Michael Kahn

By John Arundel
Managing Editor

These are exciting days for Michael Kahn, Artistic Director of the Shakespeare Theatre.

Next year Kahn and his Shakespeare Theatre Company’s beloved Free For All will move from its previous location at Carter Barron Amphitheatre to their newest facility in Penn Quarter, Sidney Harman Hall.

The Free For All will feature a remount of the 2007 production of Rebecca Bayla Taichman’s The Taming of the Shrew, with performances run from the end of the summer from Sept. 5 to September 20, 2009.

"Free For All attracts people who have never been to the theatre before, people who are unable to pay for tickets or afford a  babysitter, young people, students and people on fixed incomes," Kahn said. "They all come to experience the magic of Shakespeare, to see how his words and ideas still resonate with us more than 400 years later."

Since founding Free For All in 1991, Kahn estimates that 560,000 people have enjoyed the theatre's free performances of Shakespeare.

"We would like to express our immense gratitude to the Park Service and all of those involved with the Carter Barron Amphitheatre for the many years of support and spirit of partnership that have helped us create this vital, successful, community-wide event," Kahn added. "We know that the Free For All is a much-loved Washington tradition, and we hope that by changing venues we will be able to expand and improve this cherished event, while continuing to make free Shakespeare available to as wide of an audience as possible."

For many years, Kahn said he yearned to make the location of Free For All more accessible to those without cars. "Harman Hall’s central location in downtown D.C. means that Free For All will now be close to three metro lines as well as numerous bus lines, allowing us to reach new audiences who were previously unable to attend," he said. "Additionally, by presenting Free For All indoors, we will prevent the many weather-related cancellations and delays our patrons have experienced in the past."

Thanks to the state-of-the-art capabilities of Sidney Harman Hall, Free For All performances will be mounted with the same rich production values Shakespeare lovers experience at all of their mainstage shows.

By attracting an additional 17,000 patrons to the Penn Quarter neighborhood each year, "we will further our mission to enliven downtown and support the revitalization of this exciting area," he said. "Our new plans include hosting a variety of additional family-friendly events, adding to the festival nature of the performances."

The National Building Museum has agreed to host patrons on the West lawn in front of the museum, allowing them to picnic there before performances. More information about special events, volunteer opportunities and ticket distribution will be announced next year. "We look forward to continuing to share the tradition of Free For All with you as our gift to the entire greater Washington community," Kahn said.

To read more about the Free For All, click here.