FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS CONTACTS:

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

CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY PRESENTS
A RULE-BREAKING 2023-24 SEASON

Baltimore, MD (4.13.2023) – Following an exhilarating 20th anniversary season, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC) is excited to announce a line-up of five iconic productions for 2023-24. CSC presents RULE-BREAKERS, a celebration of mavericks.

“Where would we be without the rule-breakers, mavericks, rebels, and nonconformists? Classic theatre would certainly be a lot less fun without them.” This year, we are celebrating some of these dramatic free spirits,” says Producing Executive Director Lesley Malin. “These rule-breaking stories I have selected for this season teach us to risk all for love, to break out of old routines, and to laugh at ourselves. They even teach us about democracy. I am sure our audiences will enjoy each of these journeys to greater understanding, different perspectives, and pure entertainment.”

Opening the season in September is As You Like It, directed by Founding Artistic Director Ian Gallanar. Featuring Shakespeare’s greatest comic heroine, Rosalind, this tale of love and disguise breaks all the rules of conventional courtship. Venture into the Forest of Arden for a journey of self-discovery and zany mischief, where all the world is truly a stage. As You Like It runs September 29 - October 22, 2023.

The December production is the company’s classic adaption of A Christmas Carol, directed by CSC Company Member Erin Boone Steele. Audience favorite Gregory Burgess returns as Ebeneezer Scrooge, the miserly businessman that always played by his own rules. With a Charm City twist, this production has become an annual tradition for the company and the City of Baltimore. A Christmas Carol runs December 1, 2023 – December 23, 2023

In February, Lise Bruneau (Measure for Measure director) directs a taut, modern adaptation of The Oresteia by Ellen McLaughlin. Originally written by Aeschylus, this tale is one of the earliest and most influential Greek tragedies—it is a play from the beginning of democracy about the beginning of democracy. The play follows the story of Clytemestra and her family as they grapple with betrayal, revenge, and justice. The Oresteia is a daring and intense work that challenges contemporary notions of morality. The Oresteia runs February 16 - March 10, 2024.

CSC presents the ultimate tale of rebellious love, Romeo and Juliet, in April. This timeless story of two young lovers who refuse to be bound by their families' ancient grudges and expectations remains as relevant, powerful, and beautifully poetic today as it was when it was first written. This journey of passion and heartbreak is a chance to witness the power of love to overcome even the most entrenched societal norms. Romeo and Juliet runs April 19 - May 12, 2024.

Closing out the season is The Merry Wives of Windsor, a special commission request from Queen Elizabeth to Shakespeare. This raucous comedy is a joyful celebration of hijinks and subversion. Full of laughter and light-heartedness, the show explores the folly of the roguish Sir John Falstaff, who attempts to chase two women at the same time. Commedia dell arte specialist Tyler Herman directs. The Merry Wives of Windsor runs June 14 - July 21, 2024

Throughout the season, CSC will continue its vibrant student matinee program with one fall and one spring production. Students and their teachers will have the opportunity to attend the wickedly entertaining Macbeth in October 2023 and the wildly successful Romeo and Juliet in March 2024. These student matinees will have served over 60,000 students in seven years after this spring’s performances.

Full details for each show, including casting, will be announced closer to the dates of production. For more information about subscriptions, single tickets and School Matinees, visit www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com or call the box office at 410-244-8570.

TICKET INFORMATION

For those interested in securing their first choice of seats for CSC’s 21st Anniversary Season, subscription packages go on sale today. Single tickets for mainstage shows will go on sale later this summer.

With their fixed subscription package, full-season subscribers save 20% or more on single ticket prices; pay no exchange or service fees; receive a 10% discount on additional single tickets; pay $5 parking at the Arrow garage in downtown Baltimore; secure early access to add-on shows like A Christmas Carol and Merry Wives of Windsor before they go on sale to the public; and get discounts on signature drinks for each downtown production at The Company Bar.

Production Information

AS YOU LIKE IT
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Ian Gallanar
Runs September 29 - October 22, 2023. Previews on September 27 and 28. Press night on September 29.

       

       Student Matinee: MACBETH
By William Shakespeare
Performances October 16 - November 3, 2023

 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Adapted from Charles Dickens by Laura Rocklyn
Directed by Erin Bone Steele
December 1 - 23, 2023. Previews on November 29 and 30. Press night on December 1.

 

THE ORESTEIA
Freely adapted from Aeschylus by Ellen McLaughlin
Directed by Lise Bruneau
February 16 - March 10, 2024. Previews on February 14 and 15. Press night on February 16.

     

       Student Matinee: ROMEO AND JULIET
By William Shakespeare
Performances run: March 11 - April 26, 2024

 

ROMEO AND JULIET
By William Shakespeare
April 19 - May 12, 2024. Previews on April 17 and 18. Press night on April 19.

 

MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Tyler Herman
June 14 - July 21, 2024. Previews on June 12 and 13. Press night on June 16.

 

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.