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'''The Baltimore Shakespeare Festival''' was a small nonprofit [[theatre]] that produced plays by or about [[Shakespeare]] in [[Baltimore, Maryland]]. It also had an educational program that introduced school children to Shakespeare.
'''The Baltimore Shakespeare Festival''' was a small nonprofit [[theatre]] that produced plays by or about [[Shakespeare]] in [[Baltimore, Maryland]]. It also had an educational program that introduced school children to Shakespeare. The company existed, in different forms, from 1994 to 2010.


== History ==
== History ==
The first production of BSF was ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' which was performed at the Cloisters in Brooklandville, Maryland in 1994. The company was founded by Kelley Dunn-Feliz and Richard Feliz that same year. In its early years, the Festival often faced financial instability, but was able to persevere thanks to the hard work, dedication and forward thinking of the Board of Directors -- one of the strengths of the festival.
The first production of BSF was ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' which was performed at [[The Cloisters (Lutherville, Maryland)|The Cloisters]] in [[Lutherville, Maryland]] in 1994. The company was founded by Kelley Dunn-Feliz and Richard Feliz that same year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypaper.com/bcp-blog-8800-20110407-story.html|title=The Baltimore Shakespeare Festival Closes|last=McCabe|first=Bret|website=citypaper.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-20}}</ref> In its early years, the Festival often faced financial instability, scaled back on its productions and went through several management changes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/baltimore-shakespeare-festival-receives-1-million|title=Baltimore Shakespeare Festival Receives $1 Million|last=Candid|website=Philanthropy News Digest (PND)|language=en|access-date=2019-05-20}}</ref>


BSF's home was established at the St. Mary's Community Center in Hampden. In the church space, an Elizabethan-style stage was designed and constructed.
In 2003, the festival moved to a permanent indoor space within the St Mary's Community Center in the Hampden neighborhood of North Baltimore.


The Baltimore Shakespeare Festival closed its doors for good in 2011. The Board of Trustees made a simple public pronouncement of the difficulty of producing live theater and announced it was closing its doors due to economic challenges. The company did not maintain any archives.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/bs-mtblog-2011-04-baltimore_shakespeare_theatre-story.html|title=Baltimore Shakespeare Festival shuts down after 17 seasons|last=Smith|first=Tim|website=baltimoresun.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-20}}</ref>
In 2008, the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival announced the hiring of Michael Carleton as the theatre's new Producing Artistic Director. Greeting Mr. Carleton on his arrival was a severe financial crisis left behind by the previous administration. Despite excellent reviews and an overall increase in the quality of the productions, the company struggled to get its footing since the leadership transition, resulting in small audiences and a diminishing presence in the Baltimore theater community.


⚫
==Production history ==
the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival closed its doors for good in 2011 due to a financial scandal involving an individual's $1,000,000 donation in 2007 that was intended for an endowment but was instead depleted to pay for regular operating expenses. By 2011, the endowment had been drained and they were forced to close their doors for good.


The highlight of the BSF year was a Shakespeare production performed entirely by children. The Teen Performance Program began in 2003 with a production of ''[[Macbeth]]'' followed by 2004's production of ''[[Love's Labor's Lost]]'', 2005's production of ''[[Hamlet]]'', 2006's production of ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' and 2007's ''[[The Comedy of Errors]]''. In 2008, BSF explored ''[[The Tempest]]'' through the lens of a high school. Teens from around the Baltimore area come together to work in a semi-professional theatrical process. The teens' outstanding performances are inspired by such outstanding teacher/directors as Tony Tsendeas (''Macbeth'' and ''Hamlet''), Lewis Shaw (''Love's Labour's Lost''), Joan Weber (''Much Ado About Nothing''), Ian Bellknap (''Comedy of Errors'') and Courtney Weber (''The Tempest'').

