Summary details of the 2009-10 season at Shakespeare and Co., Lenox, MA (Shakespeare and Co. season overview):
- Review: Twelfth Night – July 31, 2009
- Review: Measure for Measure – July 22, 2009
- Review: Hamlet – June 26, 2009
- Review: Pinter’s Mirror – June 14, 2009
- Review: Golda’s Balcony – June 17, 2009
- Review: Bad Dates – Feb. 1, 2009
Hamlet – Founders’ Theatre – June 26 – August 28
- Review of June 26 performance of Hamlet at Shakespeare and Co.
- By William Shakespeare
- Directed by Eleanor Holdridge
- Cast includes Jason Asprey, Nigel Gore, Dennis Krausnick, Kevin O’Donnell, Tina Packer, Elizabeth Raetz, others TBA.
Excerpt from our review of the July 2006 performance of Hamlet at Shakespeare and Co. : “… Jason Asprey in the leading role provides a sympathetic, deeply moving, strongly articulated character. His Hamlet is torn by grief and indecision. At the gaily dressed court, he wears, as he will throughout the play, only black—the mourning for the lost father dominating, even before he is ghost-begged to revenge him.”
Othello – Founders’ Theatre: July 3 – September 6
- By William Shakespeare
- Directed by Tony Simotes
- Cast includes John Douglas Thompson and Michael Hammond, others TBA
Excerpt from our review of the 2008 production of Othello at Shakespeare and Co. : “The current Othello now playing in repertory on the Founder’s stage through August 31 is the best production of tragedy that I have ever seen there.”
Twelfth Night – Founders’ Theatre: July 24 – September 5
- By William Shakespeare
- Directed by Jonathan Croy
- Cast includes Kevin O’Donnell, others TBA
Written in 1604, Twelfth Night unfolds in Illyria, a land of obsession, lusty clowns, and mistaken identity. The play opens with the love-sick Duke Orsino pining away for the unattainable Countess Olivia. Meanwhile, a shipwreck that separates a twin brother and sister (Viola and Sebastian) delivers young Viola onto Illyria’s shores. Thinking her brother dead and seeking employment with Orsino, Viola disguises herself as a man (Cesario) and promptly becomes Orsino’s servant. The only part she had not planned on was falling passionately in love with him…and the Countess falling just as hard for her.
Shirley Valentine – Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre: May 27 – 31, and September 11
- By Willy Russell
- Production assisted by Jenna Ware
- Cast: Tina Packer
The Actors Rehearse the Story of Charlotte Salomon – Bernstein Theatre: June 3 – 14, and Sept. 12
- By David Bridel, Penny Kreitzer and Jonathan Rest
- Directed by Jonathan Rest
- Cast: Penny Kreitzer
The Actors Rehearse the Story of Charlotte Salomon tells the remarkable story of an astonishing artist who fled Nazi Germany to France in 1939, only to be apprehended by the Gestapo in occupied Vichy in 1943. In the interval, she created a startling artistic oeuvre: 1325 notebook-sized gouache paintings, accompanied by textural narration and operatic musical cues. She arranged 769 of them into scenes and acts and titled this epic Life or Theater? (Leben? Oder Theater?). At the age of 26, shortly before she was arrested by the Gestapo, Salomon gave her works to a trusted friend, saying, “Keep this safe. It is my whole life.” Soon thereafter she was taken to Auschwitz, where she was murdered.
This provocative work is structured as a play-within-a-play, telling the true story of a group of actors who attempted to present Salomon’s story at the Jerusalem Festival in 1982. They struggle to present a truthful voice, in the face of the differing views of Charlotte’s stepmother Paula Lindberg, a famous opera singer at the time. As the story unfolds, Lindberg is forced to confront truths about herself, her relationship with her deceased stepdaughter, and the artist’s responsibility in the world. The Actors Rehearse the Story of Charlotte Salomon is based on actress Penny Kreitzer’s experience as a member of that troupe.
Golda’s Balcony – Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre: June 17 – July 3, and September 13
- By William Gibson
- Directed by Daniel Gidron
- Cast: Annette Miller
Excerpt from our review of the opening performance of Golda’s Balcony, May 18, 2002, at Shakespeare and Co.: “The opening performance of William Gibson’s Golda’s Balcony at Shakespeare & Co.’s Spring Lawn Theatre showed that theatre can be miracle. Taut and deft as Gibson’s The Miracle Worker of 45 years ago, Golda’s Balcony is a masterpiece, in monologue form; 95 supercharged minutes brilliantly acted by Annette Miller and directed with sensitivity by Daniel Gidron. This play seems destined to move on to Broadway and then into the text books.”
Romeo and Juliet – Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre: May 21 – June 7
- By William Shakespeare
- Directed by Jonathan Croy
- Cast: Paul D’Agostino, Ben Brinton, Kaitlin Henderson, Alyssa Hughlett, Kelley Johnston, Sean Kazarian and Daniel Kurtz
This is a 90-minute production featuring a seven-member cast who take on multiple roles, placing the focus on a clear and powerful delivery of Shakespeare’s text. The production is modeled after Shakespeare’s own touring shows, which took to the countryside when the plague shook London and closed down the theatres.
