The Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival recently announced its cast line up for this summer’s Shakespeare by the Sea XXXIV and Shakespeare by the Palms IV production of William Shakespeare’s King Lear.
The free, outdoor Shakespeare by the Sea is presented in partnership with Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation on July 11-14 and July 18-21 at the Seabreeze Amphitheatre in Jupiter’s Carlin Park. The encore performance of Shakespeare by the Palms is presented by the Village of Royal Palm Beach on July 25-28. The gates open at 6:30 p.m. with pre-show entertainment. Performances start at 8 p.m. each evening. A donation of $5 per person is suggested.
The Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival production of King Lear is adapted and directed by Trent Stephens. This year’s cast includes Amy Simms as King Lear, Caroline Tarantolo as Regan, Casey McNamara as Albany, Darryl Willis as Gloucester, Julia Kirk as Oswald, Kelly Hussey as Goneril, Kyler O’Brien as Edgar, Lee Ritter as Kent, Matthew Paszkiet as Edmund, Sara Grant as Cordelia/The Fool and Seth Trucks as Cornwall.
Considered “one of the greatest tragedies ever performed,” this year’s production of King Lear is a premiere for Palm Beach County’s longest-running professional performing arts company. Caught in a carousel of memory, the head of a dysfunctional royal family grapples with power-hungry children and the threat of losing the empire he created. Real and imagined worlds coalesce, creating a political and personal horror that threatens to swallow the mind of the monarch.
Shakespeare by the Palms IV takes place July 25-28 at the Commons Park Amphitheater in Royal Palm Beach Commons Park, located at 11600 Poinciana Blvd. Performances start at 8 p.m. and run until 10 p.m. with a 15-minute intermission. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. with pre-show entertainment. Visitors are invited to bring a beach chair, blanket and picnic basket, or enjoy on-site concessions. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $5 per person.
Shakespeare by the Sea XXXIV is a co-production of the Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival Inc. and Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation. Grant funding is provided by the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Publix Supermarket Charities and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County through the Board of County Commissioners.
Shakespeare by the Palms IV is presented by the Village of Royal Palm Beach. Additional sponsors include Gary and Katherine Parr, Frank Cona and Lisa Calberg, and an anonymous donor. In-kind sponsors include the Benjamin School, Florida Weekly and Palm Beach Atlantic University. Private and corporate sponsorships are still available. To learn more about sponsor opportunities, e-mail elizabeth@pbshakespeare.org.
The Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival is a professional theater company dedicated to enhancing the accessibility and appreciation for Shakespearean, classic and contemporary theater for all ages and socioeconomic levels. Learn more at www.pbshakespeare.org.
