Knoxville Shakespeare
Knoxville Shakespeare on the Hill
King Henry IV
May 7, 8, 9, 10 & 14, 15, 16, 17
The Historic Mabry Hazen House
7:30 pm nightly 2:00 pm Sunday matinees
Join us and our all female cast for this funny, touching, and exciting tale of war and its ravages. Following the events of Richard II, King Henry IV (formerly Henry Bolingbroke) declares he will make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to absolve himself for the overthrow (and murder) of his cousin Richard II— the final King of Divine appointment. Before he and his retinue can leave England, King Henry must content with the capture of his cousin by Welsh rebels, the in-fighting of two former allies in the North, threats from war, and his no-good, wayward son Prince Hal, who is too busy chasing drink and tomfoolery with his friend, Sir John Falstaff. This Knoxville Shakespeare on the Hill is not one to miss!
“There lives not three good men unhanged in England, and one of them is fat and grows old.”
Falstaff, Act II Scene iii
“While you live, tell truth and shame the Devil!”
Hotspur, Act III Scene i
Knoxville Shakespeare at Ijams
Merry Wives of Windsor
July 16, 18, 24, 26, 30 August 1, 7, 9
7:30 pm nightly 2:00 pm Indoor Matinee on July 26
Merry Wives of Windsor features one of Shakespeare’s funniest and most unique characters, the dissolute knight Sir John Falstaff. This play was purposely written at the command of Queen Elizabeth, who demanded that Shakespeare write a play showing Falstaff in love. In what may be the original sitcom, Falstaff attempts to court two women at the same time behind their husbands’ backs— but the fat knight is no match for the fiery heroines who give him his commupance.
”Wives may be merry, and yet honest too…”
Mistress Page, Act IV Scene ii
King Henry V
July 17, 19, 23, 25, 31 Aug. 2, 6, 8
7:30 pm nightly 2:00 pm Indoor Matinee on August 2
Upon receiving an insulting “gift” from the French Dauphin (prince, he even has a stuck up title!) King Henry V (previously Prince Hal for those keeping track) invades France to take the throne he believes in rightly his. Join us as we follow Hal’s—err King Henry V’s— crusade to conquer lands beyond England’s borders. A story topped full with assassination plots, cut-throat betrayal, battles, political intrigue, and unlikely alliances, Henry V is an action packed tale for the ages.
”Once More, Unto the Breach!…” “The Game’s Afoot…”
King Henry, Act III Scene i
Knoxville Shakespeare on the Hill is made possible in part by:
– The East Tennessee Foundation’s Katherine Davis Moore and Mary Elizabeth (Betty) David Foundation Fund;
– Federal award number 21.027 awarded to Knox County by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Arts & Culture Alliance;
– And Patrons Like You!
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet.
ROMEO AND JULIET | JULIET CAPULET II.ii
It’s 1989, and 4 performers just bombed.
Where it all started…
Sitting around a sandwich shop, in High Point, North Carolina, four East Tennessee actors are bemoaning their auditions. As it sometimes happens, they each walked out of their shot a season’s worth of work, saying the same thing: “Well, that went badly.” So someone came up with a brilliant idea– let’s start our own thing.
And that is how the Tennessee Stage Company was born.
East Tennessee Shakespeare in the Park’s inaugural season in 1990 began with Taming of the Shrew in the World’s Fair Park Amphitheater. The next step, was 2003’s production of As You Like It, at the then unfinished Market Square. When we started “Shakespeare on the Square”, we set out to continue to bring Shakespeare to the city of Knoxville in an a way we hadn’t seen before. For Seventeen years, thousands of patrons flocked to our home on Market Square. We experimented with other outdoor theatre spaces when the pandemic hit by using Ijams Nature Center. As we grow, we want to expand the possibilities beyond the Square. We hope you share our excitement for the future and fondly remember our past. Thank you for being here.