Lanes Coven

is a theater company producing reimagined Shakespeare & classic plays outdoors & indoors in Rockport, Gloucester, and Greater Cape Ann, Massachusetts.

Topdog/Underdog

By Suzan-Lori Parks

Directed by Kadeem Ali Harris

May 30th - June 15th

Written in 2001, Topdog/Underdog is a Pulitzer Prize-winning dark comedy about brothers Lincoln & Booth begrudgingly living together. Their father named them as a dark joke. The play explores themes of family, rivalry, race, and destiny through the complex relationship between these brothers. This is the first professional production with two female actors playing Lincoln & Booth.

DIRECTOR Kadeem Ali Harris (he/him/his)

returns to Lanes Coven after playing Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2024, and Macduff in Macbeth in 2022. Kadeem is an actor/director/producer from the Bronx, New York. BROADWAY: Thoughts of a Colored Man. REGIONAL THEATER: Suzan-Lori Parks’ new play Sally and Tom at the Guthrie; American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep, Cal Shakes, and Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati. He has produced the 2016 Bay Area Artist Festival with the premiere of Obie Award winner Aleshea Harris’ play CRACK. RUMBLE. FLY. Kadeem is a committed teaching artist who has taught in New York City, Cincinnati, and the Bay Area and is the recipient of the Bratt Family Diversity Scholarship and the Litfin Scholarship. TV/FILM: You can see him recur as ‘Brandon’ in the hit Amazon Prime series “Harlem,” starring Megan Good and Season 3 of City on a Hill. MFA, American Conservatory Theater; BFA Tisch School of the Arts for Drama.

LINCOLN, Akilah A. Walker (she/her/hers)

BOOTH, Adrianna Mitchell (she/her/hers)

Presented Indoors in the Chapel

Love’s Labour’s Lost

by William Shakespeare

July 11th - July 27th

Directed by Justin Genna

Indulgent bands of lovers abound; a group of academics think they can swear off love and replace all temptation with rigorous study…good luck!

Harold Bloom, "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world" calls Love’s Labour’s Lost "astonishing" and refers to it as Shakespeare's "first absolute achievement."

Love’s Labour’s Lost is a lyrical farce — romantic nobles meet comedic clowns. Like an early version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream — both titles were private commissions that Shakespeare wrote for the aristocratic Southampton family during the English plague of 1592-1593. Another opinion says Love’s Labour’s Lost is the prequel to Much Ado About Nothing (subtitled in some versions as “Love’s Labour’s Won.”)

Celebrating the Joy of 2024

2024 was a year of expansion, creativity, and joy at Lanes Coven Theater Co. From April through September, we brought you a dynamic mix of comedy, Chekhov’s The Proposal