Four Magical Productions for just $50.
Students of any age can attend for just $25.
Or Snag our still-sweet ‘Tea for Two’ deal — two shows in Raleigh or Fayetteville for just $35
Plays in Fayetteville NC | Plays in Raleigh NC | Theatre in North Carolina 2023 | In-person and Streaming Productions Shakespeare
Sweet Tea Shakespeare (STS) is delighted to announce its upcoming spring and summer season, featuring plays in both Fayetteville and Raleigh, North Carolina. This year’s plays include The Illusion, The Little Princess, Shakespeare in Love, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream – four plays that will transport audiences to a world of epic drama and high emotion.
This season’s plays will be performed at a range of venues in Fayetteville and in Raleigh. As always, STS embraces its mission to make this classic theatre accessible to everyone; ticket prices prices for all productions remain among the most affordable entertainment options in the region.
For those who would like a truly transformative spring and summer experience, STS has introduced the All Four One ticket package – an opportunity to enjoy all four plays at a reduced cost. This is especially beneficial for those who attend multiple plays in one season, and allows patrons to experience firsthand the plethora of talents that comprise STS’s amazing casts.
The plays will run successively from late March through early July in Fayetteville and early June through late July in Raleigh, providing ample opportunity for theatre enthusiasts to enjoy this season’s plays. As always, Sweet Tea Shakespeare invites audiences to join them on a journey of discovery as they explore classic plays in this beautiful corner of North Carolina.
So mark your calendars now! There’s no better way to spend a spring or summer evening than enjoying some quality theatre with Sweet Tea Shakespeare. Don’t miss out on the plays of the 2023 season – reserve your tickets today!
Whether you’re a long-time fan or new to STS, don’t miss out on the plays of this special mini-season – reserve your tickets today! With a One Four All ticket package, you get four plays at one low price. Alternatively, you can snag tickets for shows only in Fayetteville or only in Raleigh. It’s a great way to explore all that STS has to offer. We look forward to seeing you at the plays this spring and summer!
STS’s Fayetteville Season is supported by the Arts Council of Fayetteville & Cumberland County, with funding from the NC Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Plays in Fayetteville NC | Plays in Raleigh NC | Theatre in North Carolina 2023 | In-person and Streaming Productions Shakespeare
About the Plays
The Illusion | Fayetteville NC | April-May 2023
Experience the magic, comedy, and renewal of Tony Kushner’s charming play under the stars at Fayetteville’s landmark Gillis Hill Farm
Sweet Tea Shakespeare is bringing a little magic to Fayetteville, North Carolina, with their upcoming production of Tony Kushner’s The Illusion. Adapted from the 17th century French playwright Pierre Corneille’s L’Illusion Comique, this comedic play is sure to entertain audiences this spring.
The Illusion follows Pridamant, an anxious father desperately searching for his son Clindor. His story takes an unexpected turn when he encounters Alcandre the Magician who promises to reveal Clindor’s whereabouts through a vision. As the story plays out, featuring stock characters from commedia dell’arte and filled with illusions that befuddle even Alcandre himself, it serves as a reminder that journeys are real, even if some of what we see in life may not be.
This production promises to bring laughter and joy to theatregoers of all ages, so don’t miss out on Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s latest offering! Additionally, they offer an All Four One ticket package to give access to plays in both Fayetteville and Raleigh. Don’t wait – get your tickets now and experience the magic for yourself!
All STS shows feature live music, sweet food and drink options, and a host of engaging activities for audiences.
The production is directed by STS Artistic Director Jeremy Fiebig.
This outdoor production at Gillis Hill Farm‘s rustic amphitheater is sure to transform hearts.
Venue: Gillis Hill Farm | 2701 Gillis Hill Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28306
Dates: Thursday-Saturday | April 20-22 ; April 27-29
Time: 7:30pm start ; live music preshow 45 min prior.
