Romeo and Juliet opens Texas Shakespeare Festival

Romeo and Juliet opens tomorrow with Ben Charles as Romeo and Mary Candler as Juliet. Photo provided by Texas Shakespeare Festival The Texas Shakespeare Festival will begin its 24th summer season tomorrow with an evening performance of the popular Shakespeare play, "Romeo and Juliet."

Tickets are currently on sale for all TSF productions, which run through Aug. 2. All performances are in the Van Cliburn Auditorium at the Anne Dean Turk Fine Arts Center.

In addition to "Romeo and Juliet," presented in traditional, Italian Renaissance style, there is Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost," set in the early 1950s with live music provided by an on-stage singer and ensemble; Moliere's 17th-century comic masterpiece "Tartuffe;" and the Broadway musical "She Loves Me." written by the team that created "Fiddler on the Roof," Joe Masteroff and Sheldon Harnick.

The 2009 children's show is "Rumpelstiltskin."

Tickets are also on sale for the TSF's Queen's Tea, set for 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, at the historic Crim Mansion in Kilgore. Tickets for the tea are $40.

"The tea is an elegant afternoon affair patterned after an authentic British High Tea," said Raymond Caldwell, TSF director. "It includes a variety of savories and sweets served buffet style in the dining room of the mansion, as well as hot tea and/or coffee served at the table."

The box office at the Anne Dean Turk Fine Arts Center is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays though Sundays. To order tickets, call the TSF Box Office at 903-983-8601 or fax orders to 903-983-8124.

For more information and performance schedules, visit www.texasshakespeare.com.

TSF 2009 SEASON PERFORMANCE DATES

Romeo and Juliet By William Shakespeare Directed by Kevin Otos The most famous love story ever told and perhaps the world's most beloved play. The production is a feast for the eyes as well as the heart! July 2, 9*, 11*, 16, 18, 24*, 26*, 31; August 2 Tartuffe, or The Imposter by Moliére Translated into English verse by Richard Wilbur Directed by Seth Panitch A colorful, hilarious comedy about religious hypocrisy and duplicitous exploitation and one of the most famous satires ever written, it is as relevant today as ever! July 3, 9, 11, 17*, 19*, 24, 26, 30*; August 1* Love's Labour's Lost by William Shakespeare Directed by Tom Whitaker A romantic comedy set in the early 1950's with popular songs performed by an onstage chanteuse and three-piece combo! Elegant, lovely, and utterly charming! July 4, 10*, 12*, 17, 19, 23*, 25*, 30; August 1 She Loves Me Book by Music by Lyrics by Joe Masteroff Jerry Bock Sheldon Harnick Directed by Stephen Terrell/Music Direction by Stephen Lias A musical from the team that wrote Fiddler on the Roof. A familiar story if you saw the James Stewart movie "The Shop around the Corner" or "You've Got Mail." July 5, 10, 12, 16*, 18*, 23, 25, 31*; August 2* *Matinee at 2:00 pm Evening performances at 7:30 p.m. Rumpelstiltskin By Charlotte Chorpenning Adapted by Raymond Caldwell Directed by J. Hernandez The fairy tale about the evil of greed and the virtue of kindness, by the founder of Children's Theatre in America. A magical production for all ages. July 21, 22, 28, 29 at 2:00 p.m. July 22, 23, 25, 28, 29, 30; August 1 at 10:00 a.m.