Gift certificate good toward two tickets to one of the CAL SHAKES performances below. Titus Andronicus By William Shakespeare Directed by Joel Sass June 1-26 For the first time in our 38-year history, Cal Shakes presents Titus Andronicus, the young Shakespeares virtuosic spin on the revenge tragedies popular in his day. Associate Artist James Carpenter will play the title character; Joel Sass (Pericles, Macbeth) will return to direct. Its about a society torn apart, and how its citizens attempt to knit themselves together again, says Sass. Titus is one of Shakespeares oldest plays, but it is undeniably a play for our time: a sophisticated blend of heart-stopping drama and pitch black humor. The Verona Project (working title) Adapted and Directed by Amanda Dehnert from The Two Gentlemen of Verona By William Shakespeare July 6-31 Shakespeare in a major key: A brand-new play inspired by Shakespeares The Two Gentlemen of Verona, filled with original music performed and sung by the cast. The Verona Project heralds the Cal Shakes debut of Amanda Dehnert, a nationally-renowned director who according to Variety, has carved a niche as a reinventor of classics. Shell apply to Shakespeares delirious comedy the same brash, innovative touch she did to her critically-acclaimed versions of Alls Well That Ends Well at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and The Fantasticks at Washington DCs Arena Stage. Candida By George Bernard Shaw Directed by Jonathan Moscone August 10-September 4 Who will housewife Candida chooseher middle-aged clergyman husband or the young poet hoping to whisk her away from the life he deems beneath her? As always with Shaw, neither the answers nor the questions are clearly cut. Cal Shakes Artistic Director Jonathan Moscone will tangle with Shaw for the first time since 2007s smash-hit Man and Superman, pulling new human truths from the brilliance of this modern master. The Taming of the Shrew By William Shakespeare Directed by Shana Cooper September 21-October 16 No suitor can win lovely Bianca till her older sister, Katherine the Curst, is married off as well. Up-and-coming director Shana Cooper returns to Cal Shakes, where she previously served as Associate Artistic Director, to craft a dynamically physical reimagining of Shakespeares most biting romance. The final show of our 2011 season is sure to shed fresh light on courtship, gender roles, and, of course, the crackling, battling wits of Katherina and Petruchio.