In addition to productions of Shakespeare's As You Like It, Richard II and Henry V — the latter two will play in repertory — and Euripides' The Bacchae, the new season will boast a limited engagement of the National Theatre of Great Britain's production of Jean Racine's Phèdre starring Dame Helen Mirren.
Other highlights include George Bernard Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession, starring stage and screen actress Dixie Carter; and a David Ives adaptation of Pierre Corneille's The Liar, directed by artistic director Kahn.
Details about the Shakespeare Theatre Company's 2009-2010 season follow:
Phèdre
by Jean Racine
adapted by Ted Hughes
directed by Nicholas Hytner
Sidney Harman Hall
Sept. 17-26, 2009
"Believing her husband to be dead, the passionate Queen Phèdre allows her forbidden love for her stepson to blossom. When the King returns from war very much alive, the entire family is catapulted into a desperate, impossible situation."
Cast includes Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren, Dominic Cooper and Margaret Tyzack.
The Bacchae
by Euripides
adapted by Nicholas Rudall
directed by JoAnne Akalaitis
Lansburgh Theatre
Presented in association with The Public Theater in New York Sept. 29-Nov. 15, 2009
"Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, roars into Thebes with his wild band of female followers, the Bacchae. But when King Pentheus decrees that none may worship the young god, Dionysus unleashes the terrible power of the Bacchae on the King and anyone else who stands in his way."
Features an original score by composer Philip Glass. As You Like It
by William Shakespeare
directed by Maria Aitken
Sidney Harman Hall
Nov. 17-Dec. 20, 2009
"In the Forest of Arden, exiles from a tyrannical kingdom search for freedom. The irrepressible Rosalind, Shakespeare's most fully realized female character, finds freedom of a different kind as she pursues love in disguise."
Richard II
by William Shakespeare
directed by Michael Kahn
Sidney Harman Hall
Feb. 2-April 11, 2010
"King Richard neglects his subjects and spends lavishly, giving rise to his charismatic cousin Henry Bolingbroke. As the battle to rule England approaches, Richard's supporters abandon him for his rival. Will Richard learn what it means to be a king before he loses the crown?"
Richard II plays in repertory with Henry V.
Henry V
by William Shakespeare
directed by David Muse
Sidney Harman Hall
Feb. 4-April 10, 2010
"Young and brash King Henry V of England takes his nation to war with France. As he leads his troops into combat and experiences the true costs of war firsthand, Henry discovers that the challenges of leadership are greater than he ever imagined."
Henry V plays in repertory with Richard II.
The Liar
WORLD PREMIERE
by Pierre Corneille
translated and adapted by David Ives
directed by Michael Kahn
Lansburgh Theatre
April 6-May 23, 2010
"Dorante is charming, handsome…and a compulsive liar! When he arrives in Paris, Dorante's outlandish tales amaze and convince all who hear them, but for each problem his clever lying solves, it creates two new ones. Will he manage to keep his stories straight, his dupes none the wiser and somehow still get the girl?"
Mrs. Warren's Profession
by George Bernard Shaw
directed by Keith Baxter
Sidney Harman Hall
June 8-July 11, 2010
"Originally banned from the stage, Mrs. Warren's Profession scandalized audiences upon its debut. The world of the idealistic Vivie is turned upside down when she learns that her family's considerable wealth comes from her mother's management of a chain of brothels."
Subscriptions to the new season are now on sale by calling (202) 547-1122. For more information visit ShakespeareTheatre.org.
