A new William Shakespeare play series will come to Avondale Estates, beginning Sept. 13 and running through Nov. 15.
“A Shakespeare Happening” is a free series produced through a partnership with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company, DeKalb County Commissioner Ted Terry, Avondale Estates, and Bard x Sage PR, according to a press release. The series will take place at Avondale Estates Town Green.
“Bringing Shakespeare to the Town Green is about more than theatre—it’s about building community and ensuring that art and culture are accessible to everyone, regardless of zip code or income,” Terry said in the press release. “I’m proud to support initiatives like this that uplift our shared spaces, celebrate creativity, and offer meaningful enrichment for families across DeKalb.”
The series will kick off with “Tempest Jr.” on Sept. 13, inviting children to enjoy a kid-friendly Shakespeare performance. The Atlanta Shakespeare Company will also provide a sneak peek performance of “Macbeth.” The series will continue on Oct. 11 with “Shakespeare Shorts,” a comedy that covers all of the drama and romance of the bard in just 25 minutes, and a sneak peek performance of “Hamlet.”
On Nov. 15, the Atlanta Shakespeare Company will provide a workshop on the comedy “Much Ado About Nothing” for participants of all ages. Then, the company will put on the show through “Shakespeare Out of a Hat,” which is a performance concept where the actors don’t know what role they’ll be playing until minutes before the show.
“Through the sneak peeks of our Mainstage Productions of ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Hamlet,’ audiences grapple with ambition, duty, loyalty, honor and indecision,” said Kati Grace Kirby, the associate managing director of the Atlanta Shakespeare Company, in an emailed statement. “In ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ audiences delight in the classic ‘enemies to lovers’ romantic arc, moments of betrayal and foibles of the well-intentioned but whacky constables of the watch. There’s something for everyone!”
In addition to Shakespeare, the series will bring live music and children’s programming, all free of charge.
“400 years after they were first produced, Shakespeare’s plays continue to inspire and move us. Bringing Shakespeare’s characters and their journeys to life allows audiences to empathetically explore universal themes about what it means to be human,” Kirby said.
