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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ohio Shakespeare Festival<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>1-888-71-TICKETS<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><a href="http://www.ohioshakespearefestival.com"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>www.ohioshakespearefestival.com</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>For Immediate Release<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:13.0pt'>Magicals, Murderers, and Merry Men abound<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:13.0pt'>in Ohio Shakespeare Festival’s 2016 Summer Season<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><b><i><span style='font-size:13.0pt'>The Tempest, Robin Hood: an Adventure with Music, </span></i></b><span style='font-size:13.0pt'>and<b> <i>Macbeth</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“If you have ever wished that a Shakespeare production could somehow be outfitted with annotations and footnotes to help you understand what’s going on at every moment, there’s a much easier and more enjoyable alternative. Just sit in the audience while the Ohio Shakespeare Festival is performing.” <i>(Cleveland Scene Magazine)<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ohio Shakespeare Festival, performing for a fifteenth summer at beautiful Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron, will open its 2016 Season with William Shakespeare’s magical comedy <i>The Tempest</i>. Following will come <i>Robin Hood: an Adventure with Music</i>, a swashbuckling adventure to kick off OSF’s Family Theatre programming, and the summer will end with the wicked deeds of one of Shakespeare's greatest villains, <i>Macbeth</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Tempest</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> will preview on July 1, open July 2 and run through July 17. <i>Robin Hood: an</i> <i>Adventure with Music</i> will perform one weekend only, July 21 to 24, and <i>Macbeth</i> will preview on August 5, open August 6, and run through August 21. Performances are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at 8 pm. The two Shakespeare plays are preceded at 7:30 pm by our popular “Greenshow” of songs, dances, swordfights and parodies. Stan Hywet’s grounds open at 6 pm all evenings for picnicking in a wide variety of scenic locations, and concessions are available for purchase, including sandwiches, snacks, wines, and microbrews. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Tempest</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> will feature OSF Founding Artistic Director Terry Burgler at the wizard Prospero, with Chloe Smith as his beautiful daughter Miranda, Tess Burgler as his spirit servant Ariel, and Geoff Knox as the monster Caliban. Longtime Company members David McNees, Mark Stoffer, Joe Pine, Ryan Zarecki, Scott Campbell, and Jason Leupold play a few of the stranded sea-farers on Prospero’s magical, spirit-filled island. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Robin Hood: an Adventure with Music</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> will perform next, script by Terry Burgler, with original music and lyrics by Scott Campbell. Designed to appeal to all ages, OSF’s first Family Theatre offering tells a new adventure of the famous bandit of Sherwood Forest and his Merry Men. Adventure, romance, swordplay and tights abound in this rollicking comedy fit for the entire family. Sir Robin of Locksley, named “Robin Hood” by his detractors, is played by Andrew Cruse, with Tess Burgler as his Maid Marian, and David McNees as the Sheriff of Nottingham. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Macbeth</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> will complete OSF’s season, featuring Bernard Bygott and Lara Mielcarek, last season’s Benedick and Beatrice, as the murderous couple determined to become the King and Queen of ancient Scotland. Geoff Knox is featured as Macduff, Joe Pine as Malcolm, and Ryan Zarecki as Banquo. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In order to make live performances of Shakespeare accessible to all budgets, OSF is offering two evenings with ticketing supported by OSF, the Corbin Foundation, and the Akron Community Foundation. <i>The Tempest</i> will have a “Pay what you Will(iam Shakespeare)” performance on Thursday, July 7, and <i>Macbeth</i> will have a performance free for all students (with ID) on Thursday, August 11. (“Pay what you will” and free student tickets are available at the gate only.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is located at 714 N. Portage Path in Akron, and OSF’s plays are staged at “the Lagoon,” rain or shine. Tickets are $33 for reserved seating (the first 100 seats in the center, closest to the stage), or $28 for open seating. Student tickets are $15 in open seating, every performance. Reservations may be made any time through OSF’s web site at </span><a href="http://www.ohioshakespearefestival.com"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>www.ohioshakespearefestival.com</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, or by calling the box office at 1-888-71-TICKETS daily from 9am to 9pm, or 12pm to 5pm, weekends.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>“B</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>urgler and his band of actors perform Shakespeare for the sheer joy of it. We audience members are fortunate to partake in such a gorgeous treat.” <i>(Akron Beacon Journal)<o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>-- End --<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>