Great Lakes Theater

Repertoire of Famous Serial Killers
Leads Off Cleveland Theater's Season

Shakespeare's Richard III in rotating repertoire with Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd kick-starts an ambitious, five-production lineup for Great Lakes Theater's 2013–2014 season recently unveiled by Producing Artistic Director Charles Fee. The theater's 52nd year will run from September through April at PlayhouseSquare's Hanna and Ohio Theatres in Cleveland.

After opening with a Shakespearean tragical history, GLT will close out with a Shakespearean comedy, As You Like It, April 4–19. Between those two productions will be the company's annual production of Charles Dickens' holiday classic, A Christmas Carol (Nov. 30–Dec. 22, 2013) and Broadway's longest-running comic thriller, Deathtrap by Ira Levin (Feb. 21–March 17).

Joseph Hanreddy, former artistic director of Milwaukee Repertory Theater and Madison Repertory Theatre, will make his Great Lakes Theater debut in 2013 when he directs GLT's season-opening production of Richard III. Conversely, a decorated Great Lakes Theater veteran and resident artist, Victoria Bussert, will celebrate her 27th year at GLT when she helms the company's production of Sweeney Todd. The two productions will run Sept. 27–Nov. 4. Longtime artistic company member Sara Bruner will return to stage GLT's annual production of A Christmas Carol. The directors of Deathtrap and As You Like It will be named at a later date.

A Christmas Carol will return to its traditional home, the Ohio Theatre, while the other four plays will be staged in GLT's home at the Hanna Theatre, PlayhouseSquare. The  award-winning Hanna Theatre features a thrust stage configuration where the audience surrounds the performance, affording attendees a uniquely intimate theater experience in which no seat is farther than 12 rows from the stage. At the Hanna, patrons select from a variety of seating opportunities that include traditional seats, club chairs, lounge/bar seats, banquette couches, and private boxes. The theater boasts a fully flexible hydraulic stage, state-of-the-art theatrical systems, and a visionary “Great Room”–inspired design that integrates the artist and audience into a single unified environment.

Great Lakes Theater will continue to provide extraordinary access to its production-process at every Hanna Theatre performance in 2013–2014. The Hanna's doors always open 90 minutes before each show, allowing patrons to observe the complete preshow preparation process of GLT's actors and technical staff. Elements such as stage combat rehearsals, dance calls, prop/scenic presets, technical cue rehearsals, and actor warm-ups will be conducted in full view of patrons, offering GLT audiences an unprecedented glimpse into the theatrical process. A complete list of pre-/post-show enhancement programming is available at www.greatlakestheater.org.

Subscriptions to Great Lakes Theater's 2013–2014 season are on sale now. An adult subscription starts as low as $132. Student subscriptions begin at $39. For complete information, patrons should call 216-664-6064 or visit www.greatlakestheater.org. Single tickets will go on sale in August. Regular-priced adult single tickets will range from $15–$70. Regular-priced student/youth tickets for the Hanna Theatre are $13 ($26 for A Christmas Carol in the Ohio Theatre).

February 21, 2013

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