AT CARTER BARRON AMPHITHEATRE
MAY 25 to JUNE 4
–30,000 expected to enjoy free outdoor performances of Shakespeare–
Washington, D.C. – Heralded as one of Washington's favorite summertime traditions, the Shakespeare Theatre Company Free For All presents Pericles, originally directed by Mary Zimmerman, at Carter Barron Amphitheatre in Rock Creek Park from May 25 to June 4, 2006. The production has been restaged by Shakespeare Theatre Company's Associate Director David Muse and features Tom Hammond as Pericles, Julia Coffey as Thaisa and Marguerite Stimpson as Marina.
More than 500,000 people have attended the Free For All since 1991, when Shakespeare Theatre Company Artistic Director Michael Kahn and Founding Chairman R. Robert Linowes inaugurated the tradition of free Shakespeare in D.C. with Kahn's production of The Merry Wives of Windsor.
“Each summer we pack up a play, take it out to the park and make a great work of Shakespeare accessible to as wide an audience as possible, including people who have never been to the theatre before: young people, students and people on fixed incomes,” Kahn said. “It's a great pleasure to see people discover Shakespeare in a relaxed, outdoor setting, often alongside their children.”
Pericles begins in Antioch, where Prince Pericles of Tyre must unravel a riddle to win the hand of a princess. But when Pericles discovers King Antiochus and his daughter's terrible secret, he must flee for his life. Pericles sets sail—traveling from kingdom to kingdom—falling in love with a princess (Thaisa) and conceiving a child (Marina). After a terrible storm strikes their ship at sea, father, mother and daughter are separated. The family spends 14 years apart before finally being reunited in a joyous scene considered unsurpassed in the beauty of its language.
When the Shakespeare Theatre Company first presented Pericles in 2004, The Washington Post wrote, “Zimmerman … achieves something miraculous with her deeply moving production… an evening of bewitching ingenuity and bountiful surprise.”
A recipient of a 1998 MacArthur Fellowship, Zimmerman received national attention for her artistry in 2002 when she won the Tony Award for Direction for Metamorphoses. She is a member of the Lookingglass Theatre Company, an Artistic Associate of the Goodman and Seattle Repertory theatres, and a Professor of Performance Studies at Northwestern University. Works that she has adapted and directed include The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, The Odyssey, Arabian Nights, Journey to the West, Metamorphoses, The Secret in the Wings and Eleven Rooms of Proust.
Currently Associate Director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, David Muse previously served as the Theatre's assistant director. In these positions, he has directed four plays for The ReDiscovery Series and assistant directed Othello, Lady Windermere's Fan, The Tempest, Lorenzaccio, Pericles and Macbeth on the mainstage. His other credits include productions with Studio Theatre Secondstage, Hudson Valley Shakespeare, Geva Theatre and the Yale School of Drama.
The cast also features Joseph Costa, Jeff Cribbs, Rick Foucheux, Naomi Jacobson, Sarah Marshall, Stephen Conrad Moore, Hugh Nees, Jesse Perez, James Ricks, Bernard Burak Sheredy, Michelle Shupe, Evan Zes and ensemble members Dacyl Acevedo, Jaclyn DiLauro, Clifton Duncan, Daniel Eichner, Tiffany Filmore, Leo Goodman, Ian Lockhart, Tony Nam and Elaine Qualter.
Sponsors of the Free For All
The 2006 Shakespeare Theatre Company Free For All is sponsored by The Washington Post, Philip L. Graham Fund, Harman International, Inc., Jane and Sidney Harman, Real Estate Community Partners, The Mary and Daniel Loughran Foundation, The Cal and Jeff Leonard Charitable Fund and The Clark-Winchcole Foundation.
Additional support is provided by Chevy Chase Bank, FedEx Corporation, Motorola, Pepco, WGMS Washington's Classical Station, National Park Service, The Lawyers' Committee for the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Friends of Free for All, Esthy and Jim Adler, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen F. Black, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Linowes, Ms. Ann K. Morales and many other community-minded individuals and organizations.
