Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Last evening my wife and I saw the play Oresteia. Going in the this experience we had not idea what the play was about we just knew it was a Greek tragedy and that's it. The rest of the review comes from that point of view.

The actors were great ! During the play they were not hooked up to any microphones and the entire performance was done by the power of there own voices. I was impressed.

A play is only as good as it's story and about a third of the way through the play something felt off. But by the end I realized what I had watched it was " Netflix presents Oresteia". What I mean by that is the ending was incredibly unsatisfying and atheistic. I let the theater with feeling in the pit of my stomach that some one had taken something amazing and butchered it in front of my eyes. On the website they left no indication that this was a an abridged retelling with the theme changed. When I got home I find out I was correct the play is supposed to be 3 2.5hours plays that they gutted to 1 one hour long play. They change the characters to fit there world view and it was unsatisfactory. At the end of the story spoiler alert instead of a trial by his peers that was ultimately a hung jury with the tie, broken by the goddess Athena. We instead had the gods reduced to mental illness, and a hung jury with a unsatisfying ending.

I do not blame the actors they were great. If you are the writer of this show I am rooting for chatgpt to take your job.

Long live history .

Very good experience coming here for A Christmas Carol.

While most of us have either heard of the story, seen a production or a movie version, the CSC's take is unique. Mostly in that instead of 19th century England it's meant to be set in 19th century Baltimore.

The other big difference is that unlike most shows you'll see where there are two acts with an intermission, this version is a straight through 90 minute blitzkrieg. To me this works and it doesn't work. If you have never seen the show before or if you are trying to appease the short attention span theatre crowd then I guess I get it but there are scenes that instead of being acted out are just explained by different cast members in an attempt to move the story along.

Gregory Burgess as Scrooge was great and when the man does one of his screams, well...some of us could have used a diaper because it's funny and sure as hell catches you by surprise. I nearly pissed my pants on the first one or two.

Ticketing was very easy on their website and we were sitting right up front by the stage although no seat here is bad due to the smaller size of the venue.

Due to them just reopening after a long pandemic induced hiatus, no snacks-bar were open and you definitely needed to bring proof of vaccination which was clearly delineated on their website in multiple places.

Fair pricing, great show, easy to get to venue from all of the Inner Harbor hotels equals a great experience. Hopefully in the future we'll be back. A+

What a cute little theatre company. Small and intimate is the best way to describe the size of the theatre. This old bank turned theatre, has three levels, two to three rows in the front and sides, two bathrooms, two bars and a quiet area in the vault to take your children if they start to make noise during the performance. Don't worry, the restless little one wont make you miss the play: there is a TV in the vault for you to continue watching.

My family and I went there to see A Christmas Carrol. Though we didn't know it at the time, it was the 176th anniversary of A Christmas Carrol; published on 19 December 1844, the first edition sold out by Christmas Eve.

I have been seeing this play, every year, for the last 15 or more years at Fords Theatre in DC, but this was my first time seeing it here, and I was so impressed with their rendition of the play. This adaptation of the play was unique. It is a multicultural cast, set in Baltimore. Born and bread in Baltimore, I was able to relate to the references of historical sites, streets and neighborhoods. It made the play all the more endearing to me. I laughed so hard, and felt more apart of the show because we were so close to the stage and characters.

They had some really good main actors/actresses and some so-so support actors/actresses, but definitely worth the money and time. Now that I know about this theatre, I look forward to attending more productions.

Tip: Park in the garage for $10 and get a $5 voucher from the theatre. There is also metered street parking out-front.

Wow! Dracula show was incredible!
This theater is a family friendly gem in the heart of Baltimore!Complete with parking garage close and has handicap access out front along with street parking if lucky enough to snag a spot. I've been here for several shows and every seat is a great seat. They have a nice wine, beer, cider, soda & small snacks bar open on each floor (only the 2nd floor bar is open during show). There are also family restrooms available.
The show Dracula was an audience engaging show! Without giving away too much for those who want to catch the show next year, I'll just say every level & area of the theater was used for this show. The cast was incredible and extremely friendly during the after-show. They're always available after the show to thank you personally for attending the show and/or take photos with if you choose. This is one of the aspects that make this theater and the cast unique by taking the time in character after the show to meet & talk with attendees.
During this show we were also treated too a few nice musical presentations before the show and during intermission. This theater definitely will not disappoint & I definitely give them a 5/5 across the board!

This is an excellent and friendly Shakespeare Troupe right in the heart of Baltimore. The inside of the theatre is a cool and modern interpretation of an Elizabethan theatre such as the Globe Theatre. It puts the audience always close to the actors. And at the end of the show, the actors interact with the audience....like they sometimes did four hundred years ago.
The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is easily accessible and a short walk from all the restaurants around the Inner Harbor or in downtown Baltimore.

Fantastic Fantastic Fantastic! Went the there to see A Christmas Carole with my wife on the recommendation of a friend. Wow! The show was excellent. The actors were excellent. All of the seats and the layout were excellent. We loved it so much we bought the multi show subscription. Obviously we will be returning. A hidden gem in Baltimore and VERY affordable. Highly recommend!

Saw Dracula today and loved it! What a phenomenal venue - updated, historic structure. They've managed to keep the ambiance of the original structure and add modern pizzazz.
I'll be back!!!

This is a wonderful theater. The stage is in the center, and there are long, plush pew-like seats situated around the stage. I like that the space is situated in an intimate way. Seating is strategically placed around the stage and above in the balcony area. It's cozier and not so spread out. No matter where you sit, you'll have a great view of whatever play you're watching. The sound quality was great. I could hear the entire dialogue of the play clearly. The sound effects were good, too.

I had such a great experience. I brought a group of students to see Macbeth. The actors were great and put their all into the performance; they were also really open to interacting with students, responding to questions, etc.

The other theater workers were also very helpful with providing a warm welcome, directing everyone to seats, showing where restrooms are located, and just generally answering questions and being accommodating.

I look forward to coming back so that we can see Romeo and Juliet in the spring.

Just saw "A Christmas Carol" at CSC and was amazed. By far the most engaging and well-staged performance of this Dickens classic. get on down and bring the kids before it's gone.

I found the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company from prowling downtown for my office lunches. I finally got to check it out when they did Othello about one month back, for a preview performance. It was great! I thought the acting and stage direction were quite good, but I haven't seen too many plays to compare it to. I'd never seen a professional Shakespeare production before, but Othello got me hooked!

The theatre itself was beautiful and a more intimate, small set up. I think you can get a pretty good view wherever you sit, especially as the actors move to face different parts of the audience. However, one of my companions did find that the balcony seats were a little closer together, making it a bit uncomfortable for his longer legs.

I don't know if they always do this, but the actors also performed a song for the audience during intermission. I thought that was pretty cool! Definitely come check out the Chesapeake Theater Company - they seem like a good group. Tickets were only $15 for the preview performances, so it can be pretty affordable if you can come on a weeknight.