Check out the photos from the production, and buy tickets now. Scenic design by Yoshi Tanokura, costume design by Govane Lohbauer, lighting design by Christopher Thielking. Photos by Kevin Sprague.

Check out the photos from the production, which takes us from the kingdom of Sicilia to Bohemia and spans sixteen years. Set design by Patrick Brennan, lighting design by Les Dickert, costumes by Kara D. Midlam.

This production is the latest edition of our “Lunchbox Shakespeare” matinee offerings, featuring a delicious and affordable boxed-lunch available before every performance. Check out the photos, and buy tickets now »

John Douglas Thompson, who plays the title role in Richard III, spoke with Berkshire On Stage about his history and his recent critical acclaim.

It is a given that he is an extremely intelligent man, very witty, and powerful. On that I am trying to layer those three psychological underpinnings to make him more real. I want to know why he does what he does, and it’s all there in the language, and I know I will find it.”

Read the whole story »

Actor and Communications Director Elizabeth Aspenlieder was the subject of a Q&A in the Albany Times Union, discussing her Canadian roots and role as an artist/manager at Shakespeare & Company. She’s currently in rehearsals for The Winter’s Tale, in which she plays Hermione, the good Queen of Sicilia.

Q: What does Shakespeare mean to you?

A: It means an opportunity to be alive, to say good things, to say bad things and to move people in a way I wouldn’t normally be able to do day to day; to push people to communicate and to speak, which is so important to me; to speak with conviction and passion and to not shy away from anything.”

Read the whole story »

Robert Lohbauer, longtime weapons master at Shakespeare & Company, plays Mengelberg with passionate commitment in the company’s handsome premiere, directed by Dutch filmmaker Emile Fallaux

…

[Playwright Daniel] Klein doesn’t let the play fall solidly on one side or the other, but rather allows it, and us, to dwell in complexity. His background as a philosopher who can make abstruse concepts accessible — he’s the coauthor of the best-selling “Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar’’ — serves him well in laying out these ideas with concision and style.

Mengelberg and Mahler is now on stage in repertory in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, through September 10. Buy tickets now »

“I am very proud to announce our upcoming Fall & Winter Performance Season. It is filled with light, humor, passion and irreverence—descriptions that go hand in hand with Shakespeare & Company and the work produced here.”

IN THE BERNSTEIN THEATRE:

The Real Inspector Hound
by TOM STOPPARD
directed by JONATHAN CROY
featuring DANA HARRISON, DAVID JOSEPH, DANIEL KURTZ,ALEXANDRA LINCOLN, JOSH AARON MCCABE, MEG O’CONNOR, SCOTT RENZONI, AND ENRICO SPADA
September 18–November 7

The Santaland Diaries
by DAVID SEDARIS
adapted by JOE MANTELLO
directed by TONY SIMOTES
featuring PETER DAVENPORT
December 2–30

As You Like It
by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
directed by TOD RANDOLPH
featuring THE CONSERVATORY AT SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY
December 10 & 11

The Mystery of Irma Vep
by CHARLES LUDLAM
directed by KEVIN G. COLEMAN
featuring JOSH AARON MCCABE and RYAN WINKLES
February 4–March 27, 2011

Shakespeare and the Language that Shaped a World
by KEVIN G. COLEMAN
directed by JENNA WARE
April 2011

The 2010-11 Fall & Winter Season also includes:

The Fall Festival of Shakespeare November 18–21
A magical Fall Gala October 9

Tickets are now on sale—buy now »

Drawing on her lifetime of acting in and directing Shakespeare’s plays, Packer combines the performance of scenes with the discussion of themes to create a dazzling and illuminating piece of work. For anyone who cares about women, Shakespeare, or especially women in Shakespeare, it’s not to be missed.

Read the review at Boston.com »

Women of Will is now on stage at Founders’ Theatre through July 24.

