California Shakespeare Theater is proud to present, with our friends at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare’s Verse: Discovery and Action, a workshop taught by director and Cal Shakes Associate Artist Daniel Fish (Measure for Measure, Merchant of Venice, Cymbeline). The workshop introduces experienced actors and directors to a rigorous and practical technique of working with Shakespearean verse. Daniel Fish appropriates a method developed largely by Peter Hall and John Barton and makes it work for American actors by synthesizing the emotional, psychological and physical demands of bringing these texts to life. The impulse for this technique and for the class comes from a belief that Shakespeare’s plays are living works that demand constant reinvention for a contemporary society.

When: Friday July 9, 7–9pm • Saturday, July 10, 1–5pm • Sunday July 11, 1–5pm

Where: Nevo Education Center, 2071 Addison St, Berkeley (next door to Berkeley Rep)

Cost: $150

Registration: Students must submit a resume for acceptance into this class.Please e-mail resume to school@berkeleyrep.org. Click here to register.

California Shakespeare Theater, in association with WYRD Productions and Robert Friedman, will present the return engagement of the international smash-hit comedy, MacHomer, August 3–7, 2010 at Bruns Amphitheater. Curtain times are Tuesday through Thursday at 8pm; and Friday and Saturday at 8pm and 10:30pm. The 10:30pm performances include pizza (mmm…. Pizza) and beer (woo-hoo!) with the price of the ticket.

MacHomer is a one-man performance featuring TV’s favorite dysfunctional family in a hilarious multimedia performance of Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy, complete with video projections and puppets. The script, which is 85% Shakespeare and 100% hilarious, stars Homer Simpson as MacBeth and Marge as Lady MacBeth, along with more than 50 other well-known Simpsons characters. MacHomer sold out in both of its previous Cal Shakes runs (in 2003 at the Bruns Amphitheater and in 2006 at the Roda Theater in Berkeley), and has played to capacity crowds across the U.S. and Canada. The show has toured the world to rave reviews and awards in Scotland, England, Australia, and New Zealand.

Following is a character breakdown of how Shakespeare’s play looks when performed by the people of Springfield: Duncan, King of Scotland (Charles Montgomery Burns); Malcolm, his son (Waylon Smithers); MacHomer, Thane of Glamis, later Thane of Cawdor, later King of Scotland (Homer J. Simpson); Lady MacHomer (Marge Simpson); Banquo, a Thane of Scotland (Ned Flanders); MacDuff, a Thane of Scotland (Barney Gumble); Fleance, Banquo’s son (Bart Simpson); Murderer No. 1 (Apu Nahasapeemapetilon); An Old Man, Murderer No. 2 (Grampa Abe Simpson); A Doctor, Murderer No. 3, (Otto Mann); A Porter (Krusty the Clown); Gentlewoman (Lisa Simpson); Policeman No. 1 (Chief Clancy Wiggum); Policeman No. 2 (Carl); Policeman No. 3 (Eddie); Hecate, Witch No. 1 (The Sea Captain); Witch No. 2 (Moe Szyslak); Witch No. 3 (Principal Seymour Skinner), Other Weird Sisters (Selma and Patty Bouvier) and Sideshow Bob Terwilliger as Apparition No. 4, and many others.

Critics around the world have hailed MacHomer as “a comic tour-de-force” (London Sunday Mail) that will leave audiences “exhausted with laughter” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) . Some of the international praise: “intelligent, often hilariously funny” (Los Angeles Times); “a masterpiece” (Saturday Night Magazine); “wildly imaginative” (Boston Globe); “so funny, one needs oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling to refill the lungs for more laughs” (Victoria News); “a comic juggernaut” (The Toronto Star); and “huge amounts of rollicking fun” (The Edinburgh Scotsman).

This creation of MacHomer: The Simpsons Do MacBeth was largely result of a joke. In the summer of 1995, Miller had a very small part (“Murderer #2″ to be exact) in a touring production of MacBeth with Montreal’s Repercussion Theatre. “Somehow, a tragedy always seems funnier backstage than onstage,” says Miller, “and I spent many hours concocting this silly little joke for the cast party: What if The Simpsons were to perform our play? MacHomer! I could draw and imitate most of the characters, so why not?”

MacHomer is directed by Sean Lynch, with Lighting Design & Live Performance photographs by Beth Kates; Costumes by Veronik Avery; Photography by Michael Cooper and Graphics by Craig Francis Design. For more information on MacHomer visit www.machomer.com or www.rfpresents.com.

Tickets for MacHomer start at $20 and go on sale to the general public on July 6 (Cal Shakes subscribers and FlexPass holders can purchase tickets now); for information or to charge tickets by phone with VISA, MasterCard, or American Express, call the Cal Shakes Box Office at 510.548.9666 or click http://www.calshakes.org/tickets. The grounds open at 6pm for picnicking before the 8pm shows, and at 10pm for the 10:30pm shows. Free parking is available onsite, and there’s a free shuttle from the Orinda BART.