PRESS RELEASE *Contact: *Brian Pedaci info@cleveshakes.org *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE * *Cleveland Shakespeare Festival opens 18th season of free outdoor theater with the rarely-performed THE LIFE OF TIMON OF ATHENS* The *Cleveland Shakespeare Festival* celebrates its 18th consecutive season of presenting free, live outdoor performances of the works of William Shakespeare to audiences in Northeast Ohio. This summer’s productions are: *The Life of Timon of Athens* by William Shakespeare and Thomas Middleton *June 5-28* Adapted and directed by David Hansen Live Original Music by Gary Lee *The Merchant of Venice* *July 18 – August 2* Adapted and Directed by Dr. Scott Miller All shows start at 7:00 pm and are presented free of charge. Audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and seat themselves prior to each outdoor performance. In case of inclement weather, visit www.cleveshakes.org <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?ClevelandShakespeare/0f884c7050/TEST/87d26b36c6> for news on an alternate location. For more information about The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival or to get involved, contact us at 440.794.1CSF, email info@cleveshakes.org, find us on Facebook and Twitter, or visit www.cleveshakes.org <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?ClevelandShakespeare/0f884c7050/TEST/eea928d08e>. *The Life Of Timon Of Athens*, co-written by William Shakespeare and Thomas Middleton, holds a unique place in the Bard’s canon – a biting social satire about friendship as a commodity to be bought and sold, in a world where the greatest sin of all is debt. In director David Hansen’s adaptation, Timon is the most admired man on campus, whose boundless generosity leads him to ruin. Betrayed by his friends, he abandons civilization and goes “back to the land”. As unrest grows in Athens, both sides appeal for his help. Set in a certain state university in 1970, against a backdrop of unpopular war and student unrest, *The Life of Timon of Athens* is a hilarious history of hip hypocrisy. *The Life of Timon of Athens* opens on Friday, June 5 at the P.E.A.C.E. Park in the Coventry neighborhood and tours a variety of outdoor venues: *Fri, June 5: *Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park, Coventry Rd and Euclid Hts Blvd, Cleveland Hts, OH, 44118 *Sat, June 6:*, Cuyahoga Community College West, 11000 Pleasant Valley Rd, Parma, OH 44130 *Sun, June 7: *Halloran Park, 3550 W 117th St, Cleveland, OH 44111 *Fri, June 12: *Tremont Lincoln Park, 1208 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44113 *Sat, June 13*: Shaker Heights Community Colonnade, 3450 Lee Rd, Shaker Hts, OH 44120 *Sun, June 14*: Notre Dame College, 4545 College Road, South Euclid, OH 44121 *Fri, June 19: *Cahoon Memorial Park West, Cahoon Rd, Bay Village, OH 44140 *Sat, June 20: *Lakewood Park, 14532 Lake Ave., Lakewood, OH, 44107 *Sun, June 21:* Lorain County Community College Stocker Center for the Arts, 1005 Abbe Rd., Elyria, OH, 44035 *Fri, June 26:* Old Town Hall Bandstand, 6652 Brecksville Rd, Independence, OH 44131 *Sat, June 27:* The James A. Garfield National Historic Site, 8095 Mentor Ave, Mentor, OH, 44060 *Sun, June 28:* Grove Amphitheater, 425 N Commons Rd, Mayfield Village, OH 44143 The second show of the season, *The Merchant of Venice*, is directed by Dr. Scott Miller, who heads the Cleveland School of the Arts’ theater program. Filled with contrasts and controversy, containing comic elements mixed with trenchant comment on the nature of intolerance, justice and forgiveness, this is a play not easily categorized. The merchant Antonio is approached for a loan by his dear friend Bassanio so that he may woo an heiress in another city. Antonio, cash-poor until his ships return from their trade route, in turn borrows from the moneylender Shylock, who sees in this arrangement the possibility to exact a gruesome revenge for the years of injustice he’s suffered at the hands of Antonio and the rest of the city. *The Merchant of Venice Performance Schedule:* *Fri, July 17: *Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Park, Coventry Rd and Euclid Hts Blvd, Cleveland Hts, OH, 44118 *Sat, July 18:*, Cuyahoga Community College West, 11000 Pleasant Valley Rd, Parma, OH 44130 *Sun, July 19: *Penitentiary Glen Reservation, 8668 Kirtland-Chardon Rd, Chardon, OH 44094 *Fri, July 24: *Shaker Heights Community Colonnade, 3450 Lee Rd, Shaker Hts, OH 44120 *Sat, July 25:* Lakewood Park, 14532 Lake Ave., Lakewood, OH, 44107 *Sun, July 26*: Grove Amphitheater, 425 N Commons Rd, Mayfield Village, OH 44143 *Fri, July 31: *Notre Dame College, 4545 College Road, South Euclid, OH 44121 *Sat, August 1 : *Tremont Lincoln Park, 1208 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44113 *Sun, August 2:* Tremont Lincoln Park, 1208 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44113 ------------------------------ Click to view this email in a browser <http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/1390187/0f884c7050/TEST/TEST/> If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: Unsubscribe <http://cts.vresp.com/u?0f884c7050/TEST/TEST> ------------------------------ Cleveland Shakespeare Festival 2843 Washington Ave Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 US Read <http://www.verticalresponse.com/content/pm_policy.html> the VerticalResponse marketing policy. 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