Wednesday, August 20, 2008

The 19th season atWashington Shakespeare Companyis dubbed "Peace-Out" because it starts with a play titled "Peace" and ends with the troupe moving out of its longtime Arlington home, Clark Street Playhouse, and into temporary quarters at Chief Ike's Mambo Room.

Aristophanes' play inspired Callie Kimball's "Peace" (Aug. 28-Sept. 28), in which a Tennessee landowner rides a hot-air balloon to Mount Olympus and finds the place ravaged by war. Alexander Strain, who played the title role in "Caligula" at WSC last fall, will direct. Kimball did a last-minute adaptation of Shakespeare's epic poem "The Rape of Lucrece" for the company two seasons ago.

The Bard's anti-romantic comedy "All's Well That Ends Well" (Nov. 6-Dec. 7), in which the heroic Helena tries to win the love of the callow Bertram, will be directed by Joe Banno.

Artistic Director Christopher Henley will stage Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" (Jan. 15-Feb. 15, 2009), WSC's last play at Clark Street.

While still waiting to move into Arlington County's new Rosslyn theatrical venue in the former Newseum building, WSC will migrate to Adams Morgan to do Tennessee Williams's1972 play "Small Craft Warnings" (April 9-May 10), about a group of drinkers coming to grips with their lives. It will be performed upstairs at Chief Ike's. Jay Hardee will direct.

-- Jane Horwitz