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

CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY OPENS 2025-26 SEASON WITH JANE AUSTEN'S PERSUASION

Baltimore, MD (8.25.25) — Chesapeake Shakespeare Company opens its 2025–2026 season with Jane Austen’s Persuasion, newly adapted for the stage by Sarah Rose Kearns. Presented during the global celebration of Austen's 250th birthday, this second premiere honors her enduring legacy while continuing CSC's commitment to connecting classic stories with the pulse of contemporary life. Performances run September 26 through October 19 at the company’s Downtown Baltimore theater.

The heart of Persuasion lies in Anne Elliot (Marissa Chaffee), who finds herself unexpectedly reunited with Captain Wentworth (Joe Carlson) almost a decade after being persuaded to abandon their engagement. His return forces Anne to confront past choices in a society that seldom offers women a fresh start.

“Anne Elliot is a woman with a past: someone who has loved and lost and learned about herself along the way,” Kearns notes. “I hope our audience will feel as inspired as I do by her journey through emotional trauma, into hope and renewal, and at last, a second chance at happiness.”

Kearns’s adaptation preserves Austen’s signature wit and spirited charm while capturing the emotional stakes of Anne’s journey toward self-determination. In doing so, the Janeite playwright explores the novel’s most profound question: what does it mean to choose love on our own terms?

Director Megan Behm, whose previous staging of Pride and Prejudice in 2019 demonstrated her nuanced understanding of Austen's work, returns to the author's world, bringing lively insight into the characters’ interior lives, along with their emotional undercurrents and theatrical potential.

"I am delighted to be directing this beautiful adaptation. It is extremely faithful to the original material, while also creating a uniquely evocative and theatrical story. While part of our 'classic
literature canon,' Persuasion still feels deeply relatable. The cast, designers, and I are relishing diving into this world,” says Behm.

In addition to commemorative events held worldwide, CSC’s Persuasion will coincide with the Jane Austen Society of North America’s (JASNA) Annual Conference—drawing Austen scholars, enthusiasts, and theatre lovers to Baltimore for a special moment where culture and community meet live performance.

The timing is especially significant for Kearns: “I personally cannot think of a lovelier way to spend this special time, than in bringing Austen’s novel to life at CSC. I began writing this adaptation in Baltimore several years ago, so it's thrilling to feel that my play is coming home.”

CSC will also host a series of special events during the run. Highlights include a special performance for JASNA, a Regency-inspired soiree, talkbacks with cast and creatives, and a featured presentation by distinguished Austen scholar Dr. Juliette Wells, whose work has helped shape modern understanding of Austen’s legacy.

With a cast and design team devoted to capturing the elegance, fun, and emotional texture of the Regency-era, Persuasion promises an immersive experience that lingers in the heart, reminding us why love transcends any single era.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

Jane Austen's Persuasion
A new adaptation by Sarah Rose Kearns
Directed by Megan Behm

LOCATION

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is located at 7 South Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, two blocks north of the Inner Harbor. Parking is available for an adjusted rate at Truist Place or Propark. The theatre is also accessible using the FREE Charm City Circulator and is located on the Purple Route. For more detailed information about directions, parking, and public transportation, click here.

TICKETS

Adult tickets start at $69, tickets for youth 25 and under start at $31, and preview tickets are $25. 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 www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com/persuasion.

DATES

Wednesday, September 24 at 8 PM – Preview
Thursday, September 25 at 8 PM – Preview
Friday, September 26 at 8 PM – Opening/Press Night
Saturday, September 27 at 8 PM
Sunday, September 28 at 2 PM
Friday, October 3 at 8 PM
Saturday, October 4 at 8 PM
Sunday, October 5 at 2 PM
Thursday, October 9 at 7:30 PM
Friday, October 10 at 8 PM
Saturday, October 11 at 8 PM
Sunday, October 12 at 2 PM
Thursday, October 16 at 7:30 PM
Friday, October 17 at 8 PM
Saturday, October 18 at 8 PM
Sunday, October 19 at 2 PM

CAST

Sir Walter Elliot – Brendan Murray*
Mr. Shepard – Jonas Connors–Grey*
Lady Russell – Molly Moores*
Mrs. Clay – Dawn Thomas Reidy*•
Elizabeth Elliot – Elana Michelle*•
Anne Elliot – Marissa Chaffee
Frederick Wentworth – Joe Carlson
Mary Musgrove – Mady Sims
Charles Musgrove – Isaiah Mason Harvey*•
Henrietta Musgrove – Dawn Thomas Reidy*•
Louisa Musgrove Sophia Early
Sophia Croft – Elana Michelle*•
Admiral Croft – Jonas Connors–Grey *
Captain Harville – Brendan Murray*
Mrs. Harville – Molly Moores*
Captain Benwick – Elana Michelle *•
Mr. Elliot – Isaiah Mason Harvey*•
Lady Dalrymple – Jonas Connors–Grey*
Understudies – Jason Hentrich, Michelle Norris, Colin Maher,
Saraniya Tharmarajah

* CSC Company Member
• Black Classical Acting Ensemble Member

CREATIVE TEAM

Production Manager – Lauren Engler*
Production Stage Manager – Sam Linc
Set Designer – Kathryn Kawecki
Lighting Designer – Katie McCreary*
Costume Designer – Kristina Lambdin*
Music Director – Grace Srinivasan*
Props Designer – Isabel deCarvalho
Production Associate – Dawn Thomas Reidy*•
Technical Director – Dan O’Brien*
Sound Designer – Matthew Datcher
Dance/Movement Choreographer – Cjay Philip of Dance & Bmore
Intimacy Coordinator – Mel Gabel
Dialect Coach – Lisa Murphy-Nathans
Production Advisor – Laura Rocklyn
Dramaturgical Advisor – Dr. Juliette Wells
Assistant Stage Manager – Kalatri Singleton
Assistant Technical Director – Chester Stacy*
Costume Assistant – Regan McKay
Wardrobe Supervisor – Hannah Brill
Set Design Assistant – Nadia Kuffar
Board Op – Artie Vajda

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. We produce outdoor Shakespeare every summer at the PFI Historic Park in Howard County and bring free Shakespeare performances directly into neighborhoods across Maryland with our innovative traveling Shakespeare Beyond Wagon. The organization regularly serves 30,000+ 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.