Cymbeline

July 17-August 4, 2019

Parkman Bandstand, Boston Common

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Fred Sullivan, Jr.

Schedule
Wednesday, July 17 at 8:00pm
Thursday, July 18 at 8:00pm
Friday, July 19 at 8:00pm
Saturday, July 20 at 8:00pm
Sunday, July 21 at 7:00pm
Tuesday, July 23 at 8:00pm
Wednesday, July 24 at 8:00pm
Thursday, July 25 at 8:00pm
Friday, July 26 at 8:00pm
Saturday, July 27 at 8:00pm
Sunday, July 28 at 7:00pm
Tuesday, July 30 at 8:00pm
Wednesday, July 31 at 8:00pm
Thursday, August 1 at 8:00pm
Friday, August 2 at 8:00pm
Saturday, August 3 at 3:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday, August 4 at 7:00pm

Performances are FREE and open to the public.
Tuesday–Saturday at 8pm, Sundays at 7pm (off Mondays)
Matinee performance on Saturday, August 3 at 3pm

Running time: 2.5 hours including intermission

Accessibility Performances:
Open Captioned: Friday, July 26 (Raindate: Sat, July 27)
ASL Interpreted: Friday, Aug 2 + Saturday, August 3 (8pm); (Raindate: Sun, Aug 4)
Audio Described:  Saturday, August 3 (3pm); (Raindate: Sun, Aug 4)

Synopsis
Free Shakespeare on the Common takes up residence once again with Shakespeare’s lovely mystical dramedy Cymbeline. The play chronicles the fates of King Cymbeline and his family through a journey of deception, intrigue and separation. Join his daughter Imogen, one of Shakespeare’s most beloved heroines, as she is swept into a nearly mythic realm of mistaken identities, twists and turns, and the all-consuming quest for true love.
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Friends Section Chairs
Free Shakespeare on the Common is made possible each year through a combination of grants, sponsorships, and donations collected through the Friends Section program.  The Friends Section consists of lawn chairs set in front of the stage for your convenience.  Individuals can reserve a chair at a performance with a donation of $60 per chair, with all proceeds going directly towards the cost of the production. Starting July 17, chairs increase to $75 during performance weeks. Online reservations can be made up to 5 hours prior to the performance.

Friends Section chairs are preassigned. You will be seated at the performance by a member of our team. You must select the performance date you would like to attend at time of purchase or seats will not be reserved.

All donations are NON-REFUNDABLE.  Proceeds from the Friends Section help keep Shakespeare on the Common free for all!

Free Shakespeare on the Common Sponsors: Babson College, WGBH, Xfinity, Ovation TV, The Klarman Family Foundation, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Massachusetts Cultural Council, The Boston Globe, Boston Common Magazine, Interiors Boston, Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, Shakesbeer, Vantage Graphics, The Highland Street Foundation, Mix 104.1, Boston Parks and Recreation Department, The Boston Cultural Council.
Picnic Basket Offer from Ritz-Carlton Boston

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cast

Kelby Akin
Cloten

Kelby Akin makes his fifth appearance at CSC.  Other area credits include Death of a Salesman (IRNE award winner, Best Supporting Actor), 33 Variations, The Understudy and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (Lyric Stage).  Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet, Paul and The Glass Menagerie (Sandra-Feinstein Gamm Theatre).  Richard III, All The King’s Men and A Christmas Carol (Trinity Rep).  Kelby has also enjoyed featured roles in “Patriots Day”, “Detroit”, “The Heat” and several other major releases.

Remo Airaldi
Pisanio

Remo Airaldi has appeared with CSC in Cymbeline, Richard III, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Twelfth Night, The Two Gentleman of Verona, Coriolanus, All’s Well That Ends Well, The Comedy of Errors, and The Taming of the Shrew. He has appeared in over sixty productions at the American Repertory Theater, including Night of the IguanaOliver Twist (also at Theatre for a New Audience and Berkeley Repertory Theatre), and Island of Slaves (IRNE Award—Outstanding Actor). Other credits: Shakespeare in Love (Speakeasy Stage), Murder on the Orient Express, Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Foxes, My Fair Lady, and Sweeney Todd (Lyric Stage), Exposed (Boston Playwrights’ Theater), Mistero Buffo (The Poets’ Theatre), Frankenstein and The Hound of the Baskervilles (Central Square Theater),The King of Second Avenue (New Repertory Theatre) and productions at Hartford Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, Geffen Playhouse, Cirque du Soleil, American Conservatory Theater, Walnut Street Theatre, Actors’ Theatre of Louisville. He teaches acting, improvisation and public speaking at Harvard University.

Daniel Duque-Estrada
Posthumus Leonatus
Daniel Duque-Estrada
Posthumus Leonatus

Daniel Duque-Estrada is thrilled to be making his CSC debut. He is currently a Member of Trinity Rep’s resident acting company and has been a resident actor at the Dallas Theater Center as well as two seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He holds an MFA in acting from the Brown/Trinity MFA acting program.

