Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Potted Potter Returns to Shakespeare Theatre Company


From our friends at Shakespeare Theatre Company...

Potted Potter, the Hit Harry Potter Parody Returns to the Shakespeare Theatre Company

The Shakespeare Theatre Company, recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award, is pleased to announce the return of Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience - A Parody by Dan and Jeff, a 75-minute comedy production featuring all seven Harry Potter books, written and performed by two-time Olivier Award-nominated actors Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner. The production returns for a three-week engagement, May 30 - June 21, 2015, in the Company’s Lansburgh Theatre (450 7th Street, NW.)

A critic's pick by The New York Times, New York Magazine, Boston Globe, Chicago Daily Herald, and Time Out London, Potted Potter takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing, or "potting," all seven Harry Potter books into 75 madcap minutes, aided by multiple costume changes, brilliant songs, ridiculous props and a generous helping of Hogwarts magic. The two former BBC hosts also invite audiences to engage in a real-life game of Quidditch, played according to Clarkson and Turner's unique (and definitely not canon) set of rules. Whether you camped outside a bookstore for three days awaiting the release of the Deathly Hallows, or you don’t know the difference between a horcrux and a Hufflepuff, the comedy, magic and mayhem of Potted Potter makes for a fun, and funny, visit to the theatre - perfect for ages six to Dumbledore (who is very old indeed.)

Starvox Entertainment and Potted Productions introduced the hilarious show to North American audiences in Toronto at the Panasonic Theatre. After a record-breaking run in Toronto, Potted Potter played a hit, off-Broadway run at The Little Shubert Theater, (the show has since returned to both cities as part of its third record-breaking North American tour). This Monty Python-esque show has also sold out theatres across London, Edinburgh, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Dubai. Last year’s sell-out run in STC’s Sidney Harman Hall was called “A blast from start to finish” (DC Metro Theater Arts), an “absolute gem” (BroadwayWorld), and a parody that “has us roaring with laughter” (Washington Post.)

Potted Potter runs May 30 - June 21 in the Lansburgh Theatre, and tickets are now on sale. To purchase tickets or to learn more, patrons can call the box office at (202) 547-1122 or visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org/PottedPotter.

ABOUT THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE COMPANY:
Recipient of the 2012 Regional Theatre Tony Award, the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) has become one of the nation’s leading theatre companies. Today, STC is synonymous with artistic excellence and making classical theatre more accessible.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Michael Kahn and Managing Director Chris Jennings, STC’s innovative approach to Shakespeare and other classic playwrights has earned it the reputation as the nation’s premier classical theatre company. By focusing on works with profound themes, complex characters and poetic language written by Shakespeare, his contemporaries and the playwrights he influenced, the Company’s artistic mission is unique among theatre companies: to present theatre of scope and size in an imaginative, skillful and accessible American style that honors the playwrights’ language and intentions while viewing their work through a 21st-century lens.

A leader in arts education, STC has a stable of initiatives that teach and excite learners of all ages, from school programs and acting classes to discussion series as well as accessible programs like the annual Free For All, one of STC’s most beloved annual traditions, allowing audiences to experience Shakespeare at no charge.

Located in our nation’s capital, STC performs in two theatres, the Lansburgh Theatre and Sidney Harman Hall in downtown Washington, D.C., creating a dynamic, cultural hub of activity that showcases STC as well as outstanding local performing arts groups and nationally renowned organizations. STC moved into the 451-seat Lansburgh Theatre in March 1992, after six years in residency in the Folger Library’s Elizabethan theatre. At that time the Penn Quarter neighborhood was not considered desirable by many; since then, STC has helped drive its revitalization. The 774-seat Sidney Harman Hall opened in October 2007.