2007 Festival Playbill

Jan 1, 2007

Media Contacts

CONTACT:  Catherine Atack, LTSF                                       

                         775-832-1616                         

                         Betsy McDonald, RKPR Inc.

                   775-378-0033

  2007 FESTIVAL PLAYBILL  

EVENT SUMMARY                           

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, now in its 35^th year, is established for the cultural benefit and enjoyment of all residents and visitors to Lake Tahoe.  The annual Festival advocates the finest cultural events at the lake while educating future generations on the importance of the arts, theater and music.  The Festival annually draws more than 30,000attendees from around the country.  

2007 SEASON DATES               

July 12 through August 19, 2007 (seven nights per week)

PLAYBILL                                 

The 2007 season features the following performances:                                    

The Taming of the Shrew involves a wealthy merchant, Baptista, and his two daughters, Katherina and Bianca. Because of Katherina's shrewish disposition, Baptista has declared that no one shall wed Bianca, the younger and kinder sister, until Katherina has been married. Lucentio, one of many suitors to Bianca, devises a scheme in which he and his servant will switch identities, allowing Lucentio to offer his services as a tutor for Bianca in order to get close to her. Enter Petruchio of Verona, in Padua to visit his friend, another suitor to Bianca. Petruchio is attracted by Katherina's large dowry and resolves to woo her.  A marriage is arranged, and Petruchio immediately sets out to tame Katherina through a series of increasingly worse tricks; pulling pranks to "tame" her into docility. His plan works and Katherina is wed, allowing Lucentio to reveal his true identity, along with his love for Bianca, and they too are wed.                                                                  

Romeo & Juliet, one of the Bard’s most popular works, is a classic love story that intertwines two feuding families, the Capulets and Montagues, in the town of Verona. Young Romeo of the house of Montague and his friends disguise themselves and slip into a masque ball at Capulet's house. During the festivities, Romeo catches his first glimpse of Juliet, Capulet's daughter. He steals into the garden below her room and professes his love to Juliet. The two young lovers, with the aid of Friar Laurence, make plans to marry in secret.  Meanwhile, the Capulets press for Juliet to marry Paris, a cousin to the Prince of Verona. Relying again on Friar Laurence, Juliet devises a plan to avoid her parent's wishes and obtains a drug that will make her appear dead for 42 hours. While she is in this state, Friar Laurence will send word to Romeo of the situation so that he can rescue her from her tomb. Unfortunately, fate will not be so kind and Romeo instead hears second-hand news that Juliet has died. Grief-stricken, Romeo purchases poison and hastens to Juliet's tomb to die at her side. Juliet awakens to find the lifeless body of her beloved, takes the dagger from Romeo's belt and plunges it into her heart.                                                                

Greater Tuna began more than 20 years ago as a simple party skit based on a political cartoon in Austin, Texas. Creators Joe Sears, Jaston Williams and Ed Howard parlayed the sketch into a critically acclaimed production, entertaining audiences across the country ever since. Greater Tuna is a hilarious comedy about Texas' third smallest town, Tuna, where the Lion's Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies. The eclectic band of citizens that make up the town are portrayed by only two actors, making this satire on life in rural America even more delightful as all of the inhabitants of Tuna are depicted - men, women, children and animals. 

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