Nora Eschenheimer
Princess Imogen
Nora Eschenheimer
Princess Imogen

Nora Eschenheimer is delighted to return to CSC after last appearing as Miranda in The Tempest, and Imogen in Cymbeline (Elliot Norton Award nomination). Her other recent credits include Rosalind in As You Like it, Perdita in The Winter’s Tale, and Gwendolen Fairfax in The Importance of Being Earnest at the Gamm Theatre, as well as Rachel Brown in Inherit the Wind at the Ocean State Theatre Company, and the Princess of France in Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. She would like to thank all the scientists and healthcare workers who made a return to the live performing arts possible. www.noraeschenheimer.com | @noraeschenheimer

Tony Estrella
King Cymbeline
Tony Estrella
King Cymbeline

Tony Estrella has extensive experience in Shakespeare as both an actor and director. Favorite roles include Hamlet, Macbeth, Henry V, Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing and Leontes in The Winter’s Tale.  His film/TV work includes Martin Scorsese’s The Departed”, Kenneth Lonergan’s “Manchester by The Sea” and Greta Gerwig’s upcoming “Little Women”. He is also the author of new versions of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Hedda Gabler as well as works by Friedrich Schiller and the world premiere adaptation of Barry Unsworth’s Morality Play. Since 2002, Tony has been Artistic Director of the Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre and has been on the faculty of the University of Rhode Island since 1997 where he teaches Shakespeare in the BFA acting program.

Tom Gleadow
Belarius
Jonathan Higginbotham
Guiderius/ Fight Captain
Jonathan Higginbotham
Guiderius/ Fight Captain

Jonathan Higginbotham’s credits include: Cymbeline (Yale Repertory Theater), Richard II (Lincoln Center Theater Director’s Lab), Peer Gynt From Kosovo (Lincoln Center Theater Director’s Lab), Twelfth Night (Elm Shakespeare Company), Not Medea (Art House Productions), and The Feels…KMS (New Ohio Theater). Jonathan received his MFA from Yale School of Drama where he was seen in The Three SistersUbu RoiMacbethA Midsummer Night’s DreamThe Oresteia, and In The Red and Brown Water (Yale Cabaret). Jonathan studied at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford and holds a BA in theater from Hamilton College.

Jesse Hinson
Iachimo

Jesse Hinson is excited to be making his CSC debut.  Merrimack Repertory Theatre: Christmas at Pemberly.  Speakeasy Stage Company: Shakespeare in Love.  Central Square Theatre: Photograph 51. Actors’ Shakespeare Project: Exit the King, The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale, King Henry VI Part 2, The Comedy of Errors, As You Like It, Pericles, Twelfth Night, Antony and Cleopatra. New Repertory Theater: The Whipping Man, Holiday Memories. Greater Boston Stage Company: Seminar, Miracle on 34th Street. The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theater: As You Like It, ArcadiaThe Winter’s Tale, Morality Play Berkshire Theatre Group: The Puppetmaster of Lodz, Moonchildren, Macbeth, The Einstein Project, A Christmas Carol. Georgia Shakespeare: Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Coriolanus, Cymbeline. Jesse earned an MFA in acting at Brandeis University and a BA in theatre at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA. He is an assistant teaching professor at Northeastern University.

Jeanine Kane
Queen

Jeanine Kane last appeared with CSC as Regan in King Lear. A resident actor at the Gamm Theatre, some favorite roles have been Hannah in The Night of the Iguana, Jaques in As You Like It, Elizabeth in King Elizabeth, Paulina in The Winter’s Tale, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Margaret in Good People, Maureen in The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and Nora in A Doll’s House. Other regional theatres include Trinity Rep Company and Boston Playwrights’ Theatre. She teaches acting and speech classes at Massasoit Community College and speech communications at Emerson College.

Gunnar Manchester
Caius Lucius

CSC: Cymbeline. Brown/Trinity: Summer and Smoke, Tiny Beautiful Things, Christmas Carol. Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theater: As You Like It, Uncle Vanya, Arcadia, Ironbound. Actor’s Shakespeare Project: Exit the King. Wilbury Theatre Group: Church, Spring Awakening, Straight White Men, Great Comet of 1812. Williamstown Theater Festival: Late Night Cabaret, 27 Ways I Didn’t Say Hi to Laurence Fishburne. Epic Theatre Co: Red Speedo. Gunnar is a graduate of Bates College, and of the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA program. @snugmanchester, gunnarmanchester.com

Richard Noble
Philario

Richard Noble has appeared previously with CSC as Edward IV et al. in Richard III (2018),  Philario et al. in Cymbeline (2019), and Alonso in the script-in-hand online performance of The Tempest (2020). In Rhode Island he has also appeared in numerous productions of the Perishable, Epic, Burbage, Gamm, and other theatres. In (much) earlier days he appeared in a couple of dozen productions at Wesleyan University, was a member of the Dartmouth Summer Rep, and frequently appeared with the Parish Players in Thetford, Vermont. Until his recent retirement he also performed daily as “Rare Materials Cataloger” in the Brown University Library.

Nigel Richards
Lord

Nigel Richards is thrilled to be making his CSC debut. He has done productions with Trinity Repertory Company. The Wilbury Theater Group: Passing Strange, Spring Awakening. Peregrine Theater Ensemble: Hair. Nigel is a rising junior at Boston Conservatory at Berklee in the BFA Musical Theater program.

