This August, Best Actress Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow will return to the western Massachusetts summer theater where she got her start. The "Shakespeare in Love" star will play Rosalind in William Shakespeare's romantic comedy, "As You Like It," at the Williamstown Theatre Festival August 4 through 15, 1999.
Paltrow's acting career began at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 1981 when she appeared in "The Greeks." She also appeared on the festival stage in 1990 in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and starred opposite her mother, Blythe Danner, in "Picnic" in 1991, in "The Sweet By 'n' By" in 1992 and in "The Sea Gull" in 1994.
The role of Rosalind is somewhat reminiscent of Paltrow's recent Academy Award-winning "Shakespeare in Love" character. According to a press release from the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Rosalind is an "unforgettable heroine... who eschews the comfort of the court for the forest of Arden. Disguised as a man, she sets off in search of love and justice in this magical fairy tale of romance and passion, considered Shakespeare's wisest comedy about the sexes."
Ticket Information: If you're interested in seeing Gwyneth Paltrow in "As You Like It" at this summer theater in the Berkshires, call the Williamstown Theatre Festival at (413) 597-3399 to request a summer season brochure. Season brochures, which include a ticket order form, will be mailed May 1. Tickets may only be ordered using the brochure's official ticket order form prior to the opening of the theatre box office on June 9. "Friends of the Festival" who contribute more than $100 to support the Williamstown Festival Theatre will receive their brochures in advance of the May 1 general public mailing, and all contributors' ticket requests will be fulfilled first if postmarked by May 26.
The Festival Box Office at the Adams Memorial Theatre will open June 9 at 11 a.m. Hours through June 15 are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Starting June 16, the Box Office will be open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets may be purchased beginning June 9 by calling the Box Office at (413) 597-3400 or by visiting the Box Office in person.
All Main Stage performances are held in the 520-seat Adams Memorial Theatre, Williams College, Route 2, Williamstown, Massachusetts. Directions are available online. Ticket prices for Main Stage productions range from $20 to $37, depending on the performance date, time, and seating location. Main Stage performance times are Tuesday through Friday evenings at 8 p.m. and Saturday evenings at 8:30 p.m. Matinees are Thursdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. and Saturdays at 4 p.m.
Other Performances: The Williamstown Theatre Festival's complete 1999 summer season schedule is available online. In addition to Paltrow's return to the festival, other highlights of the season, which will feature 12 plays in 11 weeks, include Tennessee Williams' "Camino Real," Tony Award winner Roger Rees in "The Taming of the Shrew" and the world premier of "The Glitter Brothers."
