Season Archive

2023-2024 | 35th Season

AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’

Conceived by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr.

April 10-28, 2024

This Tony Award winning Best Musical also won the Drama Desk award for Outstanding Musical. This delightful Broadway revue evokes the humor and infectious energy of this American original to provide an evening of humor, romance and thrilling music, including “Keepin’ Out of Mischief,” “This Joint is Jumpin’,” “Mean to Me” and title song, “Ain’t Misbehavin’”. More Info.

BECOMING OTHELLO: A BLACK GIRL’S JOURNEY

Written and Performed by Debra Ann Byrd

March 13-30, 2024

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. More Info.

VENUS IN FUR

By David Ives

February 7-March 3, 2024

Sexy. Provocative. Hilarious. Hailed as “seriously smart and very funny” by The New York Times, Venus in Fur is a laugh-out-loud study of the politics of sex and power that’s guaranteed to charm and mesmerize. 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. More Info.

HENRY VI, PART 1: JOAN OF ARC

By William Shakespeare

January 10-21, 2024

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. In this raw, “Bare Bard/Original Practices” production, Orlando Shakes’ actors will perform the play with less than 40 hours of rehearsal, no designers, and no director – just like the acting companies of Shakespeare’s time! More Info.

BOULEVARD OF BOLD DREAMS

By LaDarrion Williams

October 4-29, 2023

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. When Hattie stops at a bar and decides not to attend the awards ceremony, the bartender, Arthur, and the maid, Dottie, do everything in their power to convince her to go and claim her historic win. A story of dreamers striving to overcome considerable obstacles and fighting for recognition amidst the racism and inequity of Hollywood. More Info.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

By William Shakespeare

September 6-October 1, 2023

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. Bring your Mardi Gras beads and let the good times roll! More Info.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

By Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

August 2-20, 2023

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! Come hear “Blue Suede Shoes,” “I Walk the Line,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Hound Dog” and many more! More Info.

2022-2023 | 34th Season

NOISES OFF

By Michael Frayn

September 7-25, 2022

One of the funniest plays ever written, this hysterical play-within-a-play is filled with screwball antics, prat-falls and sight gags. More Info.

APOLOGIES TO LORRAINE HANSBERRY (YOU TOO, AUGUST WILSON)

By Rachel Lynett

October 5 - 30, 2022

A community of an all-Black state raises concerns after a resident’s partner, who is Afro-Latinx, moves to town. More Info.

KINKY BOOTS

Book by Harvey Fierstein | Music & Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper

April 5 - 30, 2023

This huge-hearted smash-hit is the winner of every Best Musical award, including the Tony®, Grammy®, and London's Olivier award®. More Info.

LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL

By Lanie Robertson

February 8 - March 5, 2023

A riveting portrait of the legendary jazz singer, Billie Holiday. More Info.

HENRY V

By William Shakespeare

January 18 - February 5, 2023

King Henry V of England wages war with France in an attempt to claim his throne - against all odds. More Info.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL – 2022

By Charles Dickens | Adapted By Jim Helsinger

November 30 - December 24, 2022

Gather together for Christmas magic and create a tradition for the whole family. More Info.

2021-2022 | 33rd Season

Bare Bard: Henry IV, Part 2

By William Shakespeare

April 13 - 24, 2022

See William Shakespeare stripped down to a lively, raw, rambunctious performance, like nothing you’ve experienced before. More Info.

Much Ado About Nothing

By William Shakespeare

March 9 – April 2, 2022

Lies and deceit threaten to bring lovers together or tear them apart in Shakespeare’s sharp-tongued romcom. More Info.

Sweet Water Taste

By Gloria Bond Clunie

January 5 – 22, 2022

An irreverent comedy that takes a hilarious look at the modern racial divide as two families find the meaning in their shared history. More Info.

Intimate Apparel

By Lynn Nottage

October 27 - November 20, 2021

A story about desire and common sense, resilience and fragility, and above all, the unlikely triumph of the human spirit. More Info.

Every Brilliant Thing

By Duncan MacMillan With Jonny Donahoe

September 22 - October 16, 2021

Laughter is the antidote to all things. This uplifting story explores resilience, and the lengths we will go for those we love. More Info.