Rodney Witherspoon II
Officer/ Guard

Rodney Witherspoon II is a New England based actor and writer. A Los Angeles native, he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and is an MFA candidate at the Brown University/ Trinity Repertory Company MFA program in Acting. He is also a teaching artist at Trinity Rep’s Young Actors Summer Institute (YASI). He has worked with Berkeley Repertory Company (CA), Wilbury Theatre Group, Mixed Magic Theater (RI), ART Station, Vanguard Repertory Company, Marietta’s New Theatre in the Square, the Sanford Performing Arts Center, and Atlanta Actors Equity (GA).

Erika Anclade
Helen

Erika Anclade  A recent grad of Yale University. She played the Mistress in Passion at the Yale School of Drama and Lady Macbeth in her senior thesis production of Macbeth. Her NY credits include the Off-Broadway revival of Fiorello! (Classic Stage Company) and a reading of Better Than Dreaming, a new musical, at the York Theatre Company.

Chet R. Davino
Lord/ Ghost of Brother
Chet R. Davino
Lord/ Ghost of Brother

Chet R. Davino is incredibly excited to be joining CSC for their 2019 season.  Since graduating Dean College’s School of the Arts in 2014, he has been working as an actor and fight choreographer for community and professional theaters around the northeast. His recent work includes performing as Melchior (Spring Awakening, The Warner Theater), Prince Eric (The Little Mermaid, Company Theater), & JD (Heathers, Enter Stage Left).

Zachary Gibb
Officer/ Guard/ Roman Captain
Zachary Gibb
Officer/ Guard/ Roman Captain

Zachary Gibb is an actor from Providence, Rhode Island. Previous productions include Inherit the Wind at the Ocean State Theatre Company as well as many shows at Swamp Meadow Community Theatre. He has trained at The Gamm Theatre, and has spent the last six years working as a software engineer.

John Hardin
Lord

John Hardin is excited and grateful to be making his CSC debut. Previous Shakespeare credits include the title role in Hamlet (Adirondack Shakespeare Company), Ferdinand in The Tempest (Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival), and The Porter in Macbeth (Shakespeare on the Sound). In addition to his acting work, John is a chess teacher and coach with clients all over the country. Training: Stella Adler Studio (NYU Tisch)

Gregory Hermann
Philharmonius/ Ghost of Brother
Gregory Hermann
Philharmonius/ Ghost of Brother

Gregory Hermann is a graduate of the Experimental Theatre Wing and Classical Studio at New York University.

Ashley Knaack
Lady of Court
Ashley Knaack
Lady of Court

Ashley Knaack is a recent BFA Musical Theatre graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory.  Her conservatory credits include Hecuba in The Trojan Women, Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret, Victoria Woodhull in Onward Victoria, and Elizabeth Welsh in Blue Stockings. Professionally, Ashley has appeared in My Fair Lady, Sweeney Todd, and The Pirates of Penzance with Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre and in 5-Star Theatricals’ Beauty and the Beast, and as Mrs. Spencer in 4-Leaf Theatricals’ Merrily We Roll Along.

Mihir Kumar
Cornelius
Mihir Kumar
Cornelius

Mihir Kumar is making his debut with CSC. Recent credits include: Regional: Shakespeare Theatre Company: Richard III. International: The Australian Shakespeare Company (Melbourne): The Comedy of Errors. Training: UCLA: BA in Communication Studies & Theatre; American Conservatory Theater; National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). Web: Instagram: mihir.is.here.

Armand Lane
Ghost of Sicilius Leonatus
Armand Lane
Ghost of Sicilius Leonatus

Armand Lane is classically trained in both stage and voice.  He has worked in productions ranging from the classics to musicals in off-Broadway houses, regional theaters, and even a fort from time to time. Recent credits include Measure for Measure (Angelo), Silence! The Musical (Crawford/Papa Shtarling), and King Lear (Cornwall). @armand.lane

Brian Pollock
Frenchman

Brian Pollock is an actor-director, clown teacher, and resident actor at the Flea Theater in NYC. Brian is thrilled to return to CSC. Since his apprenticeship in 2013. NYC: Not My Monster, Serials (Flea), The Witch of St. Elmora Street (Wolfpack Theatrics). CSC: The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Cymbeline. Italy: The Iliad, Captain Gloriosus (Continuum Company). Film: “At the End of the EPA” (Musical Short, Hackstage). Brian received a BFA in Drama at NYU Tisch.

