Michigan Shakespeare Festival Signs Michigan Favorites for 2012 Season

This past week The Michigan Shakespeare Festival held 2012 Season Auditions in Detroit, Jackson, and Chicago. Offers have been made and accepted for some primary roles.  

Sally Pesetsky, last seen at the MSF as Daisy in Driving Miss Daisy, will be performing as the Duchess of York, the villainous Richard's mother, in Richard III and as Mrs. Higgins, the voice of wit and reason to her son Henry, in Pygmalion.  "Sally brings such joy and class to her roles, she's wonderful to work with and I'm elated to have her back in the company," says Artistic Director Janice L Blixt, "I think she'll work very well with David Turrentine-who's playing Richard-and will give a role, that is often about wailing, wonderful dignity."

Alan Ball, whose credits include the Hilberry Repertory Theatre in Detroit and multiple performances at the JET in Bloomfield Hills, will be returning to the MSF as Doolittle in Pygmalion and Don Armado in Love's Labour's.  Alan was featured in 2011 as Tartuffe and as Dogberry in Much Ado.

The 2012 Season will be featuring three of MSF's Artistic Associates: Janet Haley (MSF-AA since 2011) and William Irwin (MSF-AA since 2011) will be playing The Princess of France and the King of Navarre and David Blixt (MSF-AA since 2000) will be playing Berowne in Robert Kauzlaric's production of Love's Labour's Lost.  All three were featured in the 2011 Season and, between the three of them, they have played in more than 25 Michigan Shakespeare Festival productions.

"I love introducing our audiences to brilliant new regional talent," says Janice L Blixt, "But I also want the MSF to have a strong company base-wonderful actors who return year after year and whom audiences love to see in different roles and different shows.  Janet, William, and David create a terrific foundation for our company and help set the tone of professionalism and fun that MSF is becoming known for." 

The art of villainy, smart romantic comedy, and a battle of class and gender are on the bill this summer for the Michigan Shakespeare Festival's 18th season. Richard III will anchor two plays new to the Festival: Love's Labour's Lost and George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.  MSF's professional Shakespearean company will run all three shows in rotating repertory from July 12-August 5 at the Baughman Theatre of the Potter Center, 2111 Emmons Rd., Jackson, MI.

Tickets and more information are available at www.MichiganShakespeareFestival.com.

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