Playbill for “The Merchant of Venice” at the Charlotte Shakespeare Festival, 2012.

Warm weather, flowers blooming and insects stirring can only mean one thing: its time for Shakespeare at the Green. For the past eight years, the Charlotte Shakespeare theater company has been offering affordable performances of some of the Bard’s greatest works in a truly unique setting-outside amidst the towering office buildings of Uptown Charlotte.

The Company recently announced their 2013 line up with a performance of “The Taming of the Shrew” May 30-June 16 at the Green and “Macbeth” August 15-25 at the Booth Playhouse. The preshow entertainment series will continue along with admission by donation, which makes this theater experience truly accessible for all.

“The Taming of the Shrew” is one of Shakespeare’s early romantic comedies; it explores the courtship and marriage of two sisters, Bianca and Katherine, one sweet and the other a quick-witted shrew. Suitors come vying for Bianca’s hand, but their father insists that Katherine, as the older sister, must be married first. This problem is surmounted when a young man from Verona, Petruchio, arrives looking for a rich wife. He agrees to marry Katherine regardless of her attitude, and, thus, begins the taming of Katherine. While the play is laughable farce, poking fun at chauvinistic behavior, at the same time much of the laughter comes at Katherine’s expense, seemingly normalizing her humiliation.

Ferdinand (Daniel O’Sullivan) and Miranda (Greta Marie Zandstra) from the Charlotte Shakespeare Festival’s 2012 production of “The Tempest.”

2012’s production of  “The Tempest” at the Green offered an interesting interpretation of the play with modern costuming and playful scenery. With such rich material as “The Taming of the Shrew,” this year’s Shakespeare Festival promises to be just as good.

To kick off their 2013 season, Charlotte Shakespeare is hosting a fundraising event in honor of Shakespeare’s birthday April 25 from 6-9 p.m. at the Chima Brazilian Steakhouse in Uptown Charlotte. Tickets include the rodizio service and salad bar, plus dessert and two glasses of beer or wine with the added bonus of entertainment provided by the company. Past Charlotte Shakespeare Festival performers will showcase comedic scenes inspired by Shakespeare in a Saturday Night Live format.

Tickets for this event begin at $75 and must be purchased by April 22.