Michael Underhill
Arviragus

Michael Underhill previously appeared at CSC in Cymbeline, Othello, Two Gentleman of Verona (u/s), Macbeth (CSC2), Richard III, and Romeo & Juliet (CSC2). He is a graduate from Northeastern University and a Boston born and bred actor. Additional roles include the title role in King John (Praxis Stage), Actor #1 in Hotel Nepenthe (Brown Box Theatre) and Joseph Surface in School for Scandal (Actors’ Shakespeare Project). Other regional credits include the Huntington Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Central Square Theatre and imaginary beasts. Find out more at www.michaeljunderhill.com 

Sarah Vasilevsky
Lady of Court/ Ghost of Mother
Sarah Vasilevsky
Lady of Court/ Ghost of Mother

Sarah Vasilevsky is excited to be joining CSC once again, for their performances of Romeo & Juliet (Lady Capulet) and Cymbeline.  Recent favorite credits include; Measure for Measure (Isabella; CSC Apprentice Program), Romeo & Juliet (Benvolio, Lady Capulet, Shakespeare Now!), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Helena, Titania, Shakespeare Now!). Sarah has recently graduated from Suffolk University where she studied Theatre, with a focus in Acting. SarahVasilevsky.org

Creative Team

Fred Sullivan, Jr.
Director

Fred Sullivan is celebrating 16 seasons with CSC. On the Common, Fred has played Bottom, Jaques (Norton Award winner), Ageon, Brabantio, Parolles, Menenius, First Gangster (Kiss Me Kate at the Hatch Shell) Malvolio (Norton Award nominee), Gloucester, Holoferness, Capulet, Buckingham, Stephano  and he directed 2019’s Cymbeline and adapted our one-man A Christmas Carol. Most recently, Fred appeared at the Lyric Stage Company as Ben Jonson in The Book of Will and as Tim in The Cake. He spent 35 seasons as a resident actor at Trinity Repertory Company in RI where he appeared in 130 plays and received Norton and IRNE awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in Blithe Spirit and His Girl Friday. His Trinity roles included Falstaff, Harold Hill, Captain Hook, Oscar Madison, James Tyrone, Jr, Daddy Warbucks, Creon, Peer Gynt,  Joe Pitt, Alfie Doolittle, Scrooge, Nick Bottom and 118 others. At Trinity, Fred directed Shooting Star, A Christmas Carol and Boeing Boeing. Fred is a  Resident Director for the Gamm Theatre (25 seasons) where he directed 35 productions including Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet (each twice) The Winter’s Tale, Macbeth, The Tempest , King Lear, and Awake at Sing (Norton Award for Outstanding Production). As an actor at Gamm, he played Donny in American Buffalo, Autolycus in The Winter’s Tale, Potter/Clarence in It’s a Wonderful Life, Aslasken in A Lie Agreed Upon and Mark Rothko in Red. Fred has also performed at NJ Shakespeare Festival, Dallas Theatre Center, Berkeley Rep, and Actor’s Theatre of Louisville. He is featured in the films: Vault, Saving Christmas (w/ Ed Asner), Mister Birthday, Agent Toby Barks and Almost Mercy. He teaches acting at Gamm and RISD.

 

William Shakespeare
Playwright

William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon. His birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April, which is also believed to be the date on which he died in 1616. Shakespeare was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre (sometimes referred to as the English Renaissance or the Early Modern Period). Shakespeare’s plays are perhaps his most enduring legacy, but they are not the only things he wrote. Shakespeare’s poetry has also remained popular to this day.

Shakespeare’s work includes 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, a collection of 154 sonnets, and other poems as well. No original manuscripts of Shakespeare’s plays are known to exist today, and about half of Shakespeare’s plays are only available to us because a group of actors in his company collected them for publication after his death. These writings were brought together in what is known as the First Folio (‘Folio’ refers to the size of the paper used). It contained 36 of his plays, and none of his poetry. Shakespeare’s legacy is as rich and diverse as his work; his plays have spawned countless adaptations across multiple genres and cultures, and his plays have had an enduring presence on stage and film.

His writings have been compiled in various iterations of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by different entities, which usually include all of his plays, his sonnets, and his other poems. From Stratford to London and beyond, William Shakespeare was and is one of the most important literary figures of the English language.

 

Jessica Hill
Co-Scenic Designer
Jessica Hill
Co-Scenic Designer
Patrick Lynch
Co-Scenic Designer
Patrick Lynch
Co-Scenic Designer

Patrick LynchPrevious CSC: Othello. Trinity Rep: A Flea In Her Ear, Veronica Meadows, Intimate Apparel, Boeing Boeing, A Christmas Carol (2010 & 2014), Shooting Star. Long Wharf Theatre: Smart People. Gamm: The Night of The Iguana, The Importance Of Being Earnest, The Children’s Hour, American Buffalo, The Winter’s Tale, and many more. Brown/Trinity MFA Program: The Good Person of Szechwan, Neva, In The Next Room Or The Vibrator Play, The Skin Of Our Teeth, Middletown, and many more. Greater Boston Stage Company: Million Dollar Quartet. Emerson Stage: Urinetown and Titanic. Associate/assistant design credits: Bright Star, Wicked, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Fortress Of Solitude, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Velocity of Autumn. Patrick has an M.F.A. from Carnegie-Mellon. Member: USA829. patricklynch.carbonmade.com