2020-2021 | 32nd Season

Little Shop of Horrors

Book & Lyrics by Howard Ashman | Music by Alan Menken | Based on the film by Roger Corman, screenplay by Charles Griffith

May 5 - 23, 2021

In an outdoor performance at Lake Eola Park, this campy Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical stars a lonely florist and his man-eating plant. More Info.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By William Shakespeare

March 31 - April 17, 2021

In an outdoor performance at Lake Eola Park, mayhem and mischief are afoot in this glittering, enchanted classic comedy. More Info.

Josephine

Created By Tymisha Harris, Michael Marinaccio, and Tod Kimbro

February 17 - March 28, 2021

Before Billie, Ella, Tina, or Beyoncé, there was... Josephine. Enjoy an outdoor, burlesque cabaret dream play under the courtyard tent. More Info.

My Lord, What a Night

By Deborah Brevoort

February 3 - 14, 2021

This insightful new play sheds light on the true story of the unlikely friendship between Albert Einstein and Marian Anderson. More Info.

The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge

By Mark Brown

December 10 - 20, 2020

A heartwarming Christmas comedy! This hilarious sequel spins the holiday classic on its head. More Info.

Poe: Deep Into That Darkness Peering

By Mark Rector and Mark Brown

October 22 - November 1, 2020

A perfectly frightening and thrilling journey into the macabre world of Edgar Allan Poe. More Info.

2019-2020 | 31st Season

Henry IV, Part 1

By William Shakespeare

February 19 - March 21, 2020

When a fierce rival threatens the throne, will the young and reckless Prince Hal rise to the occasion? More Info.

The Three Musketeers

By Catherine Bush | Adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas

February 5 - March 22, 2020

A story of double crossings, kidnappings, and carefully guarded secrets, complete with lavish sword fights and sweeping romance, set in a time when love and honor ruled the world. More Info.

Becoming Dr. Ruth

By Mark St. Germain

January 8 - February 9, 2020

America’s sex therapist Ruth Westheimer recounts her extraordinary life’s journey, from fleeing the Nazis to struggling to succeed as a single mother in America. More Info.

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley

By Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon

December 4 - 29, 2019

Middle sister Mary finally takes center stage in this charming and clever sequel to Jane Austen’s 'Pride and Prejudice'. More Info.

Macbeth

By William Shakespeare

October 9 - November 24, 2019

Experience a visually striking, modern production of Shakespeare’s Scottish play in an intimate setting. More Info.

Evita

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber | Lyrics and book by Tim Rice

September 4 - October 6, 2019

This iconic musical charts the young and ambitious Eva Perón’s meteoric rise to sainthood. More Info.

2018-2019 | 30th Season

Richard II

By William Shakespeare

March 27 - April 28, 2019

Shakespeare’s deeply moving and insightful retelling reveals how one man’s bumbling mistakes can shape a nation’s political landscape and change the course of history. More Info.

Gertrude and Claudius

By Mark St. Germain | An adaptation of John Updike’s novel

February 20 - March 23, 2019

Serving as a prequel to 'Hamlet', a tale of good intentions and family dysfunction. More Info.

Hamlet

By William Shakespeare

February 6 - March 24, 2019

A troubled prince, pushed to the brink of madness, is driven to avenge a crime that could be the product of his own imagining. More Info.

A Doll’s House, Part 2

By Lucas Hnath

January 2 - February 3

In a shocking sequel to Ibsen’s masterwork, Nora returns fifteen years after abandoning her family. But why? And what will it mean for those she left behind? More Info.

The Mystery of Irma Vep – A Penny Dreadful

By Charles Ludlam

October 10 - November 18, 2018

A quick-change marathon in which two actors play all the roles. Audiences will die laughing at this mystical, Gothic farce. More Info.

In The Heights

Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda | Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes | Conceived By Lin-Manuel Miranda

September 5 - October 7, 2018

A Tony Award-winning musical that tells the universal story of a vibrant community in Washington Heights. More Info.

2017-2018 | 29th Season

The Luckiest People

By Meridith Friedman

March 28 – April 29, 2018

A touching PlayFest alum that explores the middle decades sandwiched squarely between obligations to parents, children, and spouses. More Info.

Twelfth Night

By William Shakespeare

February 21 - March 23, 2018

A pair of shipwrecked twins set into motion a tale of mistaken identity and unlikely love. More Info.

Shakespeare in Love

Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall | Based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard | Music by Paddy Cunneen

February 7 - March 25, 2018

Young William Shakespeare is stuck. The deadline for his new play is fast approaching and he’s having a massive case of writer’s block. More Info.

