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The 36th annual production, scheduled for July 10 – Aug. 17, 2008, debuts the Festival’s in-house production team and brings together two Shakespeare classics – the gleefully wicked Richard III and the impishly interfering immortals in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The productions are complemented by the contemporary love story, CAMBIO, an original musical based on the novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

“The diversity of themes in the trio of plays and the emphasis on the anti-hero creates an exciting backdrop for the 2008 season,” said Catherine Atack, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. “We hope that audiences will enjoy attending each of our three performances in 2008 and embrace the differences in each of the plays as part of our varied and richly diverse season...we’re excited to provide audiences with a completely fresh take on the Festival experience with our new in-house production and artistic direction."

The 2008 season will be the Festival’s first with in-house artistic director, Jan Powell, and an opportunity for more integration of local talent. Through Powell’s direction the team is working to create new, more environmentally-encompassing sets, fresh costume designs, choreographed dancing and swordplay and, in the case of CAMBIO, an original script and score. “We’re thrilled to be able to tap into the vast talent in the Reno-Tahoe area and make it an intrinsic part of creating our new artistic vision in this community,” said Powell. “Our goal is to support and utilize the talent base in the region as well as bring new talent in from the rest of the country, in order to create an exceptional theatre experience for our audiences.”

Local and national auditions will bring a new cast of actors to the Festival’s stage as well. Add to the mix gourmet food and drink from Shakespeare’s Kitchen, the fresh Sierra Nevada air, the crystal blue waters of Lake Tahoe and an amphitheatre set on the north shore’s pristine white sandy beach, and there’s no other venue in the country that provides the sensory stimulation that can be found at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.

Tickets are available for immediate purchase online at www.LakeTahoeShakespeare.com or by calling 800-747-SHOWS (800-747-4697) and start at $22 for open seating tiers and range in options up to the premier Reserved Seating section from $67. Information about the 2008 season, membership, volunteer opportunities and sponsorships is available online.

What play are you looking forward to seeing the most? Is there something else you would rather see? Tell us in the comments!