PRESS RELEASE
November 7, 2013
Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place
2 South Pack Square
Asheville, NC 28801
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
John Ellis, Managing Director
Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place
Office Ph#: (828) 257-4512
E-Mail: jellis@dwtheatre.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Who:
Shakespeare On Trial
A comedy by Jeremy Webb
When:
Saturday, November 23, 2013 at 8:00pm
Where:
Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place
Tickets:
Regular $30, Student $25, Child $15
Student Rush Day of Show (with valid I.D.) $10
Info/Tickets:
Box Office (828) 257-4530 • www.dwtheatre.com
Click here for Performance Page with Preview Video
Artist Website:
www.offtheleash.ca/shakespeare-on-trial
For Interviews:
Jeremy Webb: jeremy@offtheleash.ca
For Calendar Listings: In Shakespeare On Trial, audiences are treated to a buffet of hilarity as
Shakespeare encounters four of his own most famous characters (Macbeth, Iago, Hamlet and
Juliet) up-close, personal and ticked off. Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place. Saturday,
November 23 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets: Regular $30, Student $25, Children 12 and under $15;
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Student rush day-of-show (with valid I.D.) $10. Tickets/Info: (828) 257-4530 or online at
www.dwtheatre.com.
“A highly entertaining and funny play that puts the boots to the notion that Shakespeare is dull.”
– The Chronicle Herald Review
WRITER WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE DEFENDS HIS OWN PLAYS IN THE
BRILLIANTLY ENTERTAINING SHAKESPEARE ON TRIAL, SATURDAY
NOVEMBER 23 AT 8:00PM AT DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE
The performance that brought down the house during its last visit is back: the hilarious comedy
Shakespeare On Trial returns to the Diana Wortham Theatre stage Saturday, November 23 at
8:00pm. This uproarious experience in “Shakespearian” theatre asks the audience, the “jury,”
whether writer William Shakespeare is guilty of irrelevance in a modern world. Audiences are
treated to a buffet of hilarity as Shakespeare encounters four of his own most famous characters
(Macbeth, Iago, Hamlet, and Juliet) up-close, personal and ticked-off. Writer/creator Jeremy
Webb plays the four Shakespearian characters along-side Simon Henderson who stars as the
Bard. “Webb and Henderson are delightful to watch and play off each other with the same energy
as Tim Conway and Harvey Korman,” (The Coast). Shakespeare On Trial played for a capacity
audience during its last visit to Diana Wortham Theatre in October 2011.
In this highly energetic play featuring some of the Bard’s best quotes and speeches, an unwitting
Bill Shakespeare must stand up for his own writing as the four characters challenge him to write
in a more modern way, arguing that no one really understands his plays anymore. As his
characters “recreate” a variety of scenes to prove their point — from hot-blooded and hilarious to
passionate and poignant — Shakespeare nobly defends the validity of his work. The audience
helps make the case for Shakespeare’s lasting significance in the last fifteen minutes as
Shakespeare calls upon the audience to help prove his point: “The play’s the thing…”
Shakespeare On Trial’s Asheville performance is made possible by Mainstage Theatre Series
Sponsors Carol & Bob Deutsch, Bill & Jerry McAninch, and Bank of America, with additional
support from Media Sponsors 880 The Revolution and News Radio 570 WWNC.
In addition to the evening performance, Shakespeare On Trial performances are also part of the
Mainstage Matinee Series for Students and Families, Friday, November 22, 2013 at 10:00
a.m. & 12:30 p.m. Performances in the Matinee Series are open to school groups,
homeschoolers, community groups, and families. These performances of Shakespeare On Trial
are recommended for students in Grades 5-12. To obtain more information or to make
reservations, call the box office at (828) 257-4530.
The new entrance for the Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place is marked by the location of the
theatre’s new marquee between 12 and 14 Biltmore Avenue. Patrons enter the theatre through
the breezeway between Marble Slab Creamery and Circle in the Square restaurants, and into a
large interior courtyard for Pack Place with multiple glass doors to the theatre’s lower lobby and
new box office. The intimate theatre seats just over 500 and boasts exceptional acoustics and
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sightlines, making it the premier performance space in Western North Carolina. The Mainstage
Series is supported by a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency. The
Mainstage Series 2013/2014 Season Sponsors are the Asheville Scene, Blue Moon Water,
Creative Energy, Laurey’s Catering and Gourmet-to-go, the North Carolina Arts Council, and
the Renaissance Asheville Hotel. To obtain more information on the Mainstage Series or to
purchase tickets, call the theatre’s box office at (828) 257-4530 or visit www.dwtheatre.com.
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