Holy Cross' Redfeather Theatre Company Presents the Worcester Shakespeare Festival

WORCESTER, Mass. – The Redfeather Theatre Company at the College of the Holy Cross will present the sixth annual Worcester Shakespeare Festival at the Memorial Grove Amphitheatre in Green Hill Park. The season runs July 21 - August 23, Wednesday - Sunday at 7 p.m. General admission; $30 for a two-show season pass ($20 for one show), Seniors and students; $20 for a two-show season pass ($15 for one show), and $5 per show for children 12 and under.  Performance dates, parking information, and online ticket purchase can be found at: www.redfeatherco.org.

Macbeth is a terrifying tale of bloody ambition in a world haunted by evil forces.  Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy about young love, sibling treachery, and the battle of wits between the sexes. Both plays will be performed in the bucolic outdoor setting of the Memorial Grove Amphitheater, an idyllic location for a picnic and Shakespeare under the stars.

“The 2009 Worcester Shakespeare Festival promises a summer of theatrical excitement featuring sword fighting, singing, dancing, and demons,” says Edward Isser, professor and chair of the theatre department at Holy Cross and director of the critically-acclaimed Redfeather productions of As You Like It and Richard III. “It will be the premier cultural event in Central Massachusetts this summer.”

Redfeather is committed to making the works of Shakespeare accessible by presenting the plays in a dynamic manner, offering subsidized admission, and by administrating an educational outreach program. Initiatives in 2009 include a three-week summer institute for middle and secondary school students, a series of professional development workshops for English teachers in the Worcester Public School District, and an integrated internship program for undergraduates at Holy Cross. Fourteen Holy Cross students will participate in the 2009 festival as apprentice members of the company serving as actors, designers, stage managers and technicians. With the assistance of local cultural and social service agencies, Redfeather will continue to reach out to disadvantaged members of the community. Last summer, over 500 free tickets to the Shakespeare festival were distributed to various charitable groups in Central Massachusetts.

The Redfeather Theatre Company is comprised of professional performers and established members of the Worcester theatre community. Mel Cobb, formerly of the Globe Theatre in London, returns to Redfeather to play the title role in Macbeth. Michael Burnet, Jamie Greenland and Doug Seldin, all veterans of Shakespeare and Company in Lenox, Mass, are new additions to the company.  John Keller and Emily Holmes, who played the roles of Oberon and Titania in last year’s acclaimed production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, return along with local stalwarts of the Worcester theatre scene such as Ann Marie Shea, Joe Finneral, and Bill Taylor.