== Artistic directors==
*'''1993-1997''' Kelly Dunn Feliz
*'''1997-2000''' Christopher Marino
*'''2000-2008''' James Kinstle
⚫
*'''2008-''' Michael Carleton

⚫
==Production history ==
===1994===
===1994===
*''A Midsummer Night's Dream''
*''A Midsummer Night's Dream''

===1995===
===1995===
*''Romeo and Juliet''
*''Romeo and Juliet''

===1997===
===1997===
*''Macbeth''
*''Macbeth''

===1998===
===1998===
*''Twelfth Night''
*''Twelfth Night''

===2000===
===2000===
*''Love for Words'' by Kimberley Lynne - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
*''Love for Words'' by Kimberley Lynne - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
*''I Hate Hamlet'' - Directed by Joseph Brady
*''I Hate Hamlet'' - Directed by Joseph Brady

===2001===
===2001===
*''Much Ado About Nothing'' - Directed by Laura Hackman
*''Much Ado About Nothing'' - Directed by Laura Hackman

===2002-03===
===2002-03===
*''Cyrano de Bergerac'' - Directed by Joseph Brady
*''Cyrano de Bergerac'' - Directed by Joseph Brady
*''Hamlet'' - Directed by Laura Hackman
*''Hamlet'' - Directed by Laura Hackman

===2003-04===
===2003-04===
*''As You Like It'' - Directed by Laura Hackman
*''As You Like It'' - Directed by Laura Hackman
Line 40: Line 38:
*''Dickens of a Carol'' - Directed by Kathy Feininger
*''Dickens of a Carol'' - Directed by Kathy Feininger
**'''''Teen Performance Program:''''' ''Macbeth'' - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
**'''''Teen Performance Program:''''' ''Macbeth'' - Directed by Tony Tsendeas

===2004-05===
===2004-05===
*''The Tempest'' - Directed by Laura Hackman
*''The Tempest'' - Directed by Laura Hackman
Line 45: Line 44:
*''Dickens of a Carol'' - Directed by Kathy Feininger
*''Dickens of a Carol'' - Directed by Kathy Feininger
**'''''Teen Performance Program''''': ''Love's Labour's Lost'' - Directed by Lewis Shaw
**'''''Teen Performance Program''''': ''Love's Labour's Lost'' - Directed by Lewis Shaw

===2005-06===
===2005-06===
* ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' - Directed by Drew Kahl
* ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' - Directed by Drew Kahl
Line 51: Line 51:
**'''''Teen Performance Program''''': ''Hamlet'' - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
**'''''Teen Performance Program''''': ''Hamlet'' - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
**''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' - Directed by James Kinstle
**''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' - Directed by James Kinstle

===2006-07===
===2006-07===
* ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' - Directed by Laura Hackman
* ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' - Directed by Laura Hackman
Line 57: Line 58:
**'''''Teen Performance Program''''': ''Much Ado About Nothing'' - Directed by Joan Weber
**'''''Teen Performance Program''''': ''Much Ado About Nothing'' - Directed by Joan Weber
**''All's Well That Ends Well'' - Directed by Donald Hicken
**''All's Well That Ends Well'' - Directed by Donald Hicken

===2007-08===
===2007-08===
*''Macbeth'' - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
*''Macbeth'' - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
Line 62: Line 64:
**'''''Teen Performance Program''''': ''The Comedy of Errors'' - Directed by Ian Belker
**'''''Teen Performance Program''''': ''The Comedy of Errors'' - Directed by Ian Belker
**''A Winter's Tale'' - Directed by Kathleen Akerley
**''A Winter's Tale'' - Directed by Kathleen Akerley

===2008-09===
===2008-09<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/william-shakespeares-works-come-alive-in-baltimore|title=William Shakespeare's works come alive in Baltimore|date=2008-07-05|website=Washington Examiner|language=en|access-date=2019-05-20}}</ref>===
*''Twelfth Night'' - Directed by Laura Hackman
*''Twelfth Night'' - Directed by Laura Hackman
*''The Taming of the Shrew'' - Directed by Joseph Brady
*''The Taming of the Shrew'' - Directed by Joseph Brady
Line 68: Line 71:
**'''''Teen Performance Program''''': ''The Tempest'' - Directed by Courtney Weber
**'''''Teen Performance Program''''': ''The Tempest'' - Directed by Courtney Weber
**''Wittenberg'' - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
**''Wittenberg'' - Directed by Tony Tsendeas

===2009-10===
===2009-10===
*''Hamlet'' - Adapted and directed by Michael Carleton
*''Hamlet'' - Adapted and directed by Michael Carleton
⚫
*''Richard III'' - Directed by Michael Carleton
*"Comedy of Errors" Directed by Joe Brady
*"Scapin" Directed by Michael Carleton


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.baltimoreshakespeare.org Baltimore Shakespeare Festival] - official site

{{maryland-stub}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, The}}
[[Category:Culture of Baltimore, Maryland]]
[[Category:Festivals in Baltimore]]
[[Category:Shakespeare festivals]]
[[Category:Shakespeare festivals in the United States]]

Latest revision as of 03:41, 30 May 2022

The Baltimore Shakespeare Festival was a small nonprofit theatre that produced plays by or about Shakespeare in Baltimore, Maryland. It also had an educational program that introduced school children to Shakespeare. The company existed, in different forms, from 1994 to 2010.

