Theater is a wonderful way to gather with family and friends and our theater partners across the United States are offering lots of special performances for audiences to enjoy. Check out what’s playing this month. What do you hope to see?
At the Folger
This month we’re focusing on conversations like Coded Threads: Translating Shakespeare Through Art with Folger Institute Artist Fellow Suzanne Coley and a Family Workshop Cram Thee with More Food on November 16; a Beginner One Shot 5E session: A Night at the Library on November 20; a Folger Salon with Suzette Marie Martin and KhoKhoi and a Gallery Talk on Collecting at the Folger on November 21; and DC, I Love You: Community Playwriting Workshops on November 23, 24, and 30 to develop a site-specific romantic comedy inspired by real stories of romance and the DC community.
Last call from around the country
It’s closing weekend for The Pirates of Penzance at Gamut Theatre Group + Love’s Labor’s Lost at Seattle Shakespeare Company + Macbeth at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, all performing through November 17.
Atlanta Shakespeare Company
The secret midnight utterings of a Kingly ghost set events in motion that seal the tragic fate of Denmark’s royal family. In the midst of everything, Hamlet grapples with overwhelming thoughts about life, love, death, and revenge trying to make sense of it all.
Experience why this is often considered the greatest tragedy and play of all time. Hamlet performs Thursday—Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons through December 1.
Then, beginning December 7, a holiday tradition for over 20 years returns with J. Tony Brown’s original adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
A handful of Tavern performers transport you to Scrooge’s London counting house that fateful Christmas when Ebenezer meets three Ghosts and a certain little boy named Tiny Tim. Onstage December 7—23.
Alabama Shakespeare Festival
The Festival Stage is home again to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in an adaptation by Rick Dildine.
ASF’s full production returns with miserly Ebenezer Scrooge’s overnight voyage of epic proportions. Journey with Scrooge as he learns from his ghosts (and Bob, Tiny Tim, and the Cratchits) a heartwarming lesson in forgiveness and the change we can make around us.
This ASF family holiday tradition, for audiences ages 5+, plays November 21–December 29.
Special Event | ASF Insights, a behind-the-scenes look at the work on stage and the art of theater, free and open to all, happens on November 23 at 12:45pm in the Patrons Lobby. In this Insights talk, Susan Willis discusses England’s evolving Christmas traditions, what inspired Dickens in 1843, and what he inspires now—featuring guest speaker, Greta Lambert.
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
Gregory Burgess, pictured above, returns to the stage as Ebenezer Scrooge for CSC’s 10th year performing A Christmas Carol! Set in 19th-century Baltimore, this fresh take on the classic story follows a miser’s journey to discovering the real meaning of the holidays. CSC Company Member Séamus Miller brings new life to Laura Rocklyn’s script, giving this beloved Charm City tradition a vibrant update. Opens November 30.
Chicago Shakespeare Theater
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Pericles comes to Chicago—in an exclusive US engagement. When Prince Pericles solves a riddle set by a neighboring King, he knows the answer could get him killed. Fleeing for safety, he finds himself swept away on an epic voyage that will see him battle princes, marry his true love, and become a father. But this is also a journey of storms and shipwrecks, abduction, and devastating loss. Adrift in an ocean of grief, will Pericles ever see his family again? On stage through December 7.
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company
The Bard is back at Cincy Shakes with Twelfth Night, playing November 15—December 7! In an exciting first, Twelfth Night will be a collaborative production with the Prague Shakespeare Company, the Czech Republic’s premier English-language theater. After its Cincinnati debut, the entire production and cast of Twelfth Night will travel to Prague for performances, bringing CSC’s unique take on this classic to European audiences!
The Old Globe
San Diego’s favorite holiday tradition is back for its 27th year. The Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage will once again be transformed into the snow-covered Whoville, right down to the last can of Who-hash. Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is playing through December 31.
The annual Globe for All Tour has hit the road with As You Like It, offering free, public performances throughout San Diego and Tijuana, now extended to four weeks through November 24, while the talented students of The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program will bring to life Henry VIII, playing for a limited time from November 16 to 24 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.
Southwest Shakespeare Company
Can two actors bring a Dickensian Christmas to life? In A Christmas Carol for Two Actors, experience the magic of Charles Dickens’ classic tale like never before in this innovative adaptation by Grant Mudge. Watch as Scrooge embarks on a profound journey of self-discovery, transforming from a miser to a man who understands the true spirit of Christmas. And all in a perfectly compact 75 minutes! Performing November 22–24.
St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
In Christmas Carol: The Remix, a laugh-out-loud musical remix of Dickens’ classic tale, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Hip-Hop Past, Present, and Future. As Scrooge is shown the path of rhythm and redemption, will he throw off his selfish chains and get down to the beat? Christmas Carol: The Remix mixes everything from reggae to rock, taking this beloved tale of love, forgiveness, and Christmas spirit to the next level. Best enjoyed by ages 12 & up. Playing November 26–December 22.
Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Atlanta Shakespeare Company, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Gamut Theatre Group, The Old Globe, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Southwest Shakespeare Company, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, and The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey are members of the Folger’s Theater Partnership Program.
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