NewBridge Theatre Shakespeare Festival 2013

Rock -n- Roll with the first in a three summer season Shakespeare Festival! 

A Midsummer Night's Dream set in the 1950's,  Hermia, (cheer-leading captain of Athen's High School)  is ordered to marry Demetrius, (head football player) by her father, Egeus (ex-football coach), but refuses because she loves Lysander (Athen's smartest boy). Meanwhile, Hermia’s best friend Helena (Athen's smartest girl) loves Demetrius. But Demetrius despicably ditched Helena to hook up with Hermia (after Hermia’s father made him an offer he couldn’t refuse). Meanwhile, Egeus goes to the Duke of Athens (principal of Athen's High School) for permission to force Hermia to marry Demetrius—or, as is the law, have her killed for disobedience.

Meanwhile a bumbling amateur theater group, made up of local tradesmen, heads to the forest to rehearse a play to perform at the royal wedding about to occur in Athens: Duke Theseus is marrying Amazonian Queen Hippolyta (ex Olympian and Athen's gym teacher), whom he defeated in battle. As you might guess, Hippolyta is not happy about it. The Duke, caught up in his own troubles, allows Hermia time to decide. Hermia and Lysander decide to flee through the forest.

Fairies (Titania's T-birds) inhabit the forest, and their king and queen are having their own lover’s war. When Hermia tells Helena of her flight, Helena tells Demetrius, who goes after them. Helena follows Demetrius—and soon everyone’s in the forest! When fairies take their minds off their own romantic struggles by meddling, and the mischievous Puck (Forest Class Clown) applies love potions willy-nilly, chaos reigns. More than magic may be required to get it all straightened out.

Next, laugh it up with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged).  A hilarious homage for Shakespeare lovers, haters and everyone in between as three actors frantically attempt to perform the entire canon — all 37 plays! — in a couple of hours. That necessitates some ... creative editing. Cheer the histories on the gridiron! Get down with Othello through the magic of rap! Pick up culinary tips courtesy of Titus Andronicus! "Shakespeare as written by Reader's Digest, acted by Monty Python, and performed at the speed of the minute waltz." — Los Angeles Herald

And to round out our trio comes Macbeth. Returning home from victory abroad, Scottish general Macbeth encounters three witches in the woods who predict the young warrior will one day be King. Blinded by ambition, Macbeth and his wife are propelled by this prophecy into a plot to kill the reigning King Duncan and take the throne.