African-American Shakespeare Company (San Fransisco, CA) recently announced its 2015-2016 season entitled: Love, Satire, and Betrayal. This will be their 21st season under the artistic leadership of acclaimed Bay Area actor and director L. Peter Callender.
To kick off the season, Romeo and Juliet will open October 17 and run until November 8 with Sherri Young and L. Peter Callender directing. William Shakespeare’s iconic story of young love, passion and innocence is set in the 1970s when the world was changing socially and culturally. But undying love dances in the vivid imagination of youth then as now. From December 5 to 20, they present Cinderella, a production that has been delighting audiences for over twelve years. This year will be directed by Shawn J. West. The season continues February 13 – March 6, 2016 with George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum. This touching, socially-conscious, satirical comedy is a depiction of Black culture in America that STILL resonates with us today. For the first time in the Bay Area, distinguished directors Velina Brown, L. Peter Callender, Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe, and Michael Gene Sullivan — whom the company calls their “Fantastic Four”– collaborate to bring 12 vignettes to life. Lastly, closing the season May 7 – 29, 2016, is William Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra, where a queen must seduce the one man who can crumble her fragile empire. Jon D. Tracy directs this love story with L. Peter Callender in the title role.
African-American Shakespeare Company was created in 1994 to open the realm of classic theatre to a diverse audience and provide an opportunity and place for actors of color to hone their skills and talent in mastering some of the world’s greatest classical roles. In order to do this, the company produces work not only from classical theatre including Shakespeare, but also great American and international playwrights whose work is lively, entertaining and relevant.
Individual production tickets are now available. Tickets can be purchased from Brown Paper Tickets or ordered by phone at 1-800-838-3006. Subscription sales are also available; if patrons choose to purchase a subscription, they will receive seating for all four productions at a single discounted price. If you sign up now, you are eligible to receive a 10% discount off the regular subscription price until October 16.
