June 7, 2022 

 Dear Friends, 

 And so we begin our 20th-Anniversary Season! I’m so proud and happy that we have arrived at this moment and I am so grateful to the artists, trustees, donors, and patrons – you! – who have made this score of years possible.  We’ve created this 20th-Anniversary Season based on where we’ve been, where we’re going, and what you’ve asked for. 

 Twelfth Night (September 30–October 30, 2022) was the very first play we ever produced back in November of 2002. Founding Artistic Director Ian Gallanar directed it then and will direct it now to open our year of celebration. You’ll be delighted by the many familiar faces of company members and by this beloved romantic comedy full of poetry, mistaken identity, and silliness. 

The pandemic shattered our spring 2020 production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)You begged us to bring it back and we obliged; the pandemic then smashed our planned fall 2021 revival. You begged us to remount it. Surely, the third time will be the charm (February 10–March 5, 2023.)  The exciting news is that this will be the regional premiere of a brand-new revision (hot off the computers of the authors!) Directed once again by Ian Gallanar, it should be the rollicking fun you loved before but updated for 2023! 

If you survive 20 years, well, then, you’d better celebrate by mounting Shakespeare’s greatest play! Yes, it’s Hamlet (April 28–May 21, 2023). We wanted two things . . . Company member Vince Eisenson to play the tragic, brilliant, witty prince and nationally recognized Shakespeare director Eleanor Holdridge to direct it. People forget how wildly entertaining Hamlet is, and I can’t wait to see what we make of it. 

Two Season Extras round out our program: 

Year after year, A Christmas Carol (December 2–23, 2022) is a beloved holiday favorite of our audiences. For our 20th-Anniversary Season, Company member Laura Rocklyn has penned a delightful new adaptation with new perspectives and new music. Directed by CSC Resident Director Matthew R. Wilson, this will be a giddy, fast-paced trip back to 19th-century Baltimore. If you haven’t seen A Christmas Carol in a few years, consider adding ticket vouchers for this warmhearted new version to your subscription now. 

The Black Classical Acting Ensemble was formed during the pandemic and has been enthusiastically meeting, thinking, and learning ever since. Macbeth (June 16–July 23, 2023) will be the BCAE’s first full production, and I know you’ll want to be there. Streamlined with a cast of eight, it will be directed by Company and Ensemble member Lauren Davis. Macbeth will be presented as our summertime outdoor event – location to be determined. These tickets are not yet on sale, but subscribers will have first dibs on them. 

Here are the stellar benefits you’ll get when you renew your regular, full-season subscription: 

• Our best value! Save 20% or more off single ticket prices
• Reserved seats for Twelfth Night, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), and Hamlet, with the option to add seat vouchers for A Christmas Carol
• The seats that you enjoyed this past season on the days and times you prefer, or the option to switch and get first dibs on the seats that you covet
• No exchange fees and no ticket service fees. The nicest box office staff in town is always happy to help
• 10% discount on additional single-ticket purchases
• CSC is the only theatre in town that offers half-price subscriptions for students 25 and under!
• $5 parking at the Arrow Garage – just a block away
• Early access to tickets for A Christmas Carol and Macbeth, before they go on sale to the public
• Special discounts on signature drinks for each downtown production at The Company Bar

Just call our box office at 410-244-8570 to complete your renewal, or email boxoffice@chesapeakeshakespeare.com. 

Love CSC, but not ready to choose specific shows or dates? Introducing our new Flex Passes! Purchase a pack of three, four, six, or eight passes with a built-in 10% discount, then redeem these for tickets on a “mix and match” basis whenever you are ready. Ask the box office for more details if this sounds like the right option for you. 

Really, isn’t the best benefit of all that you have the assurance that for several nights over the year, you and your loved ones will put your everyday cares aside, go to the most beautiful theatre in town, and enjoy a fabulous story together with your friends and neighbors? After two years of pandemic and isolation, don’t you deserve that kind of fun and community? Come party with us! 

 Yours in celebration, 

Lesley Malin 
Producing Executive Director 

P.S. Mark your calendars for our 20th-Anniversary Gala – a Capulet Costume Ball on Saturday, November 5. It will be a joyous event and I hope that you will join us.