Students for Shakespeare
Students for Shakespeare introduces new and diverse audiences to live theatre and the works of William Shakespeare. This program provides student groups with pre-performance workshops or discussions at the annual Shakespeare Theatre Company Free For All at Carter Barron Amphitheatre in Rock Creek Park. The workshops are lead by professional teaching artists utilizing theatre games and activities. The pre-performance discussions cover aspects of the production with a member of the artistic team. The special features of Students for Shakespeare include:
- Engaging students with an audience enrichment workshop or discussion at the park before the play.
- Receiving advance copies of the Students for Shakespeare Activity Book for participating student groups. This guide contains a synopsis of the show, background information on Shakespeare and the play, as well as activities designed to make the language accessible and enhance students' enjoyment of the performance.
- Reserving seats for the play before they become available to the public.
- Recognizing schools and student groups with early VIP seating and a special announcement welcoming all the Students for Shakespeare participants before the show begins.
Friends of Free For All
This summer, the individuals and organizations who participate in the “Friends of Free For All” membership campaign will help raise a portion of the nearly $750,000 needed to produce Pericles.
Contributors of $150+ receive advance tickets mailed to their home, reserved seating in special sections and recognition at the Amphitheatre. In keeping with the spirit of the Free For All, seating sections for Friends are interspersed with open seating to give all audience members equal access to the best seats at Carter Barron Amphitheatre. For information on becoming a Friend of Free For All, call Donor Services at 202.547.1122 and press 7.
Volunteers
Hundreds of volunteers are needed to help the annual Shakespeare Theatre Company Free For All run smoothly. Volunteers receive a complimentary light meal and reserved seating. For more information on volunteering, call 202.547.3230 ext. 2308.
Washington, D.C. Celebrates American Originals
This production is part of Washington, D.C. Celebrates American Originals. From Memorial Day through Labor Day 2006, museums, theatres, attractions, restaurants and hotels in the Capital Region are celebrating all things uniquely American and uniquely Washington. Headlining the promotion is the July 1 opening of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, along with a major exhibition at the National Archives and D.C.'s First Capital Fringe Festival. American Originals is produced by The American Experience Foundation in partnership with the Washington, DC Convention and Tourism Corporation and Cultural Tourism DC. For more information, visit AmericanOriginalsDC.com or call 1.800.422.8644 ext. 500.
Shakespeare Theatre Company Free For All
at Carter Barron Amphitheatre
Pericles
by William Shakespeare
directed by David Muse
original direction by Mary Zimmerman
May 25 to June 4, 2006
7:30 p.m. nightly; no performance Monday
Shakespeare's Pericles is the epic story of an everyman, whose adventures by sea bring him love, trial and tribulation.
In addition to its five-play season in its 451-seat indoor theatre downtown in the nation's capital, the Shakespeare Theatre Company presents free outdoor performances each summer in the scenic 3,700-seat Carter Barron Amphitheatre in northwest Washington, D.C. It's a perfect setting for picnicking and enjoying Shakespeare under the stars.
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE FREE FOR ALL:
CALL 202.334.4790
How to get free tickets:
Individuals may get up to four free tickets on the day of the performance at these locations:
Shakespeare Theatre Company: 450 7th Street NW. Tuesdays through Sundays beginning at noon.
Carter Barron Amphitheatre: 16th Street and Colorado Avenue NW. Tuesdays through Sundays beginning at noon.
The Washington Post: 1150 15th Street NW. Tuesdays through Fridays only, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Travel to Carter Barron Amphitheatre:
Free on-site parking is available, but often fills to capacity. Carpooling is recommended.
Take Metro: To reach Carter Barron Amphitheatre by Metro, ride the Red Line to the Silver Spring Station and transfer to an S2 or S4 Metrobus with a “Federal Triangle” destination sign. Or ride the Blue or Orange Line to the McPherson Square Station and transfer to an S2 or S4 Metrobus with a “Silver Spring,” “16th & Colorado,” “14th & Aspen,” or “16th & Eastern” destination sign. The Amphitheatre is a 5-minute walk from the bus stop at 16th Street and Colorado Avenue NW. For more information on taking Metro to Carter Barron Amphitheatre, call Metro at 202.637.7000 or visit the Metro website at www.wmata.com.
ShakespeareTheatre.org