[NEohioPAL] Great Lakes Theater Festival Presents All 37 of Shakespeare's Plays in Two Hours

[Todd Krispinsky]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 21, 2011

Cleveland's Classic Theater Company
Comically Conquers the Bard's Entire Canon With
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
at the Hanna Theatre, PlayhouseSquare

Three actors tackle all thirty-seven of Shakespeare's plays in two
hours.
Critically-acclaimed vocalist HELEN WELCH headlines post-show music
series.

CLEVELAND, OH - Great Lakes Theater Festival (GLTF), Cleveland's classic
theater, kicks off the second half of its 2010-11 season with the
riotously irreverent, three-actor romp, The Complete Works of William
Shakespeare (Abridged) [Complete Works] by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and
Jess Winfield. The production will be performed in the company's
revolutionary and audience-friendly home at the Hanna Theatre,
PlayhouseSquare, March 11-27. 2011. The Festival's Producing Artistic
Director, Charles Fee, will direct.

The production sponsor of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
(Abridged) is PNC. Great Lakes Theater Festival's season is generously
funded by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and
Culture. The Festival receives additional season support from The
Cleveland Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council. Media sponsors for
GLTF's 49th season are Cleveland Scene, The Plain Dealer, WCLV 104.9 FM,
WCPN 90.3 FM ideastream and WKSU 89.7 FM.

"Complete Works is as much fun for us to produce as it is for audiences
to experience," said GLTF Producing Artistic Director, Charles Fee.
"Works is a complete and utter comic send-up, an homage to all things
Shakespeare...with tongue planted firmly in cheek, of course. It really
is an absolute blast and the Hanna Theatre is a perfect venue for the
show."

In Complete Works three ambitious actors, clad in Converse tennis shoes
and armed with an outrageous assortment of outerwear and props, cram the
Bard's entire canon of plays and sonnets into about two hours. The Today
Show may have described the production best when they said, "If you like
Shakespeare, you'll like this show. If you hate Shakespeare, you'll love
this show!"  One of London's longest running comedies, Complete Works is
a high-speed, roller coaster condensation of Shakespeare. Patrons are
advised to keep their hands and feet inside the theater at all times as
seat belts will NOT be installed in the theater for the production. In
addition, audience members are asked to remain seated until the laughter
has come to a complete stop.

Veteran actors, Paul Hurley, Jason O'Connell and M.A. Taylor comprise
the three-man cast for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
(Abridged).  While Taylor is a nine-year member of GLTF's resident
acting company, regional theater regulars, Hurley and O'Connell will
make their Festival/Cleveland debuts with Complete Works.

Great Lakes Theater Festival's award-winning home at the Hanna Theatre
features a visionary "Great Room" inspired design concept that
integrates the artist and audience experience into a single unified
environment. Hanna patrons select from a variety of seating
opportunities including traditional theater seats, club chairs,
lounge/bar seats, banquette couches and private box seating.  Arranged
in an intimate 550-seat thrust configuration where the audience
surrounds the stage, no seat is further than 12 rows from the
performance at the Hanna.
 
With Complete Works, GLTF will continue to offer free, live music in the
Hanna's lounge following Saturday evening performances (non-opening
night). Nightcap Night Saturdays encourage patrons to extend their stay
at the Hanna and highlight the GLTF/Hanna experience as one of the most
unique entertainment options in the region. Critically-acclaimed
vocalist and theater artist, Helen Welch, headlines the series on
Saturday, March 19 performing in the Hanna lounge after the show. The
Roy King Trio will provide musical entertainment following the Saturday,
March 26th performance.

Great Lakes Theater Festival's Experience Enhancement Series is
organized by day of week.  The series highlights the Hanna's unique
amenities and affords patrons access to Festival artists. 

*	"Salon Thursdays" feature an engaging pre-show discussion with
Festival artists beginning one hour before curtain. (Offered: Mar. 17 &
24)
*	"Happy Hour Fridays" afford audience members the opportunity to
gather and socialize at the Hanna's bar early. Savory and sweet hors d'
oeuvres along with a complete range of beverages are available for
purchase ninety minutes before the show. (Offered: Mar. 11, 18, 25) 
*	"Nightcap Night Saturdays" encourage audience members to stay
after the evening performance and enjoy entertainment performed by the
region's finest musicians and vocalists while mingling with the GLTF
artistic company in the Hanna's lounge. The Hanna bar is open until
ninety minutes after the performance. (Offered: Mar. 19 & 26)
*	"Ice Cream Social Sundays" offer patrons the opportunity to
enjoy a London theatre tradition brought state-side.  Audience members
are invited to purchase a cool, personal ice cream treat before the show
or at intermission.  Ice cream will be offered at every GLTF
performance, but on "Ice Cream Social Sundays," the treat is half price.
(Offered: Mar. 13, 20, & 27)
*	"Director's Nights" offer audiences the opportunity to take part
in a pre-show discussion with GLTF's Producing Artistic Director,
Charles Fee, before preview performances.  (Offered: Mar. 11)
*	"Playnotes Pre-Show Discussions" inform patrons with
illuminating introductions to the content and history of the play
presented by a guest scholar before Saturday matinee performances.
(Offered: Mar. 19 & 26)

GLTF will continue to afford patrons extraordinary access to its artists
and production process at every Hanna Theatre performance this spring.
The Hanna opens its doors ninety minutes before each performance
allowing patrons to observe the complete pre-show preparation process of
GLTF's actors and technical staff. Elements traditionally hidden from
audiences such as stage combat rehearsals, dance calls, prop/scenic
pre-sets, technical cue rehearsals and actor warm-ups will be conducted
in full view of patrons, offering audiences an unprecedented glimpse
into the theatrical process.

