - August 3. KidsAct! offers instruction in Shakespeare, stage combat, dance, and comedic improvisation from highly qualified, professional teaching artists. Students then perform in an hour-long showcase presented for friends and family in Starr Jaycee Park.

Registration is $250 per student and available now online at www.shakespeareroyaloak.com

More information on Water Works Teen Ensemble and KidsAct! is available now online at http://shakespeareroyaloak.com/category/education/.

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