Photo by midweekpurple on Flickr

Since appointing new AD Ann Ciccolella last fall, Austin Shakespeare has been kickin' ass and takin' names. Have you noticed? Every Sunday from 5-7pm they host Shakespeare Aloud at their space on Tillery, for which any and all are welcome to participate in a reading of the Bard. If you want more, they've got bona fide auditions for their fall show, a "contemporary Global look" at Macbeth, coming soon. Lastly, on 3/9 they're offering a free sneak peek at the Rollins Theater with a production of Les McGehee's Plays Well with Shakespeare. Like we said, ass-kickin' and name-takin'.

Cut from the same cloth, the director-less, self-dubbed "brats of theater," Bedlam Faction, have returned. Huzzah, we say! They'll mount Paul Menzer's "hilarious new Shakespeare send-up" The Brats of Clarence the last two weekends in March at SVT. Welcome back, you crazy kids. We missed you.

Finally, speaking of SVT, they've got a trouserload of programming this month, including even more Shakespeare (what's the deal?), Twelfth Night, produced by Kadigan and Mountweazel. "It's like Shakespeare Unplugged ... if Shakespeare had a plug." The show blows in and back out again this weekend only.

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