Orlando Shakes Returns For Season 33

For the first time since closing its doors due to the pandemic in March 2020, Orlando Shakes in partnership with UCF will return to its artistic home inside the Lowndes Shakespeare Center. Orlando Shakes' 2021-2022 Homecoming Season lineup features seven world-class, professional productions, all to be performed on the iconic Margeson Theater thrust stage, including a great American classic musical featuring Broadway legend Davis Gaines and the long anticipated continuation of the Fire and Reign series.

To kick-off the season, Every Brilliant Thing explores how life's exhilarating highs can lift us up from our devastating lows in a humorous and heartwarming one-man show told in collaboration with the audience. Next up, Intimate Apparel follows an African American heroine's journey of self discovery and the will to survive in New York City during the turn of the twentieth century. For the holidays, a magical new adaptation of A Christmas Carol will bring the family together and melt the heart of even the most miserly Scrooge. The new year brings a PlayFest alum to the stage: Sweet Water Taste is an irreverent comedy addressing the racial divide in the 21st century. Audiences are invited to step into the romantic and whimsical world of music, moonlight, and magic with The Fantasticks, featuring Broadway legend Davis Gaines. The season continues with Shakespeare's rivals to lovers romcom, Much Ado About Nothing. Closing Orlando Shakes' Homecoming Season, the Fire and Reign series returns with the Bare Bard: Henry IV, Part 2.

"After a season away, we cannot wait to celebrate our homecoming return to the Margeson Theater," Jim Helsinger, Orlando Shakes' artistic director, said. "This season is full of fantastic productions and we could not be more excited to bring Davis Gaines back to Orlando Shakes. Our patrons will remember him from our productions of Les Misérables and Man of La Mancha, but of course he is best known as the longest running star of Broadway's Phantom of the Opera."

All of the upcoming season's indoor offerings will appear on the Margeson Theater stage. While the space generally seats over 300 guests, at least the first two shows of the season will feature socially distanced seating. Orlando Shakes' safety plan is subject to change and will continue to evolve as guidelines are set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local government, and the professional union for actors and stage managers, Actors' Equity Association (AEA).

"Safety first and always. We've made sure that all the spaces in our building have better than required ventilation, that our high touch points are thoroughly sanitized and that our staff and artists are tested weekly for COVID-19," says Douglas Love-Ramos, managing director at Orlando Shakes. "We've worked diligently to not become a casualty of the pandemic. We know that our Homecoming season of professional theater will delight our audiences and we are making sure that we have created a safe and healthy space for audiences to confidently return home."

To celebrate their return, Orlando Shakes formed the Homecoming Society fundraising effort. By donating at one of several tiered levels and joining the Homecoming Society, patrons are presented a unique opportunity to ensure the arts don't just survive the pandemic, but thrive moving forward. Members will be acknowledged throughout the Homecoming Season with benefits like name recognition on a Homecoming Society banner in the Orlando Shakes lobby throughout Season 33, a limited edition "Homecoming Society" pin, and more.

"We are proud of the extraordinary team that continues to work to bring our incredible productions to life. Unfortunately, the climate of the past year has caused disruptions in their employment. With support from our patrons, we can put the disruptions of the pandemic behind us as we enter the next season and ensure that our devoted staff members can resume their employment uninterrupted going forward," Orlando Shakes Director of Development Dana Nichols says.

Learn more about the Homecoming Society here: https://www.orlandoshakes.org/2021/04/05/orlando-shakes-homecoming-society/

The theater's current season subscribers can renew their subscriptions now. Tickets to Orlando Shakes' Homecoming Season go on sale to the public on August 31, 2021.

Orlando Shakes is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the State of Florida. Orlando Shakes is funded in part by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program. Orlando Shakes is supported by United Arts of Central Florida, host of OrlandoAtPlay.com and UAArtsEd.com.

Orlando Shakes' Fire and Reign series presented by Brian Phillips P.A. and Albert and Lisa Prast.

SIGNATURE SERIES

Every Brilliant Thing

By Duncan MacMillan with Jonny Donahoe

September 22 - October 16, 2021

"One of the funniest plays you'll ever see about depression-and possibly one of the funniest plays you'll ever see, full stop." - The Guardian UK

Laughter is the antidote to all things. When mom is depressed, a young child sets out to assemble a list of all the things that make life wonderful, from "ice cream" to "sunshine" to "laughing so hard milk shoots out your nose." The list grows as the child progresses from adolescence to adulthood. Told in collaboration with the audience, this uplifting story explores resilience and the lengths we will go for those we love.

Intimate Apparel

By Lynn Nottage

October 27 - November 20, 2021

Set during the turn of the twentieth century, the drama, by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, deftly weaves together a story that explores the complexities of identity, vulnerability, and human resilience. Sewing exquisite lingerie gives Esther, an African American seamstress, an intimate look at the love lives of her diverse clientele, but leaves her yearning for a romance of her own. When a letter arrives from a stranger, she embarks on a journey to build the life she's longed for.

A Christmas Carol

Original Book by Charles Dickens | Adapted By Jim Helsinger

December 1 - 24, 2021

The heartwarming Christmas classic comes to life onstage in an all-new adaptation by Artistic Director Jim Helsinger. The miserly and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge greets each Christmas with a "bah humbug," until he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Featuring your favorite carols and awe-inspiring special effects, this delightful rendition tells the iconic tale of one man's chance to change for the better. Gather together to witness the Christmas magic and create a tradition for the whole family.

Sweet Water Taste

By Gloria Bond Clunie

January 5 - 22, 2022

All hell-and a little bit of heaven-break loose when Elijah Beckford, a prominent Southern Black undertaker, approaches his white cousin and demands to be buried in "the family cemetery." First seen at Orlando Shakes as a PlayFest reading, this irreverent comedy takes a hilarious look at the modern racial divide as two families find the meaning in their shared history.

The Fantasticks

Words By Tom Jones | Music By Harvey Schmidt

February 2 - 26, 2022
Featuring Broadway legend Davis Gaines as the narrator El Gallo in a timeless and whimsical tale of young lovers, meddling parents, and a bond that matures in adversity. The longest-running musical in world history has been refreshed for the new century and is the perfect celebration of theatre and the eternal power of love. Featuring an award winning score including breakout songslike "Try to Remember," and "Soon It's Gonna Rain" and many more.

Much Ado About Nothing

By William Shakespeare

March 9 - April 2, 2022
"When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married." Lies and deceit threaten to bring lovers together or tear them apart in Shakespeare's sharp-tongued romantic comedy. Love's in the air when Don Pedro's army, including Claudio and Benedick, returns victorious from war. Claudio must navigate the passions and jealousies of courting when he falls smitten for the beautiful Hero. Meanwhile, their friends devise a scheme to spark a romance between the confirmed bachelor Benedick and his long-time adversary, Beatrice.

Bare Bard: Henry IV, Part 2

By William Shakespeare

April 13 - 24, 2022
The Fire & Reign Series returns in this stripped down Shakespearean special event.

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." Orlando Shakes' actors will tackle Henry IV, Part 2 with less than 40 hours of rehearsal, no designers, and no director - just like the acting companies of Shakespeare's time! In this special event, you'll see William Shakespeare's story of burnt bridges and growing pains stripped down to a lively, raw, rambunctious performance, like nothing you've experienced before.