2023-2024 Content Advisory

What follows is a list of items that we believe may be found offensive by some audience members. If you have concerns about content, feel free to look over this page. As you do so, please keep in mind that the words listed, taken out of context, may seem more offensive than they would in the context of the play.

Please Note: Orlando Shakes allows children age five and older to attend our Signature Series performances. Children under five will not be admitted to our Signature Series productions.

The content listed below has been created before the show opens, so we are unable to list every objectionable moment that may occur during the performance.

Million Dollar Quartet

RATING PG
Mild Language

SYNOPSIS: It was December 4th, 1956, and Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee was about to become the mecca of music for a magical moment in music history. Be witness to this true to life jam session – credited by many to be the direct influence of rock ‘n roll in the late 50s and 60s – between Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins!

MILD LANGUAGE: Mild adult language

FOR WHICH AUDIENCES: Million Dollar Quartet is a jukebox musical. It is most appropriate for Grade 5 and up.

RATING: If it were a movie, Million Dollar Quartet would be rated “PG.” Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theater.

The Comedy of Errors

RATING PG-13
Language
Comic Mischief
Crude Humor
Suggestive Themes

SYNOPSIS: Set during the revelries of Mardi Gras and featuring New Orleans Jazz, Zydeco and Delta Blues music, Shakespeare’s non-stop hilarious farce of love, mistaken identity, and two sets of twins separated as babies – gets swept up in the carnival celebrations.

LANGUAGE: Elizabethan curse words.

ALCOHOL: There may be alcohol consumption in the play.

SEX: None. Bawdy gestures may be a part of some of the lower class characters’ behavior.

FOR WHICH AUDIENCES: The Comedy of Errors is a comedy about mistaken identity. The play is best suited for Grade 6 and up.

RATING: If it were a movie, The Comedy of Errors would be rated “PG-13”.

Boulevard of Bold Dreams

RATING PG-13
Adult Language
Themes of Racism, Class, Gender
Cultural Stereotypes

SYNOPSIS: A dynamic story about the night Hattie McDaniel (Gone with the Wind) made Hollywood history by becoming the first Black artist to win an Oscar.

SMOKING/ALCOHOL: Alcohol is consumed. Theatrical cigarettes are smoked.

LANGUAGE: Sexual references. Swear words. The N-Word.

FOR WHICH AUDIENCES: Boulevard of Bold Dreams is an adult play about race, class and gender. It is most appropriate for Grade 8 and up.

RATING: If it were a movie, Boulevard of Bold Dreams would be rated “PG-13.” Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theater.

A Christmas Carol

RATING PG
Spooky Content, Ghosts

SYNOPSIS: The miserly and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge greets each Christmas with a “bah humbug,” until he is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Witness the classic, heartwarming story of Orlando Shakes’ holiday tradition, in a magical and musical spectacle for the whole family.

SPOOKY CONTENT: Ghosts appear in the production. Skeletal figures representing “Ignorance” and “Want” are presented. The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come is a giant hollow-faced puppet and may scare very young children.

FOR WHICH AUDIENCES: A Christmas Carol is a holiday story with an uplifting theme of generosity toward others. It is most appropriate for 3rd graders and up.

RATING: If it were a movie, A Christmas Carol would be rated “PG.” Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theater.

Henry VI, Part 1: Joan of Arc

RATING PG-13
Language
Stage Fighting and Death
Crude Humor
Suggestive Themes
Use of Alcohol
Violent Reference

SYNOPSIS: The world whirls out of control in the thrilling tale of France’s Joan of Arc, the English warrior Talbot, and the young King Henry VI. Shakespeare’s epic, powerful beginning of the Wars of the Roses is riveting storytelling that never lets up.

LANGUAGE: There are invocations of God’s name, some of which might be considered profane.

ALCOHOL: There may be alcohol consumption in the play.

SEX: None. Bawdy gestures may be a part of some of the lower class characters’ behavior.

VIOLENCE: Henry VI, Part 1: Joan of Arc is a historical drama. Violent battle scenes are depicted on stage including sword fights, stabbing, and death.

FOR WHICH AUDIENCES: The play is best suited for grade 6 and up.

RATING: If it were a movie, Henry VI, Part 1: Joan of Arc would be rated “PG-13.” Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theater.

Venus in Fur

RATING PG-MA
Sexual Themes
Sexual Language
Adult Language
Scantily Clad Characters

SYNOPSIS: When Vanda arrives several hours late to her audition for a play based on a nineteenth-century erotic novel, the director is less than impressed. But Vanda’s masterful performance flips the script, and the audition turns into a tango for dominance between actress and director.

SEXUALITY: Vanda spends significant portions of the play in her underwear.

ALCOHOL/SMOKING: Alcohol is consumed. Theatrical cigarettes are smoked.

LANGUAGE: References to mature sexual topics such as S&M, bondage, pornography, prostitution, sexual abuse, and adultery.

FOR WHICH AUDIENCES: Venus In Fur is an adult play about sex and domination. It is most appropriate for Ages 18 and up.

RATING: If it were a movie, Venus In Fur would be rated “PG-MA.” Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theater.

Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey

RATING PG-13
Adult Language
Mention of Rape
Violent Themes
Themes of Racism, Class, Gender
Suicidal Ideation

SYNOPSIS: From her ancestral lineage to her arrival at a metaphorical crossroad, Debra Ann Byrd presents a tour-de-force journey of her living memoir in Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey. Shakespeare aficionados will love how she weaves the Bard’s words into her own, but one doesn’t have to be a Shakespeare fan to appreciate Byrd’s poignant telling of her own story.

CONTENT WARNING: BECOMING OTHELLO is based on Byrd’s real-life experiences, and includes content that may be distressing. The show discusses topics and personal stories of rape, abuse, trauma, and suicidal ideation. It mentions themes of racism, class and gender. A gun / gunshot will occur on stage during this play. These occurrences may not be suited for some audience members.

FOR WHICH AUDIENCES: Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey is an adult play. It is most appropriate for Grades 8 and up.

RATING: If it were a movie, Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey would be rated “PG-13.” Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theater.

Ain’t Misbehavin’

RATING PG-13
Mild Language
Sexual Innuendo
Alcohol and Smoking References

SYNOPSIS: A sizzling celebration of Fats Waller’s music – songs that he made famous in a career that ranged from uptown clubs to downtown Tin Pan Alley to Hollywood and concert stages around the world.

LANGUAGE: Sexual references, mild obscenities.

ALCOHOL/SMOKING: Alcohol may be consumed. Theatrical cigarettes are smoked on stage.

VIOLENCE: References to violent behavior.

FOR WHICH AUDIENCE: Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a musical revue. The play is best suited for Grade 8 and up.

RATING: If it were a movie, Ain’t Misbehavin’ would be rated “PG-13.” Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theater.