Dubbing its new slate "A Season of Rivalry and Revelry," the
Chicago Shakespeare Theater has announced a typically expansive and eclectic range of theatrical attractions, all coming to
Navy Pier during the 2008-09 season.
The flagship subscription season, announced Thursday, will include a fall production of
Peter Shaffer's drama "Amadeus," directed by Gary Griffin; a winter production of "Macbeth" directed by artistic director Barbara Gaines and starring Ben Carlson; and a spring production of "Twelfth Night," directed by the British director Josie Rourke.
This summer, Chicago Shakespeare will produce two new, high-profile shows, including "Willy Wonka," a new musical based on the 1971 film version of
Roald Dahl's iconic children's work "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The show includes the movie's score. Joe Leonardo directs. Also on the pier this summer will be a hip-hop take on Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," as newly imagined by GQ and J.A.Q., the Chicago-raised pair responsible for the international hit "The Bomb-itty of Errors."
Two titles have been announced in Chicago Shakespeare's World Stage series. In the fall, CST will host the British Council's internationally touring production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which originated in India and includes eight different languages. In the winter, CST will present "Sweet William," Michael Pennington's one-man treatment of Shakespeare's life and works.
And there are two other special attractions. This fall, the progressive Chicago director Sean Graney will stage a promenade version of
Christopher Marlowe's "Edward II," And as part of CST's ongoing Short Shakespeare! Season, Amanda Denhert will direct a truncated take on "Much Ado."
•Separately, the
Goodman Theatre is announcing Thursday that Brett Neveu's new play "Gas for Less," a piece about a family-owned gas station trying to stay afloat on Chicago's North Side, will be the final production of the theater's 2007-08 season. Dexter Bullard's production will open in the Owen Theatre on June 2.