Plays in Fayetteville NC | Plays in Raleigh NC | Theatre in North Carolina 2023 | In-person and Streaming Productions Shakespeare
A Little Princess | Raleigh NC | June 2023
Join us for this new adaptation of the classic work by NC writer-director Nathalie Ray
The classic story of Francis Hodgson Burnett’s A Little Princess is reinvented into an original adaptation for Sweet Tea Shakespeare audiences. Developed by theatre artists Nathalie Ray and Maneesha Lassiter, the play grapples with the colonial narratives of the original novel, uses consciously diverse casting practices for traditionally “white” roles to increase representation for all, expands the significance and depth of characters of color, explores the underlying universal themes of communities in post-colonial societies, and focuses on amplifying women’s voices through exploring complex relationships between classmates, teachers, and friends.
Set in late-1800s England, Sara Crewe, the joyful daughter of the wealthy Captain Jack Crewe, enrolls in Miss Minchin’s lavish boarding school while her father is away in India. At the end of her extravagant eleventh birthday party, a tragedy occurs, leaving Sara orphaned and destitute. Now a pauper, Sara is forced to become a maid to her former classmates, under the oppressive watch of Miss Minchin. Using her imagination and unwavering kindness, Sara learns how to cope with her new circumstances, while showing us all what it truly means to be a princess.
Venue: To Be Announced
Dates: Fri. – Sun. June 9-11; June 16-18; June 23-25
Times: Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 with a live music preshow 30 minutes prior. Sunday performances begin at 2pm with a live music preshow 30 minutes prior.
Plays in Fayetteville NC | Plays in Raleigh NC | Theatre in North Carolina 2023 | In-person and Streaming Productions Shakespeare
Shakespeare in Love | Fayetteville NC | June-July 2023
A testament to the power of faith in storytelling to guide us to unexpected places, with Guest Director Jim Warren.
The Queen commands a comedy. The playwright confounds himself at every word he writes. The noblewoman challenges the status quo just for a chance to speak them. And they all come crashing together in Shakespeare In Love, Sweet Tea Shakespeare’s latest show that reimagines the creation of the greatest tragic love story ever told.
Based on the 1999 Oscar-winning screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard and adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, Shakespeare In Love comes to Fayetteville this summer to delight, enchant and thrill Sweet Tea Shakespeare audiences.
Under the unparalleled direction of special guest Jim Warren, (Founding Director of the American Shakespeare Center, creator of Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries and leading project consultant for the American Globe Center) and with original music by award-winning multi-hyphenate musician Owen Eddy (www.oweneddy.com), the story follows a young Will Shakespeare’s struggle to write his next play, and how his encounters with Viola DeLessex, a young member of the landed aristocracy with dreams of acting in one of his plays, (despite it being illegal for her to do so), gives rise to what eventually becomes The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
Amidst a hilarious backdrop of mistaken identity, ruthless scheming and backstage theatrics, Will and Viola fall in love, and in trouble, as they try to navigate their star crossed path to happiness. What results is a testament to the power of faith in storytelling to guide us to unexpected places, unimaginable chances, and ultimately, our magnum opus, our great life’s work.
Venue: To Be Announced
Dates: Fri. – Sun. June 23-25; June 20- July 2, 2023
Times: Performances begin at 7:30 with a live music preshow 30 minutes prior.
Plays in Fayetteville NC | Plays in Raleigh NC | Theatre in North Carolina 2023 | In-person and Streaming Productions Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Raleigh NC | July 2023
Our summer will wrap up with a fantastical fae-themed production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Raleigh. Audiences will experience the classic story under the light of an enchanted moon as fairies and sprites dance across the stage.
Set amid a backdrop of shining woods and starry meadows, an ancient rivalry between High Fae King Oberon and Queen Titania wreaks havoc on the hapless plights of a quartet of young lovers and a crude band of merry players in Shakespeare’s classic tale of love and mischief. Will these fairy rulers succeed in glamoring and enchanting the lesser mortals (and sometimes each other) into doing their bidding and out-matching one another with wit, warbling notes and fairy graces in the quest to win the game of love? Or, is all the magic and mayhem truly, as our own Robin Goodfellow says, “no more yielding than a dream”?
This production blends elements of traditional performance with a contemporary edge as we engage audiences in a fresh take on this timeless story.
Venue: To Be Announced
Dates: Late July, 2023
Times: Performances begin at 7:30 with a live music preshow 30 minutes prior.