Native Gardens

By Karen Zacarías

January 3 - February 4, 2018

Discover a hilarious new comedy of good intentions and bad manners. More Info.

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

Adapted by Joe Landry | Original Music and Musical Arrangements by Kevin Connors

November 29 - December 30, 2017

Inspired by Frank Capra's cinematic classic, this beloved holiday treat brings the spirit of the season to life right before your eyes. More Info.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | Adapted by Steven Canny and John Nicholson

October 11 - November 19, 2017

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson journey to the English countryside to investigate the mysterious case of the Baskerville family. More Info.

Man of La Mancha

Book by Dale Wasserman | Music by Mitch Leigh | Lyrics by Joe Darion

September 6 - October 8, 2017

With incredible songs that you know and love, you won’t want to miss Orlando Shakes’ next big musical. More Info.

2016-2017 | 28th Season

Antony and Cleopatra

By William Shakespeare

March 29 - April 30, 2017

Rome, Egypt, War. Be enthralled by Shakespeare's classic storytelling in this ancient conflict at the Orlando Shakes. More Info.

Love’s Labour’s Lost

By William Shakespeare

February 22 - March 24, 2017

Enjoy a lovely night of laughs and Shakespearean romance at the Orlando Shakes with this Shakespeare classic. More Info.

The Great Gatsby

Adapted by Simon Levy | Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald

February 8 - March 26, 2017

Immerse yourself in 1920's America with this great American classic at the Orlando Shakes. More Info.

Blackberry Winter

By Steve Yockey

January 4 - February 5, 2017

Experience this deeply moving play about Alzheimer's and dementia at the Orlando Shakes. More Info.

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)

By Michael Carlton

November 30 - December 31, 2016

Enjoy 90 minutes of pure Christmas joy with this production at the Orlando Shakes. More Info.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher | Based on the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson

October 12 - November 13, 2016

Be chilled by this thrilling drama taking place at the Orlando Shakes. More Info.

West Side Story

Conceived by Jerome Robbins | Book by Arthur Laurents | Music by Leonard Bernstein | Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

September 9 - October 9, 2016

Come to the Orlando Shakes to enjoy this spin on a classic Shakespearean tragedy. More Info.

2015-2016 | 27th Season

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

By Christopher Durang

March 30 - May 1, 2016

In this hilarious romp, a comedic sibling rivalry with hints of Chekov is rekindled when Vanya's sister, Masha, returns from a 20 year long absence. More Info.

The Adventures of Pericles

By William Shakespeare

February 24 - March 26, 2016

In this Shakespearean odyssey, watch as Pericles journeys across the seas in an ultimate search for the greatest reward: a home. More Info.

The Tempest

By William Shakespeare

February 10 - March 27, 2016

One of Shakespeare's last plays, watch as the sorcerer Prospero seeks revenge on those that stranded him on an island with his daughter, Miranda. More Info.

Dancing Lessons

By Mark St. Germain

January 6 - February 7

Come and be enthralled by Mark St. Germain's drama about modern love and living with Asperger's syndrome. More Info.

Peter and the Starcatcher

By Rick Elice

December 2, 2015 - January 3, 2016

Pirates! Crocodile! Mollusks! ... Adulthood? Watch Peter's adventure unfold on the Orlando Shakes stage. More Info.

Bakersfield Mist

By Stephen Sachs

October 14 - November 15, 2015

Who gets to judge art? Can anyone do it, or does it require a higher finesse? Stephen Sachs’ colorful new comic drama asks what makes art—and the people who create it—truly authentic. More Info.

Monty Python’s SPAMALOT

By Eric Idle

September 9 - October 11, 2015

Welcome to Camelot! Have a laugh as King Arthur searches for the Holy Grail in this spoof of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. More Info.

