The Bard is headed for the ’Burg.
From March 31-April 2, the fourth annual Shakespeare in the ’Burg festival will salute Shakespeare with a performance of his early play Two Gentlemen of Verona, as well as one-act plays from up-and-coming playwrights and a Shakespeare-inspired children’s show.
Several years ago, festival co-chair Genie Ford saw a performance of Twelfth Night out of town and was inspired to bring a touring company to perform Shakespeare locally. The first Middleburg Shakespeare festival launched in 2014 and was so well-received, Ford and co-chair Jo Ann Hazard made it an annual tradition.
Shakespeare in the Square, a New York-based company that performs in the city’s Washington Square Park, will stage Shakespeare’s romantic comedy Two Gentlemen of Verona on April 1 at Hill School’s Sheila C. Johnson Performing Arts Center. Hill School graduate and troupe co-founder Daniel Hasse will direct the production.
This year marks the first time Shakespeare in the Square has performed at the festival. “We love the fact that they’re young and energetic. They’re talented, and I think they bring a freshness to the whole thing,” Ford says. “The local connection is also just an extra that we love.”
Though the company is performing only one night of Shakespeare, it will return to the stage the following afternoon for readings of winning plays from the festival’s one-act competition, preceded by a champagne brunch for attendees. Winners hail from Florida, Connecticut and Toronto, and the subject matter includes aging (one comedy takes place in an assisted living facility, and another is a heartfelt drama about a professor with Alzheimer’s) and the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa.
And for parents who would like to introduce their kids to Shakespeare at a young age, there is a children’s show on Friday filled with stories, poems, juggling and hints of that strapping gentleman from Avon.
Shakespeare in the ‘Burg Schedule
Nicolo Whimsey Children’s Show: Friday, March 31, at 3:15 p.m.; juggling workshop at 4:15 p.m. // Emmanuel Episcopal Church: 105 E. Washington St.
Two Gentlemen of Verona: Saturday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. // Sheila C. Johnson Performing Arts Center: 130 S. Madison St.
Champagne Brunch and One-Act Performance: Sunday, April 2, at 11 a.m. // Sheila C. Johnson Performing Arts Center: 130 S. Madison St.
