Shakespeare festival launching in Nashville

Shakespeare is heading back to the park.

• The Nashville Shakespeare Festival returns this month with productions of The Bard's "Cymbeline" and August Wilson's "Gem of the Ocean."

Performances of "Cymbeline" begin Thursday, with "Gem of the Ocean" starting next week.

The plays will alternate in Nashville through Sept. 11 at the oneC1TY development.

• They will both be performed Sept. 15-18 in Franklin.
• General admission tickets are free. You can find more about the performance schedule and deluxe packages online.

The details: For those of you who might have missed this one in school, the Shakespeare play is a dense tale of family, war and mistaken identities.

• "Shakespeare's 'Cymbeline' has it all," director and Vanderbilt University professor Leah Lowe said in a statement.
• "A gutsy princess, evil stepmother, handsome hero, and dastardly villain. It's an epic adventure story that explores betrayal, intrigue, loss, and ultimately, forgiveness."

"Gem of the Ocean" is set in 1904 Pittsburg and tells "the story of a young African-American man's redemption and the powerful people he meets along the way," per director Chuck Smith.

• Wilson's play is included in the festival through a collaboration with Kennie Playhouse Theatre, a Nashville company committed to promoting creative opportunities for African American actors and playwrights.