Pinter’s Mirror: A slight ache, Family Voices, and Victoria Station – Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre: June 11 – August 2
- By Harold Pinter
- Directed by Normi Noel
- Cast include Elizabeth Ingram, Malcolm Ingram, and others TBA
“Sometimes a writer has to smash the mirror – for it is on the other side of that mirror that the truth stares at us.” – Harold Pinter
Three brilliant one-act plays commemorating and celebrating the incisive voice and darkly comedic insight of Harold Pinter, an artistic genius and treasure who passed away last year. Performed by Elizabeth and Malcolm Ingram, it’s a rare opportunity for audiences to see and hear two exceptionally trained and gifted actors put life into Pinter’s taut language, tense pauses and deeply clever sense of meaning behind the words we say and the conversations we never have.
Lunch Box Shakespeare:Measure for Measure – Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre: July 10 – Sept. 5
- By William Shakespeare
- Directed by Dave Demke
- Cast: S&Co.’s 2009 Performance Intern Program participants
As it did when first performed at the start of 17th century, this tale can still, within a few minutes, engage an audience of every age. Perhaps there’s even more appreciation and recognition of character today than ever. Isabella, a naïve and inexperienced girl must choose between the death of her condemned brother Claudio or give up her virginity to Lord Angelo, a corrupt, minor politician who can commute the sentence.
Devil’s Advocate – Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre: July 30 – August 16
- Written by Donald Freed
- Directed by Dee Evans
- Cast includes Ignatious Anthony and Dennis Krausnick
Shakespeare & Company presents the North American debut of Devil’s Advocate, the story of Manuel Noriega’s one night of asylum in the Vatican Embassy before surrendering to the U.S. military waiting outside. It won the 2006 PEN Award for Drama. This two-hander features S&Co. Founder, Director of Training and actor, Dennis Krausnick, and the UK’s Mercury Theatre Company’s Associate Artist, Ignatious Anthony.
The Dreamer Examines His Pillow – Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre: August 7 – September 6
- By John Patrick Shanley
- Directed by Tod Randolph
- Cast includes John Douglas Thompson, and others TBA
Donna has broken up with her boyfriend, but can’t let him go. Dad has lost Donna’s mother, and can’t paint anymore. When Donna drops by for the first time in a few years, the confrontation between father and daughter will open up complex, ancient questions about women and men, sex and truth, art and love, and forever alter the course of both their lives. John Patrick Shanley’s work for stage, screen and television has been highly celebrated; he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film Moonstruck, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for his 2005 play Doubt: A Parable.
White People – Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre: August 21 – September 4
- By J.T. Rogers
- Directed by Anna Brownsted
- Cast includes Michael Hammond, and others TBA
What does it mean to be a white American? What does it mean for any American to live in a country that is not the one you were promised? White People is a controversial and darkly funny play about the lives of three ordinary Americans placed under the spotlight: Martin, a Brooklyn-born, high powered attorney for a white-shoe law firm in St. Louis, MO; Mara Lynn, a housewife and former homecoming queen in Fayetteville, NC; and Alan, a young professor struggling to find his way in New York City. Through heart-wrenching confessions, they wrestle with guilt, prejudice, and the price they and their children must pay for their actions. White People is a candid, brutally honest meditation on race and language in our culture.
The Hound of the Baskervilles – Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre: September 26 – November 8
- By Steven Canny and John Nicholson
- Directed by Tony Simotes
- Cast: TBA
This American premier finds Holmes and Watson connecting straight to the funny bone in an hilarious adaptation of the Conan Doyle classic. Performed by three actors playing multiple roles, with multiple accents and quick-change beards, in this ghostly story Sherlock finds the villain and gets belly laughs. Created as an audience treat, in the finest British beer hall tradition, it is sprinkled with visual and verbal gags, pratfalls and gaffs; an hilarious spoof on Sherlock, Dr. Watson and the Victorian literary genre.
Cindy Bella (or the glass slipper) – Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre: Dec. 3 – 20
- By Irina Brook and Anna Brownsted
- Directed by Irina Brook
- Cast: TBA
Cindy Bella (Or The Glass Slipper) is a magically updated spin on the classic folk tale Cinderella. It is a contemporary, urban, romantic fairytale of Cindy, a streetwise accordion player with an unconquerable love for music, singing and dancing, and the very handsome, cosmopolitan Prince who falls head over heels for her. Her hard-as-nails stepfather and outrageously wicked stepsisters try to stand in the way of their love, but a modern-day fairy Godmother shows up to help save Cindy’s dream. Cindy Bella (Or The Glass Slipper) was presented as a work-in-progress for two special performances last year, and now returns for its world premiere.