The Festival will continue its New Deal pricing initiative this spring -
designed to increase accessibility for audiences. As part of the
program, adult tickets for every performance always begin at $15 and
student tickets for any seat at any show are $13 - making the Great
Lakes Theater Festival experience one of the most affordable
entertainment options in the region.

The Opening Night performance of The Complete Works of William
Shakespeare (Abridged) is scheduled for Saturday, March 12 with a
preview performance slated for the preceding Friday night. Curtain times
for all evening performances will remain at 7:30 p.m., with a 1:30 p.m.
curtain time for Saturday matinees and a 3:00 p.m. curtain time for
Sunday matinees. GLTF will offer a sign-interpreted/ audio-described
performance of Complete Works on Sunday, March 13.

Single performance tickets range in price from $15-$70 (Student tickets
are $13 - any performance / any seat) and are available by calling (216)
241-6000, by ordering online at www.greatlakestheater.org or by visiting
the PlayhouseSquare Ticket Office. Groups of ten or more receive
discounts of up to 40% by calling the Group Sales Department at (216)
241-5490 x302.

Great Lakes Theater Festival has brought the pleasure, power and
relevance of classic theater to the widest possible audience since 1962.
The first resident company of PlayhouseSquare, GLTF celebrates its 29th
year in downtown Cleveland this season. Festival programming reaches
85,000 adults and students annually.
 
# # #
 
MEDIA CONTACT:
Todd Krispinsky
Marketing and Public Relations Director
Great Lakes Theater Festival
1501 Euclid Avenue, Suite 300
Cleveland, Ohio  44115
(216) 241-5490 x317 / (216) 241-6315 Fax
www.greatlakestheater.org
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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
ACTING COMPANY

Paul Hurley
Great Lakes Theater Festival debut
Paul is thrilled to be performing for the first time with Great Lakes
Theater Festival.  He makes his home in Chicago where he has recently
been seen on stage at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company (The Importance of
Being Earnest, Les Liaisons Dangereuses) and Chicago Shakespeare Theater
(Othello).  Other regional credits include work with Milwaukee Repertory
Theater (A Christmas Carol, Anna Christie); Madison Repertory Theatre
(The Laramie Project); Delaware Theatre Company (Henry V, All the Great
Books Abridged); Utah Shakespearean Festival (Romeo and Juliet, Doctor
Faustus); and six seasons with American Players Theatre (The Circle, The
Belle's Stratagem, Merchant of Venice, Timon of Athens, The Cherry
Orchard, Hamlet, Love's Labour's Lost, among others).  Paul holds an MFA
from the University of Delaware's Professional Theatre Training Program.


Jason O'Connell
Great Lakes Theater Festival debut
Jason is thrilled to be making his GLTF debut in this, his eighth
production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged).  He
has played each role in the show multiple times at multiple venues,
including Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (as the guy who plays all
the girls), Texas Shakespeare Festival (as the guy who plays Hamlet),
and Delaware Theatre Company (as the guy he's playing now).  Jason lives
and works in New York City, where his Off-Broadway credits include the
acclaimed Penny Pennyworth at TADA Theatre, Richard Nixon in Don't Blame
Me, I Voted For Helen Gahagan Douglas opposite Christine Lahti and James
Naughton at Symphony Space, and A Midsummer Night's Dream at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music.  Regionally, Jason has played Benedick,
Hamlet, Richard III, Petruchio, Mercutio and Falstaff at Shakespeare
festivals around the country, and has appeared at American Players
Theatre (The Play's the Thing), Florida Studio Theatre (The Goat),
Arkansas Repertory Theatre (All My Sons), North Carolina Theatre (Guys
and Dolls), and the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina (Boeing Boeing).
While home in NYC, Jason performs improv and stand-up comedy, records
animation voiceovers, and has appeared on Law & Order:SVU and Law &
Order:CI.

M.A. Taylor
Nine seasons at Great Lakes Theater Festival
Mark Anthony (aka M.A.) is delighted to return to the magnificent Hanna
Theatre for another lovely spring season. Good to get back to this one,
after having spent last summer doing 'Works' at the beautiful Lake Tahoe
Shakespeare Festival. He has most recently been seen in; Othello
(Gratiano), An Ideal Husband (Phipps), A Midsummer Night's Dream
(Flute/Fairy), A Christmas Carol (Charity Man/Old Joe), The Mystery of
Edwin Drood (Durdles) and Twelfth Night (Fabian). Also among his
credits; Candy in Of Mice and Men (directed by Adrian Hall) for
PTTP/Rep, Dracula for Boise Contemporary Theater in the title role,
Launce in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Gravedigger/ Player King in
Hamlet for Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Crave & Fully Committed
for Tooth & Nail Theater in Salt Lake City. Other productions include;
Arsenic and Old Lace, The Crucible, She Stoops to Conquer, A Streetcar
Named Desire, Tooth of Crime, Translations, An Ideal Husband, All the
King's Men, The Effects of Tobacco, Swan Song, Saint Joan and The Count
of Monte Cristo. He holds an MFA from the University of Delaware's
Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP).   He wishes to give
special thanks to his supportive family and the GLTF staff and crew.
Thanks y'all! (And as always.... GO TRIBE !!)
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