In many ways I’ve been working on this piece for the whole of my artistic life, and I have to ask the question: why should a 21st century feminist spend her time with a dead white male? Well, the answer is because I grow, expand, understand myself better with every play in the canon I immerse myself in, from young actor to director and teacher – and I have now directed almost every play he wrote. My awareness expands. He says things in such a way as allows me to understand the world – politically, psychologically, physically, poetically, philosophically – that change my personal life. He’s the man I would most like to sleep with, if you will – I’m really sorry he’s dead! And in many ways he ain’t dead. He infuses the world with life, and it’s all open to interpretation…

Listen now to “Tina Packer’s Women of Shakespeare” at WBUR and NPR – On Point with Tom Ashbrook.

Audiences have until July 24th to see this overview, before Tina moves on to directing The Taster and then an extremely-limited one-time-only performance of the entire five-part work in the Bernstein Center this August.

The actors are back home in Lenox for just three more weeks, after almost 60 performances across New England. Check out the photos of the performers in their new home.

These days, it’s not easy for anybody—this is still a period of economic anxiety for us, the entire arts community, and many other sectors of the economy. But for our own part, we are on a much healthier financial path, and on good footing to continue implementing the new business plan we began introducing when I arrived a year ago. We’ve needed to shift our business culture while maintaining the quality of our programming—and we have reached another important milestone in that continuing effort.”

The story was picked up by the Berkshire Eagle, Associated Press, Boston Globe, WBUR, and other news outlets.

Jesus believes his six-week bout with Shakespeare has affected him. He admits that even earlier this day he punched a locker at Pittsfield High in rage — instead of an antagonistic classmate. But six weeks ago Jesus says, “I would’ve hit him. Boom! Not one word, just hit him.”

Listen to or read the story at wbur.org »

And take a look at the accompanying video:

Such lessons can take a while to sink in. “At first, I didn’t want to do it,’’ said Kaitlyn, 17. “But it’s better than actual community service.’’ And it has helped her learn how to “be around other people that I might not like but I kind of have to deal with.’’

That attitude is typical, said Coleman of participants (the Globe is printing only their first names because they are juveniles). He noted that when the teenagers arrive on the first day, they’re angry, impatient, and in shock that they really have to study Shakespeare — or go back to court for resentencing. “Oh my God, they’d rather go to jail,’’ he said. “They find this really bizarre, that they have to do it. ‘This is so unfair.’ ‘I’m not going to do this.’ ‘You can’t make me.’ That lasts into the second week.’’

Read the rest of “Caught in the act: Juveniles sentenced to Shakespeare” in the Boston Globe

Check out the photos from the touring production that traveled across New England this winter. And join us in a week to welcome them home—and kick of the Summer of 2010!

Joe chats with Elizabeth Aspenlieder, Tina Packer and Jeremy Goodwin about this summer (13:20):

Joe talks with Tina Packer (20:22):

Finally, Joe, Tina Packer and Elizabeth Aspenlieder perform some Shakespeare from this Summer’s season (8:29):

By becoming a Shakespeare & Company Playbill advertiser you are not only promoting your business but supporting the most exciting arts story in the Berkshires. Now more than ever, we need to support each other and create an echo chamber of commerce. Our patrons are your patrons, and vice versa. Please reserve your space today, or call us with any questions or ideas.

For details, click here, or call 413-637-1199 ext 132.

The 2009-10 included eighteen full productions plus a host of special events, beginning with Romeo and Juliet in May 2009 and winding down last weekend. Shakespeare & Company issued 50,446 tickets this season, surging past its previous record by some three thousand patron visits. The box office revenue totaled $1.13 million, fewer than three thousand dollars short of S&Co.’s record, set during the 2008-2009 season.

Everyone at Shakespeare & Company says “thank you” to you, our patrons and friends in the community, for making this possible. Your overwhelming support is the biggest and most important seal of approval we can receive. With another great season just around the corner (and special presentations like Shakespeare and the Language that Shaped a World still ongoing), we look forward to seeing you again sometime soon!

It is with great humility as well as unbridled excitement that I launch my first season as Shakespeare & Company’s Artistic Director, taking over the reins from the indomitable Tina Packer. She began her mission 33 years ago, along with a merry band of theatrical revolutionaries that I was very pleased to be a part of. Our quest has been to bring the transformative power of theatre alive for our audiences through Shakespeare’s plays as well as ground-breaking new works. My mission is to build upon this priceless legacy while helping to bring us to exciting new places.

