WINTER'S TALE, ANTONY & CLEOPATRA Headline 2017 Shakespeare in the Park

Nashville Shakespeare Festival (NSF) continues its tradition of Shakespeare in the Park with The Winter's Tale and Antony & Cleopatra, running from Thursday, August 10 through Sunday, September 17 at Centennial Park's band shell.

"We are excited to announce this year's chosen works for Shakespeare in the Park and to return to Centennial Park in Nashville for the 29th year and Academy Park in Franklin for the second year," said Denice Hicks, executive artistic director of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. "We've never produced Antony & Cleopatra before, and it's been 12 years since we last did The Winter's Tale. Both are fascinating romances, one beginning as a comedy and ending as a tragedy, the other beginning as a tragedy and ending as a comedy. These shows complement each other in ways that will make seeing both rewarding."

Directed by NSF artistic associate Santiago Sosa, The Winter's Tale is a fanciful story set in a fairy tale . The setting is inspired by the diverse South American Cultures during the Gran Columbia era.

The David Ian Lee-directed Antony & Cleopatra is a taut thriller about new love in later years and a cautionary tale of political brinksmanship where the powerful play games that result in war and ruin. Lee is a director, playwright and professor at Middle Tennessee State University.

Nashville Shakespeare Festival returns to Williamson County for its second annual Shakespeare in Academy Park, which will run from September 28-October 1, and will feature both The Winter's Tale and Antony & Cleopatra at the former campus of Battle Ground Academy. For more information, go to www.franklinshakes.org.

General admission to Shakespeare in the Park is open to the public with a $10 per person suggested donation. Food and beverage vendors open at 6 p.m., pre-show entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m. and the performance begins at 7:30 p.m.

Royal Packages are available for those seeking the ultimate VIP experience. This package is the Festival's major fundraiser and includes reserved parking, prime seating, a Bacon and Caviar catered gourmet picnic, special gift and personal welcome from the Nashville Shakespeare Festival volunteers and staff. There are a limited number of packages available for each performance and guests are encouraged to book early. Royal Packages are $60 through July 31 and $75 after that date.

Visit ticketsnashville.com for details and to support the fundraiser. Businesses are encouraged to Contact Rickey Chick, development director for sponsorship opportunities: rickeychick@nashvilleshakes.org or (615) 255-2273.

Shakespeare in the Park is supported in part by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission and The Tennessee Arts Commission. For more information go to www.nashvilleshakes.org.

About Nashville Shakespeare Festival Founded in 1988, The Nashville Shakespeare Festival educates and entertains the Mid-South community through high-quality Shakespearean experiences. The company is one of the region's leading professional theatres and since its inception, more than 460,000 Tennesseans have experienced the arts through one of their programs, which include Shakespeare in the Park, Winter Shakespeare, Shakespeare in Action and other educational initiatives. For more information or to attend a show, visit www.nashvilleshakes.org or call (615) 255-2273.

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