A ten-performance return of its production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot is also on the slate.

The Noise Within's 2009-10 season will include:

Richard III by William Shakespeare, directed by Geoff Elliott, Sept. 26-Dec. 12. "With an eye on the crown and a heart of flint, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, gleefully murders his way to the top. Fueled by unquenchable bloodlust and endowed with an uncanny ability to charm his victims, this 'bottled spider' weaves a tangled web and inadvertently snares his own soul. William Shakespeare breeds ruthless ambition and a wicked sense of humor to create one of literature's most memorable villains."

A Noise Within's production of Richard III is part of "Shakespeare for a New Generation," a national initiative sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus, directed by Craig Belknap, Oct. 10-Dec. 17. "This thrilling new adaptation of a towering masterpiece — undertaken by three actors in 90 breathless minutes — explores the exquisite fragility of the mind. In a desperate quest to be redeemed for the perpetration of an unspeakable crime, brilliant Raskolnikov embodies humankind's eternal struggle between enlightened genius and the temptation of evil." Noises Off by Michael Frayn, directed by Geoff Elliott, Nov. 7-Dec. 19. "Chaos reigns both onstage and off in Michael Frayn's joyfully out-of-control British farce. Under-rehearsed and over-worked, with a penchant for drama more personal than professional, a bumbling troupe of thespians ready themselves for the world premiere of a new play with the auspicious title Nothing On. In the process they bring the house down — quite literally."

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, directed by Andrew Traister, Jan. 16-24, 2010. "Atop a blasted landscape, Didi and Gogo cling to the flickering faith that Godot will come. Godot will bring answers. Godot will bring meaning. Godot will bring happiness. When will Godot come? Irish treasure Samuel Beckett's wickedly witty treatise on the nature of human existence is considered one of the greatest plays of the 20th century."

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, directed by Michael Murray, Feb. 27-May 21, 2010. "The war is over and romance is in the air. But barely has the champagne cork been popped when two formidable combatants in love, Beatrice and Benedick, create fireworks of their own. Armed with razor-edged wit and struggling with the gravitational pull of mutual attraction, these battle-hardened veterans of Cupid's little game discover how disarming true love can be in William Shakespeare's effervescent comedy of the heart."

A Noise Within's production of Much Ado About Nothing is part of "Shakespeare for a New Generation," a national initiative sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

Awake and Sing! by Clifford Odets, directed by Andrew Traister, March 13-May 23, 2010. "The economic ravages of 1930s New York threaten to destroy the tenuous ties that bind the Berger family. Matriarch Besse Berger is willing to crush her children's dreams in order to keep the struggling clan in tact. But the irrepressible spirit of youth refuses to be extinguished in gifted social dramatist Clifford Odets' soaring ode to what is good and true in the American character."

The Playboy of the Western World by John Millington Synge, directed by Geoff Elliott, April 10-May 22, 2010. "John Millington Synge, one of Ireland's most beloved playwrights, skillfully weaves a multi-colored, prism-like romantic comedy, set in the remote bogs of Ireland's wild Mayo Coast. Simultaneously haunting and hilarious, Playboy is considered his greatest achievement."

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A Noise Within's mission is "to produce the great works of world drama in rotating repertory with a company of professional, classically-trained actors and to educate the public through outreach and conservatory training programs that foster an understanding and appreciation of history's greatest plays and playwrights."

A Noise Within "is the only company in Southern California working in the repertory tradition (rotating productions using a resident ensemble of professional, trained artists) and dedicated solely to producing classical dramatic literature."

Each season, A Noise Within produces a minimum of six classic plays from authors such as Shakespeare, Molière, Miller, Calderon de la Barca, Ibsen, O'Neill and Shaw.

Visit www.anoisewithin.org.