Read the rest of Tony’s Welcome Letter here, or in our 2010 Summer Season brochure—which is on its way to your mailbox now. (Or if you just can’t wait, click here to check it out online).

Check out the full Summer 2010 Season after the jump!

In Founders’ Theatre:

The Tragedy of Richard III
by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
directed by TONY SIMOTES
featuring JOHN DOUGLAS THOMPSON and TOD RANDOLPH
July 2–September 5

The Winter’s Tale
by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
directed by KEVIN G. COLEMAN
featuring JONATHAN EPSTEIN and ELIZABETH ASPENLIEDER
July 15–September 5

The Taster
by JOAN ACKERMANN
directed by TINA PACKER
featuring ROCCO SISTO and MAUREEN O’FLYNN
July 29–September 4

Women of Will
by TINA PACKER
directed by ERIC TUCKER
featuring TINA PACKER and NIGEL GORE
May 28–July 24

In the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre:

Julius Caesar
by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
directed by JONATHAN CROY
presented by S&CO’S EDUCATION PROGRAM ARTISTS
May 21–June 13

Mengelberg and Mahler
by DANIEL KLEIN
directed by EMILE FALLAUX
featuring ROBERT LOHBAUER
June 11–Sept 10

The Comedy of Errors (Lunchbox Shakespeare)
by WILLIAM SHAKEPEARE
directed by DENNIS KRAUSNICK
Presented by the PERFORMANCE INTERN PROGRAM
June 26–September 4

Sea Marks
by GARDNER MCKAY
directed by DANIELA VARON
featuring KRISTIN WOLD
July 9–Sept 4

Bad Dates
by THERESA REBECK
featuring ELIZABETH ASPENLIEDER
August 4–Sept 12

Rose Footprint Theatre and Bankside

The Amorous Quarrel
by MOLIÉRE
directed by JENNA WARE
June 23–August 28

More Words! More Play!
by WOLFE COLEMAN and TOM O’KEEFE
Presented by the PERFORMANCE INTERN PROGRAM
August 12–September 5

PLUS Bankside Humanities Lecture series, Tuesday Talks, Behind the Scenes Tours, and much, much more. Check out the full slate here.

Now she enters the spotlight in this article from Rural Intelligence about her work as Costume Designer for the current production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses:

One of the challenges of designing Liaisons was its location in the smaller Bernstein Theatre where the actors are literally inches away from the audience, so there could be no sleight of hand. “I couldn’t use zippers, for instance, because they’re not period,” she says…Indeed, authenticity is key to Lohbauer’s philosophy. “Lizzie Aspenlieder wears a full corset,” she says. “The actors wore panniers [the wire contraptions that create exaggerated hips] since day one of rehearsal.”

Read the full article: Rural Intelligence – Les Costumes Magnifiques!

In the piece, they discuss Tina’s reasons for choosing the play (the last show in her final season planned as Artistic Director), the roles of women in late-18th-Century French society, and how you—the audience—can affect what you see on stage. They even perform a scene from the play! Check it out on WAMC’s website, or listen below:

Shakespeare eventually brings out the bawdy in everybody, but this winter the troupe is going even further, tackling Christopher Hampton’s popular adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 classic, “Les Liaisons Dangereuses,” at the intimate Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre.

It’s a peppery play stuffed with filled-out corsets, sexual intrigue and just a little old-fashioned cruelty.

“It’s just right for the cold weather,” director Tina Packer says with a hearty laugh. “Just when you’ve had enough of mud and snow you think, let’s go see a bit of sex and color down at the Bernstein.”

Read the full article: Albany Times Union: ‘Liaisons’ tailored to dark times

On stage through March 21. Buy tickets now.

This delicious five-course French brunch includes full table service and a complimentary glass of Gewurztraminer. Mimosas and wine will be on sale. Gratuity not included.

February 14th, 11am
$40 includes brunch and the 2:00pm performance of Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Buy online now or call the Box Office at 413-637-3353

(Brunch alone is $25, buy now)

Brunch Menu

First Course
Chicken Liver Pate, Grain Mustard, Red Onion Jam, Hard Boiled Egg, Cornichons and Toast Points.

