May 6, 2004 - Hadley, MA

Hampshire Shakespeare Company is proud to feature two classic plays, The Merchant of Venice and Hamlet, for the 2004 summer season of Shakespeare Under the Stars. Performances at the Hartsbrook School at 193 Bay Road in Hadley combine fully staged productions on an acoustically lively but intimate outdoor stage, taking advantage of the beauty of a rural setting with the Holyoke range in the background.

In the role of Shylock, Walter Carroll, WFCR radio host and long-time member of the Hampshire Shakespeare Company, joins a versatile and experienced cast of The Merchant of Venice under the direction of Lucinda Kidder. Together, audience and cast members will explore a Renaissance world of commerce and conflicting religious values that resonates with our own times in unexpected ways. The Merchant of Venice opens on June 25 and plays Wednesdays to Sundays at 7 PM through July 11, with reduced admission preview nights on June 23 and 24.

In a fit tribute to the four-hundred-year history of Shakespeare’s most revered tragedy, Benjamin Ware returns to direct the HSC production, bringing a fresh and lively twist to the familiar tale. Hamlet runs Wednesday to Sunday from July 16 through 25, with previews on July 14 and 15. The HSC Young Company will present its own production of Hamlet on July 30, 31 and August 1, also at 7 PM.

In collaboration with the Center for Renaissance Studies of Massachusetts, the Company is planning an afternoon symposium entitled Before and After the Holocaust: Issues in Staging Shakespeare’s Shylock. The free event is scheduled for Sunday, July 11, from 2 to 4 PM at the Center at 650 East Pleasant Street, Amherst. Led by Center director Dr. Arthur Kinney, a panel of scholars will discuss problems posed by contemporary sensibilities when presenting plays written in and for different times.

All seating is general admission, with early comers seated first. All performances proceed on a weather-permitting basis. Umbrellas are offered to the audience in the event of a sudden downpour or light rain. We do not perform in torrential rain. In the event of a cancellation, all tickets will be honored at any future performance. General admission tickets are $15, students and seniors $10, and children (to age 18) $6. Preview night tickets are $10 general admission, $5 for students and seniors. Tickets for the Young Company show are $5. Groups of 10 or more can purchase blocks of tickets for 20% off regular prices. For schedule, group sales and ticket information, visit the Company’s web site (www.hampshireshakespeare.org) or call 413-788-4750.

The venue at The Hartsbrook School is handicapped-accessible. Chairs are provided, and audience members can also choose to sit on the grass. Audience members are welcome to bring picnics to enjoy in the beautiful rural setting. For the convenience of theatre-goers, Picnics To Go – special picnic suppers prepared by Flayvors of Cook Farm - may be ordered by calling 413-584-2224. Out-of-town guests can reserve tickets at the same time they book rooms through the Hampshire Hospitality group’s Valley Vacations web site (http://valleyvacations.net). Hampshire Shakespeare Company is grateful for the generous support of 2004 Season Sponsors WFCR, the spa!, and Florence Savings Bank.

Now in its fourteenth year, the Company remains true to its mission to make accessible to audiences and actors a range of theatre experiences from the most profound to the most playful. Included in this mission is the group’s dedication to education through the medium of the performing arts.

As members of the Young Company, young actors (teens) are cast in smaller roles in the mainstage production and will then step into the principal roles for their own production. Additional young actors will join this company for one intensive week of rehearsal culminating in a fully produced weekend of performance, July 30, 31 and August 1. In addition to this program, a full schedule of Summer Theatre Workshops led by theatre professionals is offered for children from 5 through 17. Christine Stevens heads the educational program (413-549-4881).

Consult the web site for complete details about all the Hampshire Shakespeare Company’s many activities (www.hampshireshakespeare.org) or call 413-788-4750.

• Hampshire Shakespeare Press Releases