Hilary Schwartz News

As literary events converge with National Poetry Month in April and World Book Day and William Shakespeare's Birthday on April 23, Chicago Shakespeare Theater is celebrating with productions and programs onstage, online, and in classrooms across the country.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 21st season continues with its biennial William Shakespeare production. In 2019, the Shakespeare production is Othello running April 11 - May 25, directed by Mignon McPherson Stewart with fight choreography by Samantha Kaufman.

Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 21st season continues with its biennial William Shakespeare production. In 2019, the Shakespeare production is Othello running April 11 - May 25, directed by Mignon McPherson Stewart with fight choreography by Samantha Kaufman.  

Babes With Blades Theatre Company's (BWBTC) 21st season continues with its biennial William Shakespeare production. In 2019, the Shakespeare production is Othello running April 11 - May 25, directed by Mignon McPherson Stewart with fight choreography by Samantha Kaufman.

Eclipse Theatre Company, the only Midwest theatre company to feature one playwright in one season, will continue its 2018 William Inge Season with the moving family drama The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, directed by guest artist Jerrell L. Henderson.

Eclipse Theatre Company, the only Midwest theatre company to feature one playwright in one season, will continueits 2018William Inge Season with the moving family drama The Dark at the Top of the Stairs,directed by guest artist Jerrell L. Henderson.

Eclipse Theatre Company, the only Midwest theatre company to feature one playwright in one season, will continueits 2018William Inge Season with the moving family drama The Dark at the Top of the Stairs,directed by guest artist Jerrell L. Henderson.

Eclipse Theatre Company, the only Midwest theatre company to feature one playwright in one season, will continue its 2018 William Inge Season with the moving family drama The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, directed by guest artist Jerrell L. Henderson.

Todd Montesi and Pat Rigby present awesome comics in front of a cool supportive crowd in the epicenter of hip NYC the East Village. Featuring both established comic veterans you've seen on TV to the up and comers, UG! guarantees a swell time all for FREE! We've also got tons of drink specials! So what are you waiting for? Come down and UG! it with us!!!

Why does Iago hate the Moor? That has always been the great question in OTHELLO and one for which Shakespeare provides no definitive answer. Yes, he feels slighted when Othello promotes Cassio over him but is that enough reason to plot the general's demise? Is it because he believes that Othello has slept with his wife, or because of the color of his skin? Or are Iago's actions fueled by something deeper like self-loathing?

Othello kicks off The Porters of Hellsgate's ninth season, with Artistic Director Charles Pasternak returning to the boards with them for the first time since his award-nominated performance as Henry V just one year ago. The production runs now through March 28, 2015.

The Porters of Hellsgate present The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare, produced by The Porters of Hellsgate and directed by Jesse James Thomas, playing through November 15 at the Actors Forum.

THE WINTER'S TALE is not the easiest of Shakespeare's plays to stage. It must believably present a story sharply divided into two parts set in two different countries with drastically contrasting tones, and pull off an ending that resolves them by way of magic or a well-concealed plot, based on whichever point of view the director takes. The violence of the first half of the play in Sicilia (winter) melts away in the pastoral beauty of Bohemia (spring) in the second where the story continues sixteen years later before reuniting the past and present and absolving the sins of a repentant king.

'No Name... & A Bag O' Chips' comedy / variety show producer, Eric Vetter recently announced two February 2014 shows at Otto's in Manhattan with the first - on Friday, February 14th - to feature actor / playwright Aladdin Ullah (Dishwasher Dreams), Dave Lester (TV One's 'Who's Got Jokes with Bill Bellamy') and illusionist Lee Alan Barrett.

'No Name... & A Bag O' Chips' comedy / variety show producer, Eric Vetter recently announced three May 2013 shows at Otto's in Manhattan. The fun begins on Friday, May 10th with performers Leighann Lord (Fox News "Strategy Room," ), Bob Greenberg (Late Show with David Letterman) and Rachael Parenta (New York Underground Comedy Festival).

The Open Fist Theatre Company has announced that its smash-hit, critically-acclaimed production of FOOTE NOTES, written by Horton Foote and directed by Scott Paulin is extending again through Saturday, February 23 at the Open Fist Theatre, 6209 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

The Porters of Hellsgate present William Shakespeare's KING LEAR, starring Larry Cedar and directed by Thomas Bigley. Check out the video below, of Director Thomas Bigley discussing KING LEAR.