Second Course
Apple Smoked Duck Confit, Champagne Vinaigrette Dressed Greens.

Third Course
Brittany Consomme, White Truffle Essence.

Fourth Course
Roasted Quail with Cabbage Stuffing, Cassoulet, Au Jus.

Desserts
Cheesecake, Fruit Tart, Flourless Chocolate Tart, Crème Brullee.

Check out the video at the Capital News 9 website to learn about what this means for Shakespeare & Company and the Town of Lenox.

Also in 2010, Lunchbox Shakespeare returns to the boards with a lively production of The Comedy of Errors, presented by S&Co.’s lauded professional actor training program and its youthful and exuberant students.

Stay tuned to Shakespeare.org this January when we’ll announce our full slate of shows for the 2010-11 Season, including Summer, Fall and Winter 2011!

The Tragedy of King Richard III, one of Shakespeare’s best-known studies of unbridled ambition and misused power features award-winning actor John Douglas Thompson in the title role, with longtime S&Co. favorite Tod Randolph as Queen Elizabeth. Begins July 2.

Pictured: John Douglas Thompson in Othello, 2008

The Winter’s Tale
by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE directed by KEVIN G. COLEMAN
featuring ELIZABETH ASPENLIEDER

The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s story of enchantment, mystery, hilarity and heartbreak has long beguiled audiences with its story of miraculous transformation and the enduring strength of family ties. It is directed by S&Co. Education Director and Founder Kevin G. Coleman (The Ladies Man, Rough Crossing) with Elizabeth Aspenlieder playing Hermione alongside an all-star cast to be announced. Begins July 15.

Pictured: Elizabeth Aspenlieder in The Merry Wives of Windsor, 2006

The Taster
by JOAN ACKERMANN directed by TINA PACKER
featuring ROCCO SISTO

The Taster, a poignant and darkly funny play by Berkshire playwright Joan Ackermann, makes its world premiere in Founders’ under the direction of Tina Packer, Founding Artistic Director. Featuring OBIE award winning actor Rocco Sisto and S&Co. newcomer Maureen O’Flynn, The Taster is a sumptious feast of language and food for thought. A bittersweet tale that explores the art of tasting food, life and love as fully as possible with courage and gusto. Deeply moving, brilliant, funny. Begins July 28.

Pictured: Rocco Sisto in Taming of the Shrew, 2005

The Comedy of Errors
by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE directed by DENNIS KRAUSNICK
featuring actors from the PERFORMANCE INTERN PROGRAM
in the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre

Back by popular demand! The Comedy of Errors is Shakespeare’s mad cap’d adventure of mistaken identity, merriment and mayhem. This lively production is directed by S&Co. Director of Training and Founder Dennis Krausnick and features performers in S&Co.’s prestigious Performance Internship Program. Begins July 3.

Pictured: Performance Interns in Measure for Measure, 2009

*Titles, performers and dates subject to change.

Shakespeare & Company’s first-ever Holiday production, Cindy Bella (or The Glass Slipper) plays its second and final weekend—the show closes Sunday after just eleven performances. Written by Irina Brook and Anna Brownsted and directed by Brook, the show’s modern take on the classic Cinderella story has been welcomed by the critics:

“a silly bit of Holiday wackiness…Take the kids.”
—Berkshire Fine Arts

“an enjoyable evening of silliness and schtick, complete with a magical, fairy-tale happy ending”
—Berkshire Living

“a lot of fun, just the thing to brighten the holiday season”
—Advocate Weekly

There are so many ways to snag discounted tickets to this family friendly show. All our discounts for Berkshire residents, teachers, active duty military personnel, Senior Citizens, and students still apply.

Plus, our Family Thursdays discount is back! On December 17, tickets for families or groups of four to six people are $15 each and tickets for families or groups of seven to ten people are $10 each. Buy tickets now!

