Classicsfest 2012 @ The Antaeus Company

The Antaeus Company, L.A.'s classical theater ensemble, presents staged readings of six classics in six weeks from July 22-August 27.

Sunday, July 22 and Monday, July 23: Richard III by William Shakespeare

Machiavellian but deliciously charismatic, he’s the villain you love to hate—and one of Shakespeare’s greatest characters. Antaeus presents the history of Richard III from his ruthless rise to his ultimate destruction.

Sunday, July 29 and Monday, July 30: Top Girls by Caryl Churchill

Set at the dawn of Thatcher’s Britain, this ground-breaking, fantastical comedy shines a light on the darkness that lurks at “the top” for women who have given up everything to climb the corporate ladder.

Sunday, August 5 and Monday, August 6: Mrs. Warren’s Profession by George Bernard Shaw

One of the oldest professions seen through the eyes of one of the greatest playwrights. A young woman and her mother are set at odds in Shaw’s wry and timeless tale.

Sunday, August 12 and Monday, August 13: King John by William Shakespeare

In this rarely produced political potboiler, women warriors, fierce queens and a young prince torn apart by his country's treachery come to life through some of Shakespeare's most vivid language.

Sunday, August 19 and Monday, August 20: The Wedding Band by Alice Childress

It is the summer of 1918, and as the Great War rages in Europe, two individuals wage their own battle against America's racist color line, risking their lives for the right to marry.

Sunday, August 26 and Monday, August 27: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

In this evocative adaptation, Frank Galati re-envisions John Steinbeck’s iconic story of the Dust Bowl migration westward during the Great Depression. As the Joad family travels to California in their Hudson Super Six truck, they experience the real America—a place of uncertain beauty where equality and justice are never guaranteed.

Admission is free! with a suggested $10 donation at the door.