Women of Will to play ay the Gym at Judson

The New York premiere of Tina Packer's Women of Will - an exploration of Shakespeare's canon - starring Tina Packer and and Nigel Gore, and directed by Eric Tucker, will open at The Gym at Judson on 03 Feb 2013, following previews from 27 Jan 2013, and play through to 2 Jun 2013.

The show explores the Bard's characters, focusing on the Women of Will, from Beatrice in "Much Ado About Nothing" to Viola in "Twelfth Night" and everyone in between, giving a fresh perspective on some of the most well-known classics in the English language.

Tina Packer said, "I am so pleased to finally have the opportunity to perform Women of Will in front of NYC audiences."

"It has been a long journey - partly because I spent the last 30-plus years building Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts and partly because Women of Will isn't just one play - its six separate plays, and I - along with my wonderful collaborators Eric Tucker and Nigel Gore - have been working tirelessly to fine-tune the work before our NY debut."

"There is a special joy for me to be able to play the parts I missed because I was building Shakespeare & Company - parts in plays I have directed, but now can approach again from the inside not looking from the outside."

Women of Will has previously played in Denver, Boston and at the Prague Shakespeare Festival.

The show is being produced Off-Broadway by Sarah Hancock.

Tina Packer is the founding Artistic Director of Shakespeare & Company. Packer has directed over 50 Shakespeare productions, as well as new and contemporary works - some highlights include: 'The Taster,' 'Ice Glen,' King John,' 'Othello,' 'Coriolanus,' 'Julius Caesar' to name a few. As an actor, she has played countless roles, including: 'Cleopatra' in 'Antony and Cleopatra,' Queen Gertrude in 'Hamlet' and 'Lettice' in 'Lettice and Lovage.' She is the subject of the WGBH documentary "Sex, Violence and Poetry: A Portrait of Tina Packer," and Helen Epstein's biography "The Companies She Keeps."

Nigel Gore will be returning to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival in Summer of 2013 to play the title role in 'Macbeth,' and 'Bottom' in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream. Recent work includes 'Richard' in 'Richard III' at Colorado Shakespeare Festival, 'Claudius' in 'Hamlet,' at Prague Shakespeare Festival and 'Jason' in 'Medea,' at ASP in Boston. Gore is a founding member of Aurea, a performance ensemble whose mission is to explore the relationship between music and the spoken word.

Eric Tucker recently directed the Off-Broadway production of 'Saint Joan,; which will be remounted Off-Broadway in 2013. Other Off and Off-Off directing credits include: 'The Libertine,' 'The Belle of Belfast,' '86'd,' 'Closer' and '16 EAST.' Tucker is Artistic Director of Bedlam Theatre.