Chase Community Giving

We can win $25,000 in the first round through this Facebook promotion—voting ends on December 11! Click the image below to vote (every Facebook user gets 20 votes to spread around!):

Berkshire Bank: Join the Excitement

The non-profit organization with the most votes by January 31, 2010 will win $5,000 from Berkshire Bank. Anyone—anywhere—can vote (one vote per person, must be 18 years or older). Simply visit this page and enter this info:

Name of Organization: Shakespeare & Company
Address: 70 Kemble Street, Lenox, MA 01240

Vote now at Berkshire Bank!

Once you’ve cast your votes, share the message to all your friends and ask them to vote for Shakespeare & Company, too!

What a ride.

I’m one of that plucky gang who came up to the Berkshires and founded Shakespeare & Company back in 1978, and I’ve been back as an artist and teacher almost every year since. By any measure, I arrived this summer as Shakespeare & Company’s second-ever artistic director, taking over the reigns from founding Artistic Director Tina Packer, right in the thick of things with our season at full force.

I came back at a key moment in our history, when a fresh approach — informed always by the hard-earned wisdom of the past — is absolutely necessary. Change is hard, but it’s also necessary. And it’s an opportunity as well.

Many media outlets have reported on the bad news we’re currently confronting. They’ve done so responsibly and fairly, given some of the stark numbers floating around in a financial report prepared by the Nonprofit Finance Fund, in response to the request we made to the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

The big picture presented by this report is indeed correct: We need to re-organize ourselves to find a better way to keep doing what we’re doing on our Kemble Street property. The accompanying part of this, one we’re not so sure has made it into the zeitgeist thus far, is that we’re already taking action, and are deep into the needed process of re-organization.

We’re facing some extraordinary financial stresses, largely as the result of management decisions made in the thick of battle that in hindsight were clearly not the best moves to make. Much of it has flowed from our unique position as a Berkshire cultural organization operating nearly full-tilt all year round, evolving our business model from the one we employed as tenants at The Mount to one that better suits our responsibilities as owners of a 33-acre property in the heart of historic Lenox.

We fully intend to be here for another 32 years, and beyond. To that end, we’ve drastically cut our budget, reduced our year-round staff from 45 to a lean crew of 34, instituted an across-the-board pay cut of 10 percent, and done more with less all season long. This summer we produced more shows than we have since our days at The Mount, and did so with $300,000 less then we spent the previous season. Nevertheless, we are on track to earn the highest box office revenue in our history by the conclusion of our 2009-2010 season in March. A comprehensive reorganization plan is in the works that builds on these and other positive steps, including efforts to solidify a re-financing agreement with our primary lender. We’re also examining dozens of good ideas coming to us from all quarters.

In short, we’re facing major challenges, but we see the path we need to follow. And though we have a journey ahead of us, we’re indeed on our way.

Another misapprehension is that there is a clock ticking loudly, counting down the moments until our imminent financial demise. The NFF’s report is a projection of what would happen if you put Shakespeare & Company in a freeze-frame, taking no corrective action while our financial obligations continue to accrue.

It’s a picture of what would happen if we made no changes. It employed an economic model based on a series of assumptions: that we must end the current fiscal year with zero accounts payable and that we pay a full year of debt service in advance on the first day of our next fiscal year. The report also implies that we need to pay off our entire line of bank credit and our 30-year mortgage by 2010 (we are currently in our ninth year of our mortgage obligation).

Whatever the accounting correctness of these assumptions, they are unrealistic expectations for any functioning organization. Nonetheless, it was important to receive an independent, clear-eyed view of what it would take for us to be totally clear all of our financial obligations, as an academic baseline for future planning. But it does not mean that to remain open we must raise some unrealistic number of millions of dollars this week, this month, or this year.

Is this an excellent time for us to raise the additional $1 million that will trigger an $800,000 grant from The Kresge Foundation and finish off our $10 million capital campaign? Absolutely.

Would any additional support from the community at this time — be it from parents of children who’ve taken our education programs, alumni from our actor training programs, or patrons who have enjoyed the transformative experience we aim to offer here — be timely and much appreciated? Absolutely.

But are we on our last gasp, in need of an immediate bailout, or mere moments away from closing? Absolutely not.

It won’t take a miracle to save Shakespeare & Company. It will take hard work and good decisions. It will take fearless leadership from our Board right on down, to work with me as we build on what we do well and we change what’s broken. It will take a lot of sweat, love, and passion. But that’s the business we’ve always been in.