Eric Southern
Lighting Design
Eric Southern
Lighting Design
Eric Southern is a lighting designer for theater, opera, music, and dance. With CSC Richard III (set and Lighting Design, IRNE Nomination), Cymbeline, Twelfth Night, Coriolanus, Love’s Labor’s Lost, and Two Gentlemen of Verona.  Other recent projects include: Echo Mine an evening length dance by Robyn Mineko Williams with music by Caliphone (Harris Theater); Knee Plays a semi staged re-orchestration of the seminal works of David Byrne and Phillip Glass (The Crossing); Riddle of the Trilobites (Collaboration Town, New Victory Theater); The Good Swimmer, a pop requiem created by Heidi Rodewald, Donna DiNovelli, and Kevin Newbury (BAM Next Wave); After the Blast, Ghost Light, Bull in a China Shop, and The Harvest (Lincoln Center); Buyer and Cellar (Barrow Street Theater, Mark Taper Forum, London and National Tour). He is a longtime collaborator with the award-winning theater group 600 HIGHWAYMEN where he has designed Manmade Earth, The Fever, Employee of the Year, The Record, Empire City, This Great Country, and Everyone is Chanting Your Name. Internationally, his designs have been seen in London at the Mernier Chocolate Factory, in Paris at the Pompidou Center and at Park de la Villette, in Avignon at the Avignon Opera House, as well as in Seoul, Greece, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Bosnia, Switzerland, Germany, The Netherlands, Abu Dhabi, and Hungary.In the US, his work has been seen at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Manhattan Theater Club, Hubbard Street Dance Atlantic Theater Company, The Guthrie Theater, Dallas Theater Center, Playwrights Horizons, The Goodman Theater, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Westport Country Playhouse, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Baltimore Center Stage, Asolo Rep, Virginia Opera, Portland Center Stage, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, The Arden Theater, The Magic Theater, Kansas City Repertory, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (among others).  He is an assistant professor at Northwestern University and received his B.F.A. and M.F.A from NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
Elisabetta Polito
Costume Design
Elisabetta Polito
Costume Design

Elisabetta Polito*-Recent Costume Design work: Camelot, Peter and the StarcatcherSaturday Night/Sunday MorningCity of AngelsInto the Woods, Water by the Spoonful, Stones in His Pockets, Time Stands Still.  Cyrano, The Last Schwartz, Out of Sterno (Gloucester Stage Company). Inherit the Wind (Ocean State Theater Company). Dog Fight, Big Fish, A Future Perfect, Necessary Monsters, The Color Purple, Kurt Vonnegut: Make up your Mind, In the Heights, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (SpeakEasy Stage). Mary Poppins (Wheelock Family Theater).  A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,  How to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingAddams Family: The Musical, Unbleached American, Bernarda Alba, These Shining Lives, The NutcrackerThe Rimers of Eldritch (Stoneham Theater). The Pajama Game (Boston Conservatory). Blood at the Root, The Wiz, OthelloInner City BluesIn the Heights (Boston Arts Academy). Marie Antoinette: Color of Flesh (Providence College). White Christmas (The Company Theatre).  L’Elisire d’amore, L’ Amico Fritz , Il Campanello, MarthaThe Bartered Bride,  The Merry Wives of Windsor (Boston Midsummer Opera).  The Love of the Nightingale (Emerson College). Into the WoodsThe Importance of Being Earnest, The Cherry Orchard, Hairspray, Metamorphoses, Imaginary Invalid (Concord Academy). RentDr. Faustus (Suffolk University). Funnyhouse of a NegroThree Sisters (Brandeis Theatre Company). 2016 recipient of an Elliot Norton Award. *Member USA 829.

Peter Hurowitz
Sound Design
Peter Hurowitz
Sound Design

Peter Hurowitz is excited to be working on his first show for CSC. He is the Resident Sound designer and Sound Engineer at Trinity Repertory Company where he is completing his 23rd season.  This season he has designed A Christmas Carol, Black Odyssey, Macbeth and Little Shop of Horrors. 

Milly Massey
Composer/ Music Director
Milly Massey
Composer/ Music Director

Milly Massey is honored to join this great project at CSC. Recent credits include: Assistant Director The Importance of Being Earnest, Arcadia and The Winter’s Tale, LeBeau/Martext As You Like It, Nurse/Musical Director A Streetcar Named Desire, Second Nun The House of Blue Leaves (Gamm Theatre); Musical Director/Mrs. Blair Inherit the Wind (Ocean State Theatre Company); Viv in Di and Viv and Rose, Musical Director, Futurity, Assistant Director Stupid F*%$!! Bird, Co-Musical Director This Beautiful City (Wilbury Group). After 20 years in New York as an advertising executive, Milly is now Director of Fine and Performing Arts at The Gordon School. She is a board member of The Wilbury Group and a teaching artist with Trinity Repertory’s YASI program.

Nile Hawver
Fight Director
Nile Hawver
Fight Director

Nile Hawver is a Boston-based actor, musician, photographer, and fight director. Previous work with CSC includes fight consultation for Birdy, Death and the Maiden, fight direction for Our American Hamlet, fight direction for CSC2’s Romeo and Juliet and playing Sebastian (Twelfth Night) on the Common in 2014. As an actor: Once at Speakeasy Stage. Breath and Imagination; (Lyric Stage) ,Man of La Mancha; (New Repertory Theatre), Edward II; (Actors’ Shakespeare Project); Finish Line, (Boston Theater Company); Violet and Mothers and Sons, (Speakeasy Stage); Etherdome, (Huntington Theatre Company), Central Square Theatre, Greater Boston Stage Company, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Ocean State Theatre Company, and more. MFA: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. When he’s offstage, Nile is usually behind a camera, taking photos for actors and theatre companies, including CSC, throughout Boston. Huge thanks to Steve for all of the creative collaborations! www.nilehawver.com | www.nilescottstudios.com 

Sally Tomasetti
Props Artisan
Sally Tomasetti
Props Artisan

Sally Tomasetti is pleased to return to CSC having recently worked on Birdy, Universe Rushing Apart and Birdy.  A freelance set and props designer working with Next Generation Theatre Company, Boston Improv, Walpole Children’s Theatre, Uncommon Theatre Company and Needham Explorations. Sally is an artist that specializes in portraits and liturgical art. Each spring and summer Sally’s joy is to teach Theatre and Set design classes, educating the next generation in the wonders of backstage theater.

