All the World's a Stage
You no longer need to book a plane ticket to New York or London to see a Shakespearean play. The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane began its 32nd season on June 6, with four productions planned for the summer.
Established in 1993, the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival aims to showcase Shakespeare's plays to a new generation. From mixing Shakespeare with jazz to setting A Comedy of Errors in the '80s, the festival's team of directors and actors reimagines the Bard's plays for today's audiences.
Witness the Drama of The Imaginary Invalid
Ryder Thornton's translation of The Imaginary Invalid began its theatrical run on June 6, staging 12 performances throughout June. Written by Moliere in 1673, the three-act play is a fusion of dance and humor known as a comédie-ballet.
Obsessed with his imaginary illness, hypochondriac Argan plots to marry his daughter to a doctor. Chaos ensues as his daughter, Angelique, and her maid, Toinette, attempt to foil Argan's plans.
Watch one of the final performances of The Imaginary Invalid between June 20 and June 22.
Improv with the Fools Ensemble
There is no better pairing than Shakespeare and improv. The Fools Ensemble agrees with this sentiment, performing an improvised "Shakespearean" play as part of the festival.
A Very Important Play, Again is a brand-new production created and acted by the Fools Ensemble on the spot. The play promises to be unique from any Shakespearean performance you have seen before or will again.
Become an actor in a Shakespearean play with The Fools Ensemble's improv show on June 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Join the Family Feud with King Lear
The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival performs a theatrical experiment with its (un)prompted production of King Lear. The performances put local actors to the test as they must learn, rehearse, and perform the entirety of King Lear in a single day.
When King Lear decides to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, he offers the largest piece of land to the one who loves him most. While Goneril and Regan exaggerate their love for Lear, Cordelia, the king's favorite daughter, refuses. Thus begins Lear's downward spiral into insanity.
Pick a side while watching the one-night-only performance of King Lear, opening June 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Become Enchanted by A Midsummer Night's Dream
One of Shakespeare's most popular comedies, A Midsummer Night's Dream, is the perfect production for the summer. The play is Shakespeare's version of a romantic comedy, complete with magic and fairies.
A Midsummer Night's Dream follows a group of lovers caught in the crossfire of a feud between fairy royalty. The resulting chain of events involves a long night of love spells, physical transformations, and mistaken identities.
Spend the night in an Athenian forest at one of the Shakespeare Festival's 12 showings of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The comedy premieres July 10 at 7:30 p.m., with performances every weekend in July.
Shakespeare in New Orleans
All performances of the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival will take place in the Lupin Theater at Tulane University. Tickets are available online for $40, with student and senior discounts applicable for select guests.
If you want to support the festival without attending the show, consider making a $5 donation or purchase merchandise from the online shop.
Delve into a world of complicated scandals, star-crossed lovers, and evil villains at one of the four Shakespeare festival productions.
