Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer (now on stage as Gertrude in Hamlet) is the subject of a profile that aired today on WBUR (Boston’s NPR station). Andrea Shea speaks with Tina about her roots in England, her intentions for starting Shakespeare & Company and her future plans. Artistic Director Tony Simotes and Company actress Elizabeth Aspenlieder also speak about Tina and her impact.
At the time she was obsessed with Shakespeare, but she wanted to approach his texts her own way. This ran against the genteel delivery style most teachers and directors embraced.
“Enunciating, pushing the vowels to the front of the mouth — especially for the women,” Packer says. “It’s all nonsense; Shakespeare’s dirty as hell and full of life and full of vivacity.”
So Packer abandoned her career as an actor in England, raised some money in the U.S., and founded her own company in the Berkshires. She was one of the first women to direct Shakespeare professionally. Packer says it’s a natural fit.
The 2009-10 season will be “young, passionate, daring and joyful. This is life laid bare,” says Artistic Director Tina Packer. With a re-dedication to the powerful truths at the heart of Shakespeare’s work and the excitement sparked by a new theatre and production center, our 2009-10 Play On! Season reinforces our commitment to the core themes that have made it an invaluable part of the Berkshires community for 32 years. Here’s a glimpse of what we have in store.
A call to action from Shakespeare & Company: Tina Packer (Founding Artistic Director), Jonathan Croy (Youth Programs Director), Dave Demke (Associate Director of Training), Alexandra Lincoln (School Programs Manager), Jenna Ware (Associate Director of Education), Josie Wilson (Education Artist), Sam Shuker Haines (Young Company Student), Catherine Glavicic (Training Programs Manager), Tyisha Turner (Box Office Representative/Education Alumna), Michael F. Toomey (Education Artist), Elizabeth Aspenlieder (Director of Publicity and Playbill Advertising), Sophie Breton (Corporate Controller), Govane Lohbauer (Costume Director), Dana Harrison (Audience Services Manager/Education Artist), Ute DeFarlo (Director of Development), Victoria Vining (Group Sales Director), Jeremy Goodwin (Associate Director of Publicity and Playbill Advertising), Kevin G. Coleman (Director of Education), Jim Day (Costume Rentals Supervisor), Kari Daly (Ticketing Services Manager), Enrico Spada (Marketing & Web Manager), Mike Clary (Director of Communications), Bob Lohbauer (Weapons Master).
Our 2009-10 Season fold-out brochure is now available for download from our website as a PDF file (1.7MB) (right-click and choose “Save link as…” or “Save file as…”).
This season we are striving to make visiting Shakespeare & Company an exciting and affordable experience—which is why we’ve planned so much for you to see and why we’ve made a point of lowering ticket prices for some seats at every show on our calendar. We’re sure you’ll be able to find a ticket that is within your budget—and with our diverse productions, a show to suit your tastes.
Below are just a few new ways we’ve made visiting Shakespeare & Company affordable to all. As always, we’re continuing to offer the 40% Berkshire Resident Discount, 50% Youth Day-of-Show Discount, Teachers & Military Discount, and more. Learn about all our discounts, or read on for the newest.
You will love what we have in store for 2009/2010. After planning 32 seasons, I can positively say this is the most daring, powerful, impassioned line up that we have ever brought to stage. I turn the Artistic Director reins (or is it a whip?) over to Tony Simotes at the close of 2009, so I am especially keen in making this a thunderous season.
In the face of today’s economic climate, I am especially proud to say that Shakespeare & Company is standing firm and fast on our mission to bring the raw power of Shakespeare’s language and important modern voices to more audiences and keep tickets affordable to everyone.
EDIT: Tickets are now available for purchase online! The Box Office will begin taking phone orders Thursdays and Fridays from 11am-5pm, beginning March 12th. Stay tuned to our website for further Box Office Hours.
(Shakespeare & Company Members may purchase tickets over the phone this week—Thursday & Friday only—by calling 413-637-1199 ext 305).
This will be a season of ‘life laid bare’ and costs kept spare. Our shows will be simple, stripped down and sparingly beautiful, but we are doing more, performing more, playing more than ever before. Shakespeare & Company is not shrinking back. We will play on! I hope you’ll be play on with us. Join us for Shakespeare, and new voices. Music, clowning and spontaneity across our meadow and stages. More dialogue, discovery and delight for all!
Our 2009-2010 brochure will be hitting your mailbox within the next several weeks. Make sure your mailing address is up to date by logging into OvationTix and clicking on “My Account”.
Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare & Company’s 2009 educational tour, has begun its journey to schools and venues across New England (plus New York and New Jersey). The seven-member cast of education artists will perform the show over 70 times in over 60 communities, for over 200 schools. The cast includes Benjamin Brinton, Paul D’Agostino, Kaitlin Henderson, Alyssa Hughlett, Kelley Johnston, Sean Kazarian, and Daniel Kurtz. Check out the video preview, and mark your calendars for the Tour’s May 8 finale in Founders’ Theatre.
Founding Artistic Director Tina Packer (now on stage as Gertrude in Hamlet) is the subject of a profile that aired today on WBUR (Boston’s NPR station). Andrea Shea speaks with Tina about her roots in England, her intentions for starting Shakespeare & Company and her future plans. Artistic Director Tony Simotes and Company actress Elizabeth Aspenlieder also speak about Tina and her impact.
Our 2009-10 Season fold-out 
