Tina Packer's WOMEN OF WILL to Close One Week Early, Today

Tina Packer's Women of Will, the epic exploration of Shakespeare's canon and life as seen through the eyes of his female characters, will play its final performance Off-Broadway at The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street) on May 26th, 2013 - one week earlier than originally scheduled, it has been announced by the show's producer Sarah Hancock and creator/star Tina Packer.

The early closing stems from a sudden scheduling conflict. Packer's Women of Will co-star, Nigel Gore, has been cast in the title role of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival's production of MACBETH, set to begin performances June 28th in Boulder, Colorado.

"While I'm heartbroken to see this portion of the "Women of Will" journey end earlier than initially planned, I'm thrilled for Nige's opportunity to play Macbeth, especially at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival - where this leg of "Women of Will" began last summer," stated Ms. Packer. "Ending a week early is really the only option we have, as Sarah and I cannot imagine finishing our New York run without Nige."

When it plays its final performance, "Women of Will" will have played 6 previews and 80 regular performances. Additionally, Women of Will, the Complete Journey - the five plays series - will have played a total of 25 performances (five performances of each play).

The popular "Tuesday Talk-Backs with Tina and Nigel" will continue as planned, with: American feminist, ethicist and psychologist Carol Gilligan (April 30); CurtainUp.com contributor Deirdre Donovan (May 7); and Newsday chief theater critic and columnist Linda Winer (May 14) scheduled to serve as moderators for the post-show discussions.

Directed by Eric Tucker, Women of Will stars Tina Packer and Nigel Gore. The design team is Valerie Bart (Scenic & Costume Design), Les Dickert (Lighting Design), Daniel Kluger (Sound Design), Katharine Whitney (Production Stage Manager),

Developed during a 15-year period while Tina Packer was Artistic Director at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, Women of Will was supported by The Van Waveren Foundation, a Bunting Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

For complete performance schedule of Women of Will, visit www.WomenofWill.com. Tickets are $75 General Admission, and can be purchased online at www.WomenOfWill.com or by calling TheatreMania at 212-352-3101. There will also be a limited number of $25 student rush tickets available for each performance sold at the Box Office.

For more information, visit www.WomenOfWill.com.

Photo Credit: Chien-Yu Peng