2014-2015 Season | 26th Season

• Rapunzel
• Les Misérables
• The Best of Enemies
• The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley
• A Christmas Carol
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Merry Wives of Windsor
• Henry V
• James and the Giant Peach
• Bad Dog

2013-2014 Season | 25th Season

• Sleeping Beauty
• The Cortez Method
• The Taming of the Shrew
• Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker
• A Night in New Orleans: A Magic Tree House Adventure
• It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
• The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Parts I & II
• Pluto
• Julius Caesar
• The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

2012-2013 Season | 24th Season

• Cinderella
• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
• The Exit Interview
• Race
• A Year with Frog and Toad
• The Farmdale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s production of “A Christmas Carol”
• Othello
• Sense and Sensibility
• The Odyssey
• Titus Andronicus
• Miss Nelson Has a Field Day

2011-2012 Season | 23rd Season

• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• The Importance of Being Earnest
• God of Camage
• Miss Nelson is Missing
• A Tuna Christmas
• Sleigh
• Romeo and Juliet
• Cymbeline
• Red
• Charlotte’s Web

2010-2011 Season | 22nd Season

• The Little Red Riding Hood Show
• The 39 Steps
• The Turn of the Shrew
• Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse
• Chaps! A Jingle Jangle Christmas
• Pride and Prejudice
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Beowulf
• Charm
• Alexander, Who’s Not Not Not Not Not Not Going to Move

2009-2010 Season | 21st Season

• The Big Bang
• Yankee Tavern
• If You Give a Cat a Cupcake
• Every Christmas Story Ever Told
• Hamlet
• All’s Well That Ends Well
• Shotgun
• Schoolhouse Rock Live!

2008-2009 Season | 20th Season

• Kiss Me, Kate
• The Glass Menagerie
• If You Give a Moose a Muffin
• The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge
• The Velveteen Rabbit
• Wittenberg
• Much Ado About Nothing
• The Merchant of Venice

2007-2008 Season | 19th Season

• OZ
• The Comedy of Errors
• Shylock
• The Secret Garden
• A Tuna Christmas
• As You Like It
• Opus
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
• Macbeth

2006-2007 Season | 18th Season

• Peter Rabbit
• Into the Woods
• Frankenstein
• Miss Nelson Has a Field Day
• Every Christmas Story Ever Told
• King Lear
• Crime and Punishment
• Really Rosie
• The Merry Wives of Windsor

2005-2006 Season | 17th Season

• Twelfth Night
• Arms and the Man
• Miss Nelson is Missing
• Every Christmas Story Ever Told
• Imaginary Invalid
• The Jungle Book
• Robinson Crusoe
• Julius Caesar

2004-2005 Season | 16th Season

• A Little Night Music
• Measure for Measure
• Stuart Little
• The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge
• Trapezium- A Knightly Farce
• James and the Giant Peach
• A Moon for the Misbegotten
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream

2003-2004 Season | 15th Season

• Cyrano de Bergerac
• Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker
• Charlotte’s Webb
• A Christmas Carol in Five Parts
• Private Lives
• The Velveteen Rabbit
• Othello
• Antony and Cleopatra

2002-2003 Season | 14th Season

• The Tempest
• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
• The Winter’s Tale
• Tartuffe
• The Three Billy Goats Gruff
• The Island of Dr. Moreau
• The Two Gentlemen of Verona

2001-2002 Season | 13th Season

• The Taming of the Shrew
• I Hate Hamlet
• Hamlet
• Jack and the Beanstalk
• Much Ado About Nothing
• Around the World in 80 Days

2000-2001 Season | 12th Season

• The Woman in Black
• The Complete History of America
• Art
• Romeo and Juliet
• As You Like It

1999-2000 Season | 11th Season

• Macbeth
• The Complete History of America (Abridged)
• Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde
• Comedy of Errors
• Love’s Labour’s Lost

1998-1999 Season | 10th Season

• Frankenstein, the Modern Prometheus
• Holiday Memories
• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
• Twelfth Night
• Henry V

1997-1998 Season | 9th Season

• Poe- Into That Darkness Peering
• The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Henry IV, Part I

1996-1997 Season | 8th Season

• Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker
• The Curate Shakespeare: As You Like It
• The Merry Wives of Windsor
• Richard III

1995-1996 Season | 7th Season

• Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker
• Julius Caesar
• Two Gentlemen of Verona

1994-1995 Season | 6th Season

• Othello
• The Taming of the Shrew

1994 Season | 5th Season

• Hamlet
• Much Ado About Nothing

1993 Season | 4th Season

• The Comedy of Errors
• As You Like It

1992 Season | 3rd Season

• Romeo and Juliet
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream

1991 Season| 2nd Season

• Macbeth
• Twelfth Night

1989 Season | Debut Season

• The Tempest
• The Taming of the Shrew