The People's Shakespeare Project (TPSP) will return to live theater with a new, original play, "Witch ... Love, Loss and the Mystery," written by Laura Korach Howell, TPSP's executive artistic director. The performances will take place on Fridays to Sundays, Oct. 29 to 31 and Nov. 5 to 7, with a nightly 7:30 p.m. curtain time. The play will be performed at the barn at Historic Rock Ford, located at 881 Rockford Road, Lancaster, in Lancaster County Central Park.

"Witch ... Love, Loss and the Mystery" is a departure from TPSP's full Shakespeare productions. It was inspired by Shakespeare, but is just as much about his personal struggles as it is about his characters and plays. In the play, the Three Witches from "Macbeth" sense an imbalance in the universe. Shakespeare is stuck, and to get him unstuck they must stage an intervention and call on some of his memorable women to assist them in this effort. This one-act play combines the language of Shakespeare with modern English. With a cast of three, plus one disembodied Voice, the play is full of humor even as it explores the depths of human emotions and the need for poetry in the world. The play was developed and is being directed by Howell and Sena Taskapilliohlu, a theater artist from Istanbul.

Howell is a local Equity actress, teacher, director, playwright and roster artist with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. She received her training at Circle-in-the-Square Theatre, The Actor's Center in New York City and Shakespeare & Company in Massachusetts. In 2006, her passion for Shakespeare led her to found TPSP, a nonprofit organization devoted to sharing the joys of Shakespeare through instruction and performance.

Tickets may be purchased in advance at http://www.peoplesshakespeareproject.org or for a higher fee at the door. This production is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes long, and the play is suggested for audiences age 12 and up. To protect the health and safety of the actors, staff and audience, TPSP is limiting seating to 50 people per show and requiring proof of vaccination at the door as well as mask-wearing while inside the barn. The barn has on-site parking and a heated space with bathrooms.

TPSP is celebrating its 15th year presenting Shakespeare's works for the Lancaster community and beyond. All its performances are made possible through the contributions of individual donors and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. TPSP's lead sponsor is Historic Rock Ford, and it has also received assistance from The Stone Independent School.

For more information, contact Howell at laura@peoplesshakespeareproject.org or 717-371-7793.