(Photo Courtesy: Ohio Shakespeare Festival)
Ohio Shakespeare Festival has performed under the stars at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens every summer for the past 15 years. Now the festival will take its performances to Greystone Hall and begin performing year-round starting this October.
“When Greystone Hall became unexpectedly available, we had not been actively looking for an indoor space to add to our summer outdoor work at Stan Hywet,” says stated Tess Burgler, Associate Producer of Ohio Shakespeare Festival. “We felt we had the obligation, excitement and enthusiasm to enrich Akron year-round. If this opportunity came to us and we passed it by, we would be doing the community a disservice.”
While Ohio Shakespeare Festival will continue to perform Shakespeare productions at Stan Hywet during the summer, there will be a variety of classic productions performed at Greystone Hall this coming fall.
“We look for scripts that are uplifting and inspiring – not about telling a fluffy, happy story, but stories about mankind’s highest highs, lowest lows and the magic in-between,” says Burgler.
(Photo Courtesy: Ohio Shakespeare Festival)
Ohio Shakespeare Festival uses original practice methods. While many plays use a twist or theme to pull the story into a different generation, it has become difficult to find productions that do not use any gimmicks. Ohio Shakespeare Festival productions stay true to the original story.
Burgler explains, “It’s a beautiful escape into the world of story, and the focus is on the story, not the director’s implied theme or personal methods. We are simply vehicles to tell a story. There is a lot of authenticity and honesty that is valuable to people who want to experience something rather than be told something.”
Ohio Shakespeare Festival invites the community to experience their first indoor performance at Greystone Hall Oct. 21. They will be performing “Robin Hood: An Adventure, with Music” – a show for the whole family with original music, lyrics, and choreography entirely produced by Ohio artists. To buy tickets, visit www.showclix.com/event/robin-hood. Greystone Hall is located at 103 S. High St. in downtown Akron.
The group also will host a reading of “ShakesBEER: Twelfth Night,” Nov. 5 in their bar (complete with bartender). Click here for details.
For info, visit www.ohioshakespearefestival.com for more info.