Kevin Schlagle
Stage Manager
Kevin Schlagle
Stage Manager
Kevin Schlagle returns to the Common after previously working on Cymbeline, Richard III, Love’s Labour’s Lost, King Lear, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Other theatre credits include Huntington Theatre Company, American Repertory Theater, New Repertory Theatre, and Williamstown Theatre Festival. His opera credits include Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Baroque, Boston Opera Collaborative, Guerilla Opera, New England Conservatory, and Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. BFA in stage management from Boston University. Proud member of Actors’ Equity.
Renee E. Yancey
Production Manager
Renee E. Yancey
Production Manager
Renee E. Yancey is a stage manager, production manager, and theatre educator. For CSC: Production Manager for Richard III; A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Boys from Syracuse (co-productions with Landmarks Orchestra); the CSC galas, 1985: New York City and A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and Much Ado About Nothing (CSC Apprentice Program)  Originally from Texas, Renee spent 10 years based in the Washington, D.C., area where she performed stage, production, and events management for Olney Theatre Center, Studio Theatre, theatre Washington/Helen Hayes Awards, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Velocity DC, and AFI Silver Spring. New England-area work includes Stage Manager for Frankenstein (Central Square Theater); Heartland and Ripe Frenzy (New Repertory Theatre); and The Fantasticks (Opera House Arts). Renee is a Lecturer and Program Head of Management for the School of Theatre at Boston University. Education: BFA Texas State University; MFA Boston University
Brian M. Robillard
Assistant Stage Manager
Brian M. Robillard
Assistant Stage Manager

Brian M. Robillard returns to CSC after previously working on Romeo & Juliet and King Lear. Recent Area Credits Include Jersey Boys (Ogunquit Playhouse). 1776, We Will Not Be Silent, The Bakelite Masterpiece, Lonely Planet, Statements After an Arrest Under the Immorality Act, Ideation, The Gift Horse, Brecht on Brecht, Fiddler on the Roof (New Repertory Theatre). Bedlam’s Pygmalion and A Christmas Carol (Central Square Theatre); as well as credits with Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra and Boston Opera Collaborative. Brian received his BFA in Stage Management from Boston University and is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association. Upcoming projects include the premiere production of Bedlam’s The Crucible at Central Square Theatre.

Nicole Clark
Assistant Production Manager
Nicole Clark
Assistant Production Manager

Nicole Clark is a freelance production manager, stage manager, and technical director working in the Boston area. She received her BFA in Technical Production with an emphasis in Stage Management from Boston University, and is the recipient of the 2018 Daisette Hay McKelvie Award for Theatrical Collaboration and the Chuck Giles Award for Excellence in Technical Production. Her recent regional credits include Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s Pride and Prejudice (Production Manager), Boston Opera Collaborative’s Don Giovanni (Production Manager)Boston Midsummer Opera’s Il barbiere di Siviglia (Assistant Production Manager), BCAP and New Rep’s world premiere co-production of Ripe Frenzy (Technical Director), OperaHub’s world premiere of DIVAS (Production Stage Manager), and the Nora Theatre Company and Underground Railway Theater’s co-production of Frankenstein (Assistant Stage Manager).

Jessica Hirschhorn
Assistant Director
Jessica Hirschhorn
Assistant Director

Jessica Hirschhorn is a New Yorker who graduated from Ithaca College in 2016 with a BFA in Acting. She has spent the last three years in Portland, OR as a Director and Actor working with Staged!, Milagro, LineStorm Playwrights, PATA, Metropolitan Performing Arts, and many more. She is thrilled and honored to work with CSC this summer.

Performances take place at the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common, across from the AMC Loews Boston Common movie theater on Tremont Street.

Download a map of the Free Shakespeare on the Common site

Reviews

Director Fred Sullivan Jr. has conceived a broadly interpreted production to encompass these disparate parts, and sets in motion a terrific company of actors.-Joyce’s Choices, Joyce Kulhawik

- Joyce's Choices, Joyce Kulhawik

CSC’s Shakespeare in the Park always seems to do something unexpected; “Cymbeline” is no exception. With this being their 24th year, it is exciting to think about what their silver anniversary next year will bring.

- Edge Media, Clinton Campbell

If they set up a roller coaster on Boston Common, there would be no more twists and hairpin turns than there are in “Cymbeline,”

- WBUR The ARTery, Carolyn Clay

“Spirited and dripping with wit,” says Jared, “this ‘Cymbeline’ has us revel in the power of the princess.”