On behalf of all my comrades-in-arms, I thank everyone who has picked up the phone, sent a letter, or just dropped by our office in recent weeks to express their concern in this difficult time, and to celebrate the memories we’ve shared together for so long.

I thank our elected officials like state Rep. Smitty Pignatelli, state Sen. Ben Downing, and state Rep. Dan Bosley, as well as the Massachusetts Cultural Council and others from across the state who understand Shakespeare & Company’s continued viability is not a Lenox issue, not a Berkshire County issue, but an issue facing everyone who understands the economic importance of the creative economy in Massachusetts — and Shakespeare & Company’s role within that sector.

And now, as I’ve said on stage about a hundred times since June: Thank you so much for your support, and we hope you’ll come back and visit us again soon.

The Festival weekend in Founders’ Theatre will be as follows. Visit the Fall Festival of Shakespeare page for details on in-school performances the week before.

Click here to buy tickets now for the 21st Annual Fall Festival of Shakespeare!

Thursday, November 19
6:30 – Chatham High School – Pericles, Prince of Tyre
8:30 – Lenox Memorial High School – Julius Caesar

Friday, November 20
6:30 – Lee High School – King John
8:30 – Mt. Greylock Regional High School – As You Like It

Saturday, November 21
1:30 – Taconic High School – Macbeth
3:30 – Mount Everett Regional High School – Romeo and Juliet
6:30 – Monument Mountain Regional High School – Richard III
8:30 – Springfield Central High School – The Merry Wives of Windsor

Sunday, November 22
1:30 – Taconic Hills High School – King Lear
3:30 – North Andover High School – As You Like It
5:00 – The Reverence

Also check out the latest Common Class video — the Tech Common Class! (Available at the Fall Festival of Shakespeare’s Facebook Page)

To start, here’s a video of last week’s Common Class in Dance/Movement:

“If your idea of fun is two hours of laugh upon laugh, you’re guaranteed a good time.”
—Boston Globe

“Laugh-out-loud funny all the way though. Amazingly entertaining.”
—Berkshire Living

“Part Monty Python, partly Marx Brothers, and totally screwy. This is a show for all ages, and not to be missed. Shakespeare & Company still makes theatre more than fun, they make it downright hilarious. The Hound of the Baskervilles is the funniest Sherlock Holmes mystery that you will ever see.”
—Berkshire Fine Arts

Buy tickets now! The Hound of the Baskervilles plays through November 8. Click here to see even more production photos.

Scenic Design by Jim Youngerman. Lighting Design by Steve Ball. Costume Design by Govane Lohbauer. Check out the photos below (by Kevin Sprague), and buy tickets now.

11:30—The Dick and the Rose by Robert Biggs
1:00—Mengelberg and Mahler by Daniel Klein
2:30—Shooting Simone by Lynne Kaufman
4:30—The Goat, or, Who is Sylvia? by Edward Albee
6:00—If The Whole Body Dies by Robert Skloot
7:00—Rembrandt’s Gift by Tina Howe
9:00—Alfred Returner by Melinda R. Smith

We’re interested to know what you think of these plays! You can share your thoughts several ways:

1. Look for the comment board in the lobby of the theatre today
2. Comment right here on this blog entry
3. Leave us a comment on our Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/shakeandco)
4. Twitter #studiofest to @shakeandco

With performance, training and education programs continuing year-round, stay in touch via Twitter and Facebook to never miss a beat.

“Even theatergoers who caught the Public Theater’s star-powered “Twelfth Night” in Central Park this summer should consider revisiting the play in Lenox, though there’s not a celebrity in sight. Mr. Croy and company have ingeniously made this comedy of lost and found identities a vicarious voyage into the light…” Read the full review

And also, regarding John Douglas Thompson:

“Repertory is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? It allows an actor like Mr. Thompson the relief of moving from the in-the-moment passion of Othello to the recollected passion of Dreamer. And it allows theatergoers the treat of seeing an admirable performer confidently shift keys from blazing fury to quiet contemplation…” Read the full review

And did you see the fantastic New York Times article about Tina Packer earlier this month?