FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS CONTACTS:

Brandon W Vernon, 410-244-8571 x116
vernon@chesapeakeshakespeare.org

 

Veterans’ Ensemble to Present ‘To Be a Soldier’ at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
Performances, March 25 and 26, are free for veterans and active-duty military

 

Baltimore, Md. (March 10, 2022) – Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s military veterans’ ensemble will present “To Be a Soldier,” a collection of Shakespeare scenes on military experience, at 8 p.m. March 25 and 26 at the theater at 7 S. Calvert St. in Baltimore. Tickets are free for veterans and active-duty military.

 

Olive Branch and Laurel Crown, CSC’s veterans’ ensemble, has worked on the presentation for several months as part of the Studio at CSC’s veterans’ programming supported by a Creative Forces grant. “To Be a Soldier” is the ensemble’s third original compilation, with six vets in the program choosing Shakespeare scenes that reflect their personal experience in the military.  “To Be a Soldier,” directed by Lauren Davis, was first performed at the 2022 Shakespeare Theatre Association’s annual conference in January in Harrisburg, PA.

 

The March 25 and 26 performances at CSC will be the only ones in Baltimore before the acting troupe brings “To Be a Soldier” to veterans conferences and centers in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. in the spring and summer.

 

CSC’s classes encourage veterans to use William Shakespeare’s plays as inspiration to reflect on their personal experiences, in the military and in their return to civilian life. CSC Director of Education Ron Heneghan teaches classes in-person and virtually at the Perry Point VHA. The next class for veterans at CSC begins in April for a 10-week session, which meets on Saturdays, and is free to military veterans. CSC started the veterans programming in 2017 and 26 veterans have participated so far.

 

“I enjoy the material we work on, I am learning about the acting process, and I enjoy the company of the other members in the Ensemble. I have bared my heart and soul to them,” says Matthew Imholte, who has participated in several sessions of CSC’s program and spent 10 years in the U.S. Army. “These veterans in the Ensemble have become my closest friends.”

 

A Marine combat engineer from 1987 to 1993, David M. Hanauer, who served in Kuwait during the first Persian Gulf War and later Kosovo, told The Baltimore Sun of his first experience in the program in 2017: “The whole program has been a great way for us to display different emotions. We all had exposure to many of the same things which we are now able to see and express through the eyes and words of Shakespeare’s characters.”

 

For more information about this production or Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, visit ChesapeakeShakespeare.com.

 

ABOUT CSC VETERANS PROGRAMMING:
The Olive Branch and Laurel Crown Ensemble exists within the ranks of the CSC Resident Artists. It was born from classes sponsored by and in partnership with VetArts Connect, finding ways for health and wellness through the arts. The Ensemble accepts new members upon completion of the CSC Vets Acting Class.

 

WHERE:
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is located at 7 South Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. The theater is located 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 theater 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:
Tickets can be purchased by ordering online at ChesapeakeShakespeare.com, calling 410-244-8570, or visiting the Box Office in person. General admission tickets are $22, and free for veterans and active-duty military. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.

 

COVID SAFETY:
Please note, proof of vaccination or a negative PCR COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your performance time must be shown prior to entering the theatre. For children under 12, proof of one dose of an FDA approved vaccine 14 days before the performance date will also be accepted. Masks must be worn at all times while inside the theatre.

 

All COVID-19 precautions are under constant evaluation and are subject to change. For more information, visit www.chesapeareshakespeare.com or call the box office at 410-244-8570.

 

ABOUT CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY:

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company brings great classic theatre to Baltimore, Howard County, the state of Maryland, and beyond. We offer performances of Shakespeare and other plays of classic stature that are unforgettable and create experiences that are engaging and exciting, challenging and innovative. We perform without curtains and without barriers in settings that are both beautiful and informal and we’re proud to bring a Baltimore flavor to our work. As a dynamic educational resource, we introduce Shakespeare to schoolchildren with vigorous, relevant programming. We bring delight and enlightenment to audiences new and old, and we invite our patrons, our students, and our neighbors to become part of our family and part of the creative collaboration that generates powerful, magical theatre and a more purposeful, more engaged, and more connected community.

 

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