- WGBH, Jared Bowen

Sullivan scores a treat for Boston in mounting this difficult and seldom-staged play, well worth an evening outdoors on the common.

- The Patriot Ledger, Iris Fanger

Nora Eschenheimer delivers such a fiery performance as the princess that there’s no mistaking Imogen’s wit, spirit, and resilience.

- The Boston Globe, Don Aucoin

News

WBUR The ARTery: What To Know Before Seeing Shakespeare’s ‘Cymbeline’ On The Boston Common
Category: News
Wicked Local: Commonwealth Shakespeare Company brings ‘Cymbeline’ to Boston Common
Category: News
The Boston Globe: A fairy tale vision for Shakespeare on the Common
Category: News
Edge Media: A ‘Cymbeline’ for Our Times :: Fred Sullivan, Jr. Chats About CSC’s Shakespeare on the Common
Category: News

Photo Gallery

Videos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When are the performances?

The summer 2019 production of Cymbeline will run from July 17-August 4.  Performances on Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8pm.  Sunday performances begin at 7pm.  There is a 3pm matinee on Saturday, August 3.  There are no performances on Mondays.

What is the running time of the Cymbeline?

Two and a half hours including intermission

What ages are appropriate for Cymbeline?

Parents know their child’s sensibilities and maturity best.  If you have specific concerns about content, please contact the box office at 781-239-5880.

Are there matinee performances?

There will be one matinee performance of Cymbeline on Saturday, August 3 at 3pm.

Are there special performances or considerations for patrons with disabilities?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASL Interpreters Shana Gibbs and Christopher Robinson and Audio Describers Cori Couture and Andrea Doane

Open Captioned: Friday, July 26 (8pm) (Rain date: Sat, July 27 (8pm)

ASL Interpreted: Friday, Aug 2 + Saturday, August 3 (8pm); (Rain date: Sun, Aug 4 (7pm)

Shana Gibbs (ASL Coach) is currently attending Boston University Wheelock School of Education for her 2nd Masters in Educational Leadership, Administration and Policy after having completed her first Masters in Deaf Education, also at Boston University. She is a Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Associate Member and MARID member as a Deaf Interpreter. Her interpreting experiences include theatre, educational and community interpreting.  As a community activist, she is currently serving as the Vice President of Community Relations for Massachusetts State Association of the Deaf (MSD).

Adrianna Neefus (ASL Interpreter) studied Sign Language Interpretation, and Theater, at the University of New Hampshire. Past credits include Romeo and Juliet, and Tartuffe with the Huntington Theater Company; The King and I, Cabaret, Pippin, Once, Flashdance, and War Horse with Broadway in Boston; Othello with the American Reparatory Theater; Romeo and Juliet with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company; The Edge of Peace with Central Square Theater; and the Boston Landmark Orchestra’s Summer Series on the Esplanade; She is thankful for the support of the Deaf community, without whom none of this would be possible.

Christopher Robinson (ASL Interpreter and Coordinator) has worked as an ASL/English interpreter for the five of the Huntington Theatre Company’s productions of August Wilson’s Century Cycle, among other dramatic productions. He worked as a Shadow Interpreter for the Craig Lucas’ play, I Was Most Alive With You, a Huntington Theatre production. Regional Theatre Interpreting venues: Commonwealth Shakespeare Company; Wheelock Family Theatre; Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Seattle Rep; American Repertory Theatre; BCAP at Boston University.  He works at Boston University’s Office of Disability & Access Services.

Brent Tracy (ASL Interpreter) is a dual certified ASL interpreter, CODA, and CEO of Equal Access Resources Inc. For the past 20 years, he has served as an interpreter, coordinator, educator, mentor, and artist. Some recent productions Brent has interpreted for include Richard III, The Play That Goes Wrong, 1776, and School of Rock. He is humbled to be working with a great ASL team of talented professionals to provide access on this show.

Audio Described:  Saturday, August 3 (3pm); (Rain date: Sun, Aug 4 (7pm)
Backstage touch tour begins at 1:45pm. Patrons and their guests should gather near the Info Tent to the left off the stage. 

Pre-show description begins at 2:30pm
Rain date is Sunday, August 4 at 7:00pm with backstage touch tour beginning at 5:45pm and pre-show description begins at 6:30pm.

Information about pre-show description:
Please arrive at the theater half an hour before the official curtain time to hear the pre-show audio description.  Pre-show descriptions are packed with details which describers don’t have time to explain once the curtain goes up.  These details include descriptions of sets, props, characters, the actors playing them, and their costumes.  They can also establish a shorthand vocabulary for what describers will call certain characters or areas of the set and will explain the stylistic conventions of the show.  In short, pre-show descriptions can greatly enhance the audio description user’s experience of live theater.

Cori Couture (Primary Describer) has provided description for the Huntington Theatre, Wheelock Family Theatre, Open Door Theater, Moonbox Productions, Emerson Stage, New Rep, VSA of MA, Liars and Believers, Bridge Multimedia, and Harvard Business School. She has presented about live theatre for the Mass. Cultural Council’s UP initiative, for CANE (Cultural Access New England), and led pre-show touch tours at the A.R.T. In the early days of WGBH’s Descriptive Video Service, Cori wrote description for many PBS programs and for home video movies. Recently, she has been performing description narration at DVS.

