Shakespeare & Company Birthday Bash
Saturday April 23 Bard Turns 447
By: Ariel Petrova - Apr 18, 2011
Join us for a fun-filled day of engaging performances, exciting workshops, and fabulous festivities as we celebrate the 447th birthday of William Shakespeare with our Will 447 Bash on Saturday, April 23. The day begins at 1pm with a performance of Shakespeare and the L anguage that Shaped a World in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, followed by a hands-on performance workshop for audience members of all ages. Then at 7pm, catch our fast-paced, 90-minute production of Hamlet, which has been touring New England for the past three months. Featuring six young and talented actors, Hamlet will be performed in our beautiful Founders’ Theatre.
Afterwards, join us for cake and a celebratory toast in the Founders’ Theatre lobby, as we raise a glass to the man who made it all possible – William Shakespeare! In addition to delicious snacks and drinks, we’ll also be raffling off special prizes, including tickets to our summer season. So join us this Saturday for a memorable evening of food, music, and fun during our Will 447 Bash!
Tickets to Shakespeare and the L anguage that Shaped a World are $5 for kids and $10 for adults, with a maximum admission fee of $30 per family (Up to six people per family discount). Shakespeare and the L anguage that Shaped a World plays April 21, 22, and 23 at 1pm in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre. Tickets for Hamlet are $10 for students and $20 for adults. Hamlet plays April 23 and May 6 at 7pm in Founders’ Theatre, and a complimentary toast and birthday cake will follow the April 23 Hamlet performance. Tickets are available now or the day of the performance, or from the Box Office at (413) 637-3353 or boxoffice@shakespeare.org. The Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre and Founders’ Theatre are located at 70 Kemble Street in L enox.
About Shakespeare and the L anguage that Shaped a World
Created by Kevin G. Coleman, Director of Education at Shakespeare & Company, Shakespeare and the L anguage that Shaped a World is the perfect combination of biographical information about the life and times of Shakespeare, and fast-paced snippets of scenes from many of the Bard’s greatest plays. Clocking in at 45 minutes, this energetic show is a fun and accessible introduction to Shakespeare, but also has just enough depth to please kids of A L L ages. For photos of Shakespeare and the L anguage that Shaped a World, please visit http://www.shakespeare.org/gallery/v/2011/slaw11/
Shakespeare and the L anguage that Shaped a World is directed by Associate Director of Education Jenna Ware, who will also be directing The Venetian Twins during this summer’s Bankside Festival 2011, as well as a one-woman show starring Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer. In addition to its Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre performances, Shakespeare and the L anguage that Shaped a World will be touring elementary and middle schools throughout Western Massachusetts, Connecticut , the greater New England area, and New York City . All Shakespeare and the L anguage that Shaped a World presentations are followed by an exciting, hands-on workshop, during which audience members will get their own shot at playing with scenes from Shakespeare’s As You L ike It. Children under the age of seven must be accompanied by an adult at the hands-on workshop.
PERFORMANCE DATES for Shakespeare and the Language that Shaped a World
Thursday, April 21: 1pm in the Bernstein Theatre
Friday, April 22: 1pm in the Bernstein Theatre
Saturday, April 23: 1pm in the Bernstein Theatre
About The New England Tour of Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Directed by Jonathan Croy (director of 2010’s smash-hit Richard III, Twelfth Night 2009, and countless Tours and Fall Festival productions over the past 26 years), Shakespeare & Company’s non-Equity tour of Hamlet includes a 90-minute production featuring a six-member cast who take on multiple roles, placing the focus on a clear and powerful delivery of Shakespeare’s text. The actors are Katherine Abbruzzese, Samantha Cullen , Paul D’Agostino, Emily Ehlinger , Sam Parrott, and Brendan Sokler .
Now in its 30th Anniversary year, The New England Tour of Shakespeare is one of the Company’s longest running Education programs, and reaches over 25,000 students and teachers every year. It performs for 14 weeks, from February 9 to May 6. The Tour offers both in-school and public venue performances, as well as in-school workshops associated with the play. Schools receiving the Tour experience this year expressly because of the NEA’s Shakespeare for a New Generation grant include the William S. Hackett Middle School (Albany, NY), the Turnbridge Central School (Chandler, VT), and The Reach Performing Arts Center at the Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School (Deer Isle, Maine).
Considered by many to be the greatest English-language plays ever written, Hamlet is renowned for its stunning language and gripping story. When Prince Hamlet returns to Denmark , he discovers that his father has been murdered, and must decide how to seek revenge. This timeless tale of grief, love and the enduring ties of family is a staple of school curricula, and is a favorite choice for Shakespeare newcomers and scholars alike. For photos of The New England Tour of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, please visit http://www.shakespeare.org/gallery/v/2011/hamlet-tour11/tour11-photos/
. PERFORMANCE DATES for Hamlet
Saturday, April 23: 7pm in Founders’ Theatre
Friday, May 6: 7pm in Founders’ Theatre