FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS CONTACTS:

CSC Communications Manager
Jalen Lee, 410-244-8571 x119
lee@chesapeakeshakespeare.com

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company Presents a Rich and Raw New Adaptation of:

THE ORESTEIA

Baltimore (1.18.2024) - Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC) kicks off 2024 with an electrifying adaptation of The Oresteia. Director Lise Bruneau takes on Ellen McLaughlin’s profound reimagining of Aeschylus’s towering Greek tragedy, presenting a ruthless, crimson-soaked, and deeply human evening of live theatre. The Oresteia runs from February 16 to March 10, 2024.

Clytemnestra plots vengeance after her husband, Agamemnon, sacrifices their daughter to win a war. Their son, Orestes is catapulted into the affair, and the whole family is torn apart in a bloody chain of murder. Now a community must reckon with how to respond and seek justice after the elite and powerful commit some of the worst crimes possible. This is The Oresteia, and CSC is bringing it to Baltimore, where restorative justice is just as necessary as it was 2,500 years ago.

Rarely performed in its entirety, the original trilogy (written in the 5th century BCE) was freely adapted by the prolific writer, Ellen McLaughlin in 2019. The Washington Post described the adaptation as "HEART-STOPPING…DYNAMIC…MODERN...SETS SAIL ON A RIVER OF BLOOD...FLOATS BACK ON A TIDE OF GRACE.” The three plays, Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, and The Eumenides are condensed into one lyrically written, emotionally stirring experience that still retains all the suspense and edge of the three separate pieces of work. “The Oresteia is about how a people moves on after having seen the worst human beings are capable of,” writes McLaughlin. “What do we do once we have become morally unrecognizable? People in the past have sometimes recovered the best of human nature, even when they thought it had been lost forever.”

Award-winning artist, Lise Bruneau directs. “The Oresteia is a nail-biter, and a fascinating piece, and one of the oldest plays in the theatrical tradition,” says Bruneau. “This production will bring you to the brink of impossible decisions, and make you wrestle with right and wrong. From there, perhaps we can embrace the concept that forgiveness -- so beautiful -- may in the end be the answer to all of our strife in today’s world. It’s complicated. Deliciously so.”

Longtime CSC Company Member and distinguished artist Isabelle Anderson plays the victimized avenger Clytemnestra, alongside Stephen Patrick Martin as Agamemnon and Isaiah Harvey as Orestes. Complete with a cast featuring of local professional actors, CSC’s Oresteia highlights the power and flair of the region’s talent pool.

Breaking away from traditional Shakespeare, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company delves into the ancient world of Aeschylus to bring forth a potent and starkly modern portrayal of deadly retaliation and the enduring impact of generational crime. “The Oresteia marks another bold expansion for our company,” says Producing Executive Director Lesley Malin. “Our company is known for presenting compelling stories in a fresh and captivating light. With our first Greek tragedy, we continue to elevate our work by bringing this remarkable and resonant epic to the region’s theatre scene.”

The Oresteia opens Friday, February 16 with previews on February 14 and 15. The production will close on March 10. Visit www.chesapeareshakespeare.com for more information or call the box office at 410-244-8570.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION
The Oresteia
Freely adapted from Aeschylus by Ellen McLaughlin
Directed by Lise Bruneau

LOCATION
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is located at 7 South Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, two blocks north of the Inner Harbor. Parking is available for the discounted rate of $5 at the Arrow Parking covered lot on 204 East Lombard Street. The theatre is also accessible using the FREE Charm City Circulator and is located on the Purple Route. For more detailed information about directions, parking, and public transportation, click here.

TICKETS
Adult tickets start at $55, tickets for youth under 25 start at $28, and preview tickets are $24. To purchase tickets, visit ChesapeakeShakespeare.com, or contact the Box Office directly by calling 410-244-8570 or visiting in person at 7 South Calvert Street. Discounts are available for groups of ten or more and active-duty military. For more information or to purchase tickets, vist ChesShakes.com/Oresteia

DATES AND TIMES
Wednesday, February 14 at 8:00pm - Preview
Thursday, February 15 at 8:00pm - Preview
Friday, February 16 at 8:00pm - Opening Night/Press Night
Saturday, February 17 at 8:00pm
Sunday, February 18 at 2:00pm
Friday, February 23 at 8:00pm
Saturday, February 24 at 8:00pm
Sunday, February 25 at 2::00pm
Thursday, February 29 at 7:30pm
Friday, March 1 at 8:00pm
Saturday, March 2 at 2:00pm
Saturday, March 2 at 8:00pm
Sunday, March 3 at 2:00pm
Thursday, March 7 at 7:30pm
Friday, March 8 at 8:00pm
Saturday, March 9 at 8:00pm
Sunday, March 10 at 2:00pm

CAST LIST
Clytemnestra - Isabelle Anderson*+
Iphigenia - Charlotte Molitoris
Agamemnon - Stephen Patrick Martin +
Orestes - Isaiah Harvey^
Cassandra - Emily Erickson
Electra - Lizzi Albert*
Chorus - Gabriel Alejandro
Chorus - Hana Clarice
Chorus - Surasree Das
Chorus - Alie Karambash
Chorus - Lesley Malin*
Chorus - Lloyd Ekpe^
Chorus - Dawn Thomas Reidy*^
Chorus- David Yezzi

CREATIVE TEAM
Director - Lise Bruneau++
Production Manager - Sarah Curnoles*
Stage Manager - Alexis E. Davis*
Technical Director - Dan O'Brien*
Set Design - Kathryn Kawecki
Lighting Design - Katie McCreary*
Sound Design - Sarah O'Halloran
Costume Design - Kristina Lambdin*
Props Artisan - Trey Wise
Assistant Director - Lauren Davis*^
Assistant Stage Manager - Tyrel Brown^
Assistant Technical Director - Chester Stacy*
Fight Choreographer - Gerrad Alex Taylor *
Movement Advisor - Dance & Bmore
Board Operator - Theodore Sherron III
Child Minder - Vanessa Strickland
Covid Safety Officer - Mandy Benedix*
Senior House Manager - Pamela Forton*

* CSC Company Member
+ Actors’ Equity Association
++ Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
^ Black Classical Acting Ensemble Member

ABOUT CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
Founded in 2002 Chesapeake Shakespeare Company brings great classic theatre to Baltimore, Howard County, the state of Maryland, and beyond. The company offers performances of Shakespeare and other plays of classic stature that are unforgettable, challenging, and innovative. In 2012, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company acquired the Mercantile Safe Deposit and Trust Company building in downtown Baltimore, renovating it into a modern Globe Theater for indoor performances, while continuing to produce outdoor Shakespeare every summer at the PFI Historic Park in Howard County. The organization regularly serves 30,000+ people annually through artistic projects and intentional community engagement. CSC’s vibrant education program includes an extensive matinee series, camps, classes, and in and out-of-school residencies. The company invites patrons, students, and neighbors to become part of the creative collaboration that generates powerful, magical theatre and a more purposeful, engaged, and connected community.