Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Artistic Director George Mount announced the company\u2019s plans for 2014-2015 that include expanding to five plays for its indoor season, the return of directors Jon Kretzu and John Langs, and the mainstage directing debuts of Desdemona Chiang and Makaela Pollock.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany of the projects in this coming year have been in the works for several years,\u201d said Mount. \u201cIt was really a matter of timing and getting the right pieces in place.\u00a0 For the indoor season, the plays coalesce around the theme of \u2018Lead Us Into Temptation\u2019 since desire, both playful and sinister, are a factor in each show.\u201d<\/p>\n
The free, outdoor Wooden O shows for summer 2014 will be\u00a0The Two Gentlemen of Verona<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0directed by David Quicksall and\u00a0Julius Caesar<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0directed by Vanessa Miller.\u00a0 \u201cBoth David and Vanessa are Wooden O veterans, and they know the demands it takes to create a great experience in the parks,\u201d said Mount.\u00a0\u00a0The Two Gentlemen of Verona<\/i><\/b>\u00a0will draw its setting from mid-century America while\u00a0Julius Caesar<\/i><\/b>\u00a0will feature an all-female cast set in a contemporary world on the brink of war. The shows will start performances on July 10, 2014 and perform in parks at Mercer Island, Sammamish, Seattle, Lynnwood, Edmonds, SeaTac, Issaquah, Shoreline and other cities. All performances are free and open to the public with donations encouraged at the site.\u00a0 After their run in Seattle, each show will transfer to Walla Walla for a week of performances.<\/p>\n Seattle Shakespeare Company expands its indoor programming next season by adding a fifth full production to its roster. Samuel Beckett\u2019s\u00a0Waiting for Godot<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0will be produced at the Falls Theatre at ACT Theatre September3-21, 2014. \u201cGodot<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is a play I\u2019ve wanted to direct for a long time, and I specifically wanted to direct it at ACT,\u201d said Mount. \u201cI\u2019ve been working for almost three years with a group of artists to help realize this production, and I\u2019m very excited that we can kick off our indoor season with this play that could arguably be the most influential play of the 20th\u00a0century. And, we\u2019ve got some very exciting city-wide partners and events related to Beckett in the works.\u201d\u00a0 Samuel Beckett introduced the world to Vladimir and Estragon in\u00a0Waiting for Godot<\/i><\/b>\u00a0when much of humankind lived in fear of nuclear annihilation. Since then these two clowns, as well as their fellow travelers Pozzo and Lucky, have led the way in taking one falteringly dangerous step after another into an unknown future.<\/p>\n Shakespeare\u2019s sparkling comedy\u00a0Twelfth Night<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0will be directed by Jon Kretzu October 21-November 16, 2014 at the Center Theatre at Seattle Center. \u201cI\u2019m so happy to welcome back Jon who showed us the charm and delight in\u00a0Love\u2019s Labour\u2019s Lost<\/i>\u00a0in 2013,\u201d said Mount.\u00a0 \u201cI know he\u2019s interested in playing with both the twinkle of\u00a0Twelfth Night<\/i><\/b>\u00a0as well as the darker tones of the play.\u201d<\/p>\n Desdemona Chiang will direct\u00a0Measure for Measure<\/i><\/b><\/a>\u00a0January 6-February 1, 2015 at the Center Theatre at Seattle Center. \u201cDesdemona is an artist whose work really caught my attention, and I look forward to introducing her to our fans,\u201d said Mount. \u201cMeasure for Measure<\/i><\/b>\u00a0is a play that raises hard questions and doesn\u2019t provide any easy answers, and I\u2019m counting on Desdemona to hold us to the fire for this one.\u201d<\/p>\n