Les Liaisons Dangereuses – Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre: January 29—March 14, 2010
- By Christopher Hampton
- Adapted from the novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
- Directed by Tina Packer
- Cast includes Elizabeth Aspenlieder, others TBA
Full of devious plotting, sexual intrigue and morally ambiguous motivations, Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) was ahead of its time as a novel in 1872 and still may be ahead of its time today. This rich and deviously delightful adaptation is like a decadent chocolate you just can’t resist.
Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) is adapted from the novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. Though de Laclos wrote under the patronage of France’s most powerful aristocrats (Marie Antoinette was said to be a big fan of the book), his morally ambiguous book was re-interpreted by some after the French Revolution as a subversive dig at the Ancien Regime. British playwright Christopher Hampton adapted it for the stage in 1986, causing a sensation and winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play.
Family friendly, Outdoor Bankside Festival: June 1 – September 6
- Around the grounds, the Banksyde Terrace, and in the tented, outdoor Rose Footprint Theatre
In 1590 in Shakespeare’s London, the southern shore of the Thames River, called The Banksyde, was home to brigands, brothels, rogue businesses, and an explosion of theatrical creativity not seen before or since. Londoners would cross the river to experience plays, contests, shows, and to participate in the creation of a new language and a new way of looking at the world.
Join the festivities at the south end of the property and on the banks surrounding Founders’ Theatre, Founders’ Alley, and the Rose Footprint, where you’ll find poets, dancers, musicians, and capering clowns. Josie’s Place will be open before and after all performances, offering light fare and drinks for purchase. Picnickers are welcome on the grounds. The walking paths will be open at the north end of the property.
Toad of Toad Hall – Rose Footprint Theatre: June 20—August 29
- By. A. A. Milne
- Adapted from The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
- Directed by Irina Brook
- Cast: TBA
This delightful play excerpts the story of Mr. Toad from the beloved children’s classic, The Wind in the Willows. Focusing on Toad’s adventures in the book—including his imprisonment, escape, and daringly successful efforts to win back his home—this is a rollicking tale sure to delight old, young, and anyone in-between. It is performed in two parts, on alternating performance days, with both parts performed on Saturdays.
Word Play – Outdoor Rose Footprint: August 13 – September 6
- By Dennis Krausnick
- Director: TBA
- Cast includes S&Co.’s 2009 Performance Internship Program participants
This world premier, written by Company Director of Training, actor, playwright and Founding member Dennis Krausnick, is an outrageous splash of Shakespeare. This fast-paced performance offers startling bits of some of Shakespeare’s silliest and startling insults with just the right dash of fact, folklore, and surprises thrown in. It is a virtual feast of language that is accessible, provocative, informative, poignant, and always engaging. Presented by the Company’s renowned Training Program, the show runs under one hour.
Shakespeare & Young Company
- Founders’ Theatre: May 9, May 10
- Outdoor Rose Footprint: August 19, August 21
From Romeo and Juliet to Hamlet, no writer has captured the desire, volatility and energy of adolescence better than Shakespeare. In his words, youth lives eternally. For these two special days, join our Young Company actors aged 13-17 as they perform Shakespeare’s works with a fierce and fiery temperament to match his own; and deal with life themes that make teenage years so formative, individual and indelible–filled with unbridled passion for friendship, love, justice, and hope.
Studio Festival of Plays – Founders’ Theatre: September 7
A full day and night celebrating five different, compelling plays presented as readings or staged readings by Company artists. The annual festival introduces the next generation of great plays and performers. Several Studio scripts have successfully gone on to become full productions at S&Co., including last year’s The Goat Woman of Corivis County, and other popular titles such as Martha Mitchell Calling, No Background Music, Golda’s Balcony, The Scarlet Letter, A Tanglewood Tale, Wit and this season’s The Dreamer Examines His Pillow and White People.
The Declaration of Independence – Outdoor Rose Footprint: July 4, at 3pm
This is the Company’s traditional community reading of the document that heralded the birth of democracy in the New World. With eloquence that Shakespeare might have envied, inspired by the philosophical thought springing directly from the intellectual ferment of the English Renaissance, the 18th century American colonist Thomas Jefferson penned a political statement as complex and controversial as history itself.
Preludes – outdoors on the Prelude stage, on the Banksyde Terrace beside Founders’ Theatre at 6:45 pm
Preludes run prior to all Founders’ Theatre evening shows beginning June 1. Pre-show fun for the entire family to enjoy! Dances, combats, Shakespeare, song and other ten-minute surprises presented by our very own Company artists.
See also: Romeo and Juliet returns May 21-June 7
Tickets, brochure for the 2009-2010 season at Shakespeare and Co.
To receive a season brochure, purchase tickets and gift certificates, or inquire about discounts and further information, please contact the Shakespeare & Company Box Office at (413) 637-3353 or visit the website at www.shakespeare.org or by e-mail boxoffice@shakespeare.org.