Seattle Shakespeare Company announces the Wooden O outdoor summer plays

Free Shakespeare in the parks starts July 8, 2010 with Much Ado About Nothing and Othello

SEATTLE - Seattle Shakespeare Company is gearing up for a summer of Shakespeare with its Wooden O free, outdoor plays - Much Ado About Nothing and Othello - which will run July 8 through August 1. Sheila Daniels will direct Much Ado About Nothing featuring husband and wife actors Hans Altwies and Amy Thone as the bickering lovers Benedick and Beatrice. Vanessa Miller stages Othello with George Mount as Iago and Chiara Motely as Desdemona.

Both plays will perform in park venues throughout King County. A full schedule of dates and venues will be announced at a later date. All performances are free and open to the public. Donations are heartily encouraged.

"I'm excited about how the Wooden O season is coming together," says George Mount, Director of Outdoor and Touring Performances. "The spirit of Wooden O has always been about having an extended family of artists come together to perform outdoors. It's wonderful to welcome back Sheila and Vanessa to helm these two shows and to have Hans and Amy onstage together in such well suited parts. It's going to be a fun summer."

2010 Outdoor Season

Much Ado About Nothing

Directed by Sheila Daniels

In Much Ado About Nothing, when the men return victorious from war the women are ready and waiting for romance. Couples form and weddings are planned. All is going smoothly in this delightful comedy until a jealous brother sets a devastating lie in motion. Suddenly rivals Beatrice and Benedick must join forces to save the honor of an innocent girl. With sparkling prose, Much Ado About Nothing illustrates the beauty and complexity of human relationships and will win your heart again and again.

Othello

Directed by Vanessa Miller

Shakespeare's Othello is a tragedy of a deception taken a step too far. After the high-ranking general Othello bypasses Iago for a promotion, the cunning manipulator enacts his revenge. By playing on the Moor's insecurities, Iago paints a false vision of Othello's faithful wife Desdemona which leads to a murderous fit of jealousy.