Andrea Doane (Secondary Describer) has audio described productions at Boston theatre venues since 1992. These include among others: The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Showboat (Wang Center); Mary Stuart, Dead End (Huntington Theatre Co.); My Fair Lady, Beauty and the Beast, The Miracle Worker (Wheelock Family Theatre); Hamnet, Cold Blood, Kiss (Arts Emerson Theatres). In collaboration with the Cultural Access Consortium, she has co-led training workshops for Audio Describers in the greater New England area. In 2001, Andrea was honored by the Bay State Council of the Blind’s Outstanding Service Award for her work in providing theatre access through Audio Description.

Accessibility Programming Vendors and Partners
Braille Programs: Perkins Library
Audio Description Equipment: Terry Hanley Audio
Assisted Listening Devices: McCoy Audio Systems

Where are the performances?

Performances take place at the Parkman Bandstand on the Boston Common, across the street from the AMC Loews Boston Common movie theater on Tremont Street.

MBTA

If you are traveling via the MBTA, there are several stations located within steps of the Boston Common.

Green Line: Boylston or Park Street stops

Orange Line: Downtown Crossing or Chinatown stops

Red Line: Park Street or Downtown Crossing stops.

Where should I park?

Parking is available in the Boston Common Garage.  (Zero Charles Street, Boston, MA) Be sure to pick up a discount parking coupon from the Info tent or from an usher to receive $1 off your parking.  These coupons are provided by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA).  CSC receives a $2 donation from the MCCA each time a coupon is used.

How much are tickets?

All performances of Shakespeare on the Common are FREE and open to the public.  We offer a limited number of reserved chairs in our Friends Section located near the stage at each performance.  Click HERE for more information.  In order to help us keep Shakespeare on the Common free for everyone, we encourage all who attend to consider leaving a donation to support our production.

Are shows delayed or canceled for weather?

Audience and actor safety is our main concern.  In cases of heavy rain or lightning storms, we will cancel.  Audiences can get weather updates on the homepage of our website or by calling the Weather Hotline at 617-426-0863.  Information will also be distributed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

When should I arrive?

Some patrons arrive as early as 2-3 hours before the performance to stake out their spot.  There is plenty of room on the Boston Common, however, and you will be able to find room no matter when you arrive.

Are there chairs?

Lawn chairs are available for rent in the chair rental tents on either side of the stage.  Chair rentals are $5, plus a $5 deposit that will be returned to you when you bring back the chair after the performance.

Can I bring my own chair? If so, where can I sit?

Yes, you are welcome to bring your own chair and/or blanket to sit on.  Please note that if you have a tall chair that could obstruct the view of other patrons, you will be directed to a Tall Chair Section.  Click HERE to view a detailed seating map.  If you plan to arrive early, please do not leave your chair or blanket unattended.

How do I get one of those seats near the stage?

Shakespeare on the Common is always FREE and open to the public.  A limited number of reserved chairs will be available in our Friends Section for each performance.  Friend Section seats will be available for purchase in mid-spring.

Is there food?/Can I bring my own?

Yes, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream truck and Earl of Sandwich are present during all performances.   CSC concessions including bottled water and candy directly support Free Shakespeare on the Common.  For your convenience, we encourage attendees to bring cash for food and concessions, although we do accept credit cards.  You are welcome to bring your own food and we ask to help us keep the Boston Common clean by picking up after yourself.  Alcohol is not permitted on the Boston Common.

Visit our amazing food truck partners including Bartleby’s, Ben and Jerry’s, Bon Me, Da Bomb, Pennypacker’s, Saypao, and
Taco Party.  Check out our Food Truck Schedule below to see which trucks will be on the Common during your visit!

 

What else should I bring?

Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket to sit on, a light sweater, mosquito repellent, and an umbrella if the forecast calls for rain.  If you plan on attending a matinee performance, we suggest you bring a hat and sunscreen for your protection from the sun.  Bringing cash is very much recommended for concessions, although we do accept credit card as well. If you plan to arrive early, please do not leave your blanket or chair unattended.

Are there restrooms?

Yes, portable toilets are located near the tennis courts.

Is there merchandise available for purchase?

Yes, T-shirts, sweatshirts, blankets, baseball hats, and other items are available for purchase at the tents on either side of the stage.  100% of the proceeds benefit Commonwealth Shakespeare Company.

How can I support Free Shakespeare on the Common?

There are a number of ways to support CSC.  Donations will be collected on the Common or visit.  You can also CLICK HERE or call us at 617-426-0863 to learn more about how you can make a donation.  Free Shakespeare on the Common is possible thanks to the support of friends like you.

Can I smoke on the Common?

No, there is now a smoking ban in all Boston Parks.  A $250 fine will be enforced by the Park Rangers onsite.

Visit our amazing food truck partners including Bartleby’s, Ben and Jerry’s, Bon Me, Da Bomb, Pennypacker’s, Saypao, and
Taco Party.  Check out our Food Truck Schedule below to see which trucks will be on the Common during your visit!

 

 

Support for Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Provided by

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