Chesapeake Shakespeare Company (CSC) has announced its 2026/27 season, a compelling lineup that explores the fragility and strength of human nature — where ambition, fear, and the delightful disorder of love transform individuals and whole communities. Spanning horror, historical drama, and Shake spearean comedy, the season pairs some of the canon’s most captivating works with CSC’s signature commitment to imaginative staging and design. “At CSC, community is something we build each time we gather in the same room to hear a story. This season was shaped with that in mind,” writes CSC’s Producing Executive Director, Lesley Malin. “I’ve chosen plays that spark conversation, that give us reasons to be together—whether to enjoy a good scare, a gripping drama, or a joyful comedy.” Opening the season in October is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, directed by CSC’s Founding Artistic Director Ian Gallanar. Arriving with the chills of fall, this timely staging of Shelley’s gothic classic follows a young scientist whose monstrous ambition gives birth to something he cannot contain. As his forsaken creation turns toward vengeance, Frankenstein confronts the moral cost of his curiosity and the boundary between creator and creation. The company’s beloved holiday tradition A Christmas Carol, adapted by Laura Rocklyn and directed by Quāé Simpson, returns in December. Set in 19th-century Baltimore, this enduring production of Dickens’ hauntingly beautiful tale offers a familiar story, reimagined in a familiar setting and renewed each year in the warmth of community. As always, surrounding community events and partnerships will extend the production beyond the stage, making it a cornerstone of the region’s winter season. CSC’s season journeys from monsters to ghosts to witchcraft. With the new year comes Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, directed by Lise Bruneau, returning to the Company following her 2025 performance in the title role of Mary Stuart and 2024 direction of The Oresteia. Set in 1692 Salem, this searing American classic traces how fear can be weaponized in society. As whispers of witchcraft circulate, hearsay hardens into evidence, and a small town turns on itself. Miller’s edge-of-your-seat drama remains a fascinating reflection of mass hysteria and the price of integrity amidst it all. Spring brings laughter and love in William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Megan Behm, who earlier this season directed CSC’s regional premiere of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. This 16th-century romantic comedy bursts with sparkling wit as two brilliant rivals are tricked into falling in love while a darker plot threatens to upend a joyous wedding. It’s a fast-paced, sharp-tongued “merry war” and a celebration of love’s messy, triumphant magic. Closing out the season, CSC In-The-Ruins returns to the Patapsco Female Institute with The Two Gentlemen of Killarney, adapted and directed by Séamus Miller. This lively reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona blends Irish folk music and follows two friends whose loyalties are tested across continents. The play premiered in March at Avant Bard Theatre to great acclaim. Performed under the stars, this rhythmic production continues the Company’s tradition of expansive, outdoor storytelling. Alongside the mainstage and In-The-Ruins shows, the Company’s community initiatives continue. CSC’s Student Matinee program returns with its annual spring staging of Romeo and Juliet, offering thousands of Maryland students an immersive encounter with Shakespeare through live performance. Entering its fourth summer, CSC’s Shakespeare Beyond is back, bringing free educational programs and performances into neighborhood parks across the state, on its Shakespeare Wagon. Together, the 2026/27 season centers the human experience and affirms the power of gathering. These are stories that challenge, thrill, delight, and ultimately bring us into closer dialogue with one another. Chesapeake Shakespeare Company remains dedicated to making space for that exchange. Full details for each show, including casting, will be announced closer to the dates of production. Subscription packages are now on sale; single tickets for mainstage shows will go on sale later this summer. For more information about subscriptions, single tickets, and School Matinees, visit www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com or call the box office at 410-244-8570. PRODUCTION INFORMATION Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Adapted from Mary Shelley Directed by Ian Gallanar October 9 – November 1 A Christmas CarolAdapted from Charles Dickens by Laura Rocklyn Directed by Quāé SimpsonNovember 28 – December 23 Arthur Miller’s The CrucibleBy Arthur MillerDirected by Lise BruneauFebruary 12 – March 7 Student Matinee: Romeo and Juliet By William Shakespeare Performances run: March 23-May 7 Much Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare Directed by Megan Behm April 23 – May 16 The Two Gentlemen of KillarneyAdapted from William Shakespeare by Séamus Miller Directed by Séamus MillerJune 18 – July 25 ABOUT CHESAPEAKE SHAKESPEARE COMPANY Founded in 2002, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company brings great classic theater to Baltimore, Howard County, the state of Maryland, and beyond. The company offers performances of Shakespeare and other plays of classic stature that are unforgettable, challenging, and innovative. In 2012, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company acquired the Mercantile Safe Deposit and Trust Company building in downtown Baltimore, renovating it into a modern Globe Theater for indoor performances. CSC produces outdoor Shakespeare every summer at the PFI Historic Park in Howard County and brings free Shakespeare performances directly into neighborhoods across Maryland with our innovative travelling Shakespeare Beyond Wagon. The organization regularly serves 34,000+ people annually through artistic projects and intentional community engagement. CSC’s vibrant education program includes an extensive matinee series, camps, classes, and in and out-of-school residencies. The company invites patrons, students, and neighbors to become part of the creative collaboration that generates powerful, magical theater and a more purposeful, engaged, and connected community. ...read more read less