John Russell, Managing Director
The flowers are blooming, the honeybees are buzzing, and, at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, the Montford Park Players are preparing to open another season of great outdoor theatre . . . signs that spring has truly arrived!
Fresh from a critically acclaimed winter production of The Importance of Being Earnest, the longest running Shakespeare Festival in North Carolina opens its 38th outdoor season with the return of its very own Kings of Comedy in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged). Crunching (literally) all 37 Shakespearean plays down to 97 minutes, this non-stop roller-coaster ride has been praised by the Los Angeles Times as “wildly funny” and by the Montreal Gazette as “the funniest show you are likely to see in your entire lifetime.”
The Complete Works (abridged) will be presented as a fundraiser for the Montford Park Players. The show opens Thursday, May 20, and plays Thursday through Sunday through May 30 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students, seniors, and AAA members. Advance tickets are available online at www.montfordparkplayers.org and can also be purchased at the gate on performance nights beginning one hour prior to showtime. Thursday performances are “Pay What You Can” Night, an opportunity to bring the whole family at a reduced price –no reservations needed, just show up and be prepared to laugh yourself silly!
During its 20-week outdoor production season (May 20 – October 3), one of the longest in outdoor drama, the Montford Park Players will present King Lear, Troilus and Cressida (a story of the Trojan War), and Twelfth Night along with the return of The Asheville Shakesperience Company, an evening of the best scenes of Shakespeare in a brand-new format. Watch for more information about these shows in upcoming issues of this newsletter and at www.montford.org.
And bring your funnybone!
