FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS CONTACT:
CSC Communications Manager
Nia June, 410-244-8571 x119
june@chesapeakeshakespeare.com

CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY IN-THE-RUINS PRESENTS THE TALE OF CYMBELINE

Baltimore, MD (5.12.2026) – Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC) closes its 2025–2026 season In-The-Ruins with The Tale of Cymbeline, one of Shakespeare’s most rarely staged and wildly imaginative plays. Performed outdoors at the Patapsco Female Institute (PFI) in Historic Ellicott City, this thrilling fairytale continues one of Maryland’s most beloved outdoor Shakespeare traditions, where CSC has welcomed audiences to its summer stage since 2002. The show opens Friday, June 12 and closes Sunday, July 19.

The Tale of Cymbeline follows Princess Imogen after her father and stepmother banish the man she loves, setting her on a path shaped by betrayal, separation, and disguise. Director Ben Lambert returns to the PFI to helm this production, following his 2024 direction of The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Lambert notes: “It’s really a fairytale: an evil stepmother, a call to adventure, a death, a rebirth, and a return home—exploring that thin line between what we know, what we remember, and what we might only imagine. Cymbeline is a roller coaster; it’s messy, it’s funny, it’s romantic, it’s full of music and fights and magic.”

Drawing on a rich historical context, Cymbeline traces back to early British legend, in conversation with the narrative traditions of King Arthur and Merlin. Dramaturg Abe Stoll reflects on Shakespeare’s ability to transform complex source material into a layered theatrical experience, writing, “It’s [his] most elaborately and miraculously plotted play. Storytelling at its wildest.”

Each summer, CSC’s In-The-Ruins series transforms the PFI’s historic stone ruins and surrounding landscape into Maryland’s longest-running outdoor Shakespeare event and one of the region’s most distinctive summer gatherings. For The Tale of Cymbeline, the open-air setting echoes the play’s ancient world and sense of exile, offering an immersive night of Shakespeare.

This summer’s ensemble is compact, led by Fabiolla da Silva as Imogen. da Silva also returns to the PFI following her 2024 performance in The Merry Wives of Windsor. She is joined by a mix of new and returning CSC artists, including Company Members Sam Richie, Elana Michelle, Lizzi Albert, and Lloyd Marcus.

While most In-The-Ruins logistics remain the same, Sunday performances will now begin at 6:30 PM to accommodate natural light and the evolving landscape. Sundays are still Family Fun Days, with gates now opening at 5 PM for the Company’s signature summer experience for young audiences. Families can arrive early for live music, pre-show storytelling, arts and crafts, costume try-ons, and a festive maypole dance.

Guests are welcome to bring a picnic, wine, and their favorite people for an evening of theatre under the stars. As always, kids under 18 get in FREE with a paying adult.* Performances begin close to sunset, with showtimes at 7:30 PM on Thursdays, 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, and 6:30 PM on Sundays.

*Limit of two per paid adult ticket, max of four free kids.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION
The Tale of Cymbeline
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Ben Lambert

LOCATION
The Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park is located at 3655 Church Road, Ellicott City, MD 21043. Parking for the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park is located at 3691 Sarah’s Lane, Ellicott City, MD, 21043. Gates and ticket tent will open 90 minutes prior to curtain.

TICKETS
Adult tickets start at $55, tickets for youth 18-25 start at $29, and preview tickets are $25. Kids under 18 get in free (limit of 2 per paid adult ticket, max of 4 free kids).

To purchase tickets, visit ChesapeakeShakespeare.com, or contact the Box Office directly by calling 410-244-8570 or visiting in person at 7 South Calvert Street. Discounts are available for groups of ten or more and active-duty military. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ChesShakes.com/Cymbeline.

DATES AND TIMES
Wednesday, June 10 at 8:00 PM - Preview
Thursday, June 11 at 8:00 PM - Preview
Friday, June 12 at 8:00 PM - Opening/Press Night
Saturday, June 13 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, June 14 at 6:30 PM - Family Fun Day
Friday, June 19 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, June 20 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, June 21 at 6:30 PM - Family Fun Day
Thursday, June 25 at 7:30 PM
Friday, June 26 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, June 27 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, June 28 at 6:30 PM - Family Fun Day
Thursday, July 2 at 7:30 PM
Friday, July 3 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, July 5 at 6:30 PM - Family Fun Day
Thursday, July 9 at 7:30 PM
Friday, July 10 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, July 11 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, July 12 at 6:30 PM - Family Fun Day
Thursday, July 16 at 7:30 PM
Friday, July 17 at 8:00 PM
Saturday, July 18 at 8:00 PM
Sunday, July 19 at 6:30 PM - Family Fun Day

CAST LIST
Imogen – Fabiolla da Silva
Posthumus/Cloten – Joshua Williams*
Cymbeline/Storyteller – Samuel Richie*
Iachimo/Storyteller – Lizzi Albert*
Pisanio/Storyteller – Abel Haddish
Belaria/Queen – Ali Haas
Guiderius/William – Lloyd Marcus*
Arviragus/Adrian – Luke Douglas
Caius Lucius/Helen/ Cornelius/Storyteller – Elana Michelle*

CREATIVE TEAM
Director – Ben Lambert
Production Manager and Rehearsal Stage Manager – Lauren Engler*
Production Stage Manager – Colin Maher
Assistant Stage Manager – Ilana Mongilio
Set and Lighting Design – Dan O'Brien*
Costume Design – Hannah Brill
Props Artisan – Dawn Thomas Reidy* and Lauren Engler*
Sound Designer – Chris Lane
Music Director – Grace Srinivasan*
Fight Director – Jenny Male
Dialect/Text/Vocal Coach – Emily Erickson
Dramaturg – Abraham Stoll
Production Associate – Dawn Thomas Reidy*
Technical Director – Dan O'Brien*
Tech Manager – Cameron Luther

*CSC Company Member

ABOUT CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
Founded in 2002, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company brings great classic theatre to Baltimore, Howard County, the state of Maryland, and beyond. The company offers performances of Shakespeare and other plays of classic stature that are unforgettable, challenging, and innovative. In 2012, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company acquired the Mercantile Safe Deposit and Trust Company building in downtown Baltimore, renovating it into a modern Globe Theater for indoor performances. CSC produces outdoor Shakespeare every summer at the PFI Historic Park in Howard County and brings free Shakespeare performances directly into neighborhoods across Maryland with our innovative travelling Shakespeare Beyond Wagon. The organization regularly serves 34,000+ people annually through artistic projects and intentional community engagement. CSC’s vibrant education program includes an extensive matinee series, camps, classes, and in and out-of-school residencies. The company invites patrons, students, and neighbors to become part of the creative collaboration that generates powerful, magical theatre and a more purposeful, engaged, and connected community.