History

[edit]

The first production of BSF was A Midsummer Night's Dream which was performed at The Cloisters in Lutherville, Maryland in 1994. The company was founded by Kelley Dunn-Feliz and Richard Feliz that same year.[1] In its early years, the Festival often faced financial instability, scaled back on its productions and went through several management changes.[2]

In 2003, the festival moved to a permanent indoor space within the St Mary's Community Center in the Hampden neighborhood of North Baltimore.

The Baltimore Shakespeare Festival closed its doors for good in 2011. The Board of Trustees made a simple public pronouncement of the difficulty of producing live theater and announced it was closing its doors due to economic challenges. The company did not maintain any archives.[3]

Production history

[edit]

1994

[edit]
  • A Midsummer Night's Dream

1995

[edit]
  • Romeo and Juliet

1997

[edit]
  • Macbeth

1998

[edit]
  • Twelfth Night

2000

[edit]
  • Love for Words by Kimberley Lynne - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
  • I Hate Hamlet - Directed by Joseph Brady

2001

[edit]
  • Much Ado About Nothing - Directed by Laura Hackman

2002-03

[edit]
  • Cyrano de Bergerac - Directed by Joseph Brady
  • Hamlet - Directed by Laura Hackman

2003-04

[edit]
  • As You Like It - Directed by Laura Hackman
  • Othello - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
  • Dickens of a Carol - Directed by Kathy Feininger
    • Teen Performance Program: Macbeth - Directed by Tony Tsendeas

2004-05

[edit]
  • The Tempest - Directed by Laura Hackman
  • Julius Caesar - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
  • Dickens of a Carol - Directed by Kathy Feininger
    • Teen Performance Program: Love's Labour's Lost - Directed by Lewis Shaw

2005-06

[edit]
  • The Merry Wives of Windsor - Directed by Drew Kahl
  • Romeo and Juliet - Directed by Pat Diamond
  • Something Dickens This Way Comes - Directed and written by Kathy Feininger
    • Teen Performance Program: Hamlet - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
    • Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead - Directed by James Kinstle

2006-07

[edit]
  • A Midsummer Night's Dream - Directed by Laura Hackman
  • The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
  • Desdemona, a Play About a Handkerchief by Paula Vogel - Directed by Raine Bode
    • Teen Performance Program: Much Ado About Nothing - Directed by Joan Weber
    • All's Well That Ends Well - Directed by Donald Hicken

2007-08

[edit]
  • Macbeth - Directed by Tony Tsendeas
  • Antigone by Bertolt Brecht - Directed by Raine Bode
    • Teen Performance Program: The Comedy of Errors - Directed by Ian Belker
    • A Winter's Tale - Directed by Kathleen Akerley

2008-09[4]

[edit]
  • Twelfth Night - Directed by Laura Hackman
  • The Taming of the Shrew - Directed by Joseph Brady
  • Every Christmas Story Ever Told! - Directed and written by Michael Carleton
    • Teen Performance Program: The Tempest - Directed by Courtney Weber
    • Wittenberg - Directed by Tony Tsendeas

2009-10

[edit]
  • Hamlet - Adapted and directed by Michael Carleton
  • Richard III - Directed by Michael Carleton
  • "Comedy of Errors" Directed by Joe Brady
  • "Scapin" Directed by Michael Carleton

References

[edit]
  1. ^ McCabe, Bret. "The Baltimore Shakespeare Festival Closes". citypaper.com. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  2. ^ Candid. "Baltimore Shakespeare Festival Receives $1 Million". Philanthropy News Digest (PND). Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  3. ^ Smith, Tim. "Baltimore Shakespeare Festival shuts down after 17 seasons". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
  4. ^ "William Shakespeare's works come alive in Baltimore". Washington Examiner. 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
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