Project Shakespeare celebrates its 25th Anniversary Summer Season of presenting engaging and accessible Shakespeare productions for the entire family in 2019.
The season’s opening reception will be held on Friday, July 26 at 6 p.m. at The Jaffrey Civic Center, 40 Main St., Jaffrey. Admission is free; donations are accepted. The evening’s events will include a stage combat demonstration, scenes from “Twelfth Night” and “The Tempest” plus a reading from “King Lear”.
This summer both PS Too! students (ages 5-12) and the main stage students (ages 13-18) will perform side by side in two of Shakespeare’s most popular plays.
The double-bill includes:
Love makes fools of us all in Shakespeare’s celebrated comedy, “Twelfth Night”, while blurring the lines between gender, identity and love. Twins Sebastian and Viola are shipwrecked off the coast of Illyria, separated and believing each to be dead. Viola, disguised as a boy, serves Duke Orsino and is sent to woo the Countess Olivia on his behalf. Olivia falls in love with the cross-dressed page while Viola loves Orsino; and mischievous servants play pranks at each other’s expense. Chaos of mistaken identity ensues, finally resolved in marriage as twins and lovers are reunited. Christopher Commander directs “Twelfth Night”, Sarah Wendy Burman is musical director as well as stage managing.
“The Tempest” is Shakespeare’s farewell to theatre and a story of romance, sorcery and love that changes vengeance into humility and humanity thus making possible for all to return to a world made new by the power of forgiveness. Prospero, the duke of Milan and a sorcerer, is cast away on a remote island with his daughter, Miranda, through the deceptions of Prospero’s envious brother, Antonio, and co-conspirators. Over a decade later, those responsible have been shipwrecked on the island by Prospero’s magic. Begrudged creatures and drunken clowns, charmed royals and magical spirits alike, all struggle between the temptation for revenge and greed, and the grace of forgiveness and humanity. Deborah Shakespeare Thurber directs “The Tempest”, musical direction by Sarah Wendy Burnam and stage managing is Katie Whitaker.
New ticket prices this summer are $10 for adults, and $5 children 12 and under. Tickets are available at the door ½ hour prior to performance. In the event of rain, outdoor performances will be moved to an indoor venue except in Hancock.
“Twelfth Night” performances include:
Tuesday, July 30 at 6 p.m. at the Oak Park Pavilion, 971 Forest Road, Greenfield
Thursday, Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. at the First Church in Jaffrey, 14 Laban Ainsworth Way
Saturday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. at The Jaffrey Civic Center, 40 Main St.
“The Tempest” performances include:
Wednesday, July 24 at 6 p.m. at Aldworth Manor, 184 Aldworth Manor Road, Harrisville
Wednesday, July 31 at 6 p.m. at the Fitzwilliam Green
Sunday, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m. at The Jaffrey Civic Center, 40 Main St.
Special Double Bill:
Saturday, July 27 at 6 and 7:30 p.m. at the Peterborough Unitarian Universalist Church, 25 Main St.
Sunday, July 28 at 4 and 6:30 p.m. at The Hancock Inn, 33 Main St.
Friday, Aug. 2 at 6 and 7:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 6 Payson Hill Road, Rindge
The season will end with a one-time-only performance of “King Lear” performed by alumni students from the past 25 years at Aldworth Manor, 184 Aldworth Manor Road, Harrisville. Admission is $40 adults and $30 seniors and children 12 and under and includes a gourmet dinner and performance. Beverages and gratuity not included. This event will be held on the lawn but in the event of rain will moved inside the Manor. Alumni students currently work in television and theatre, journalism, law, military and finance.
For more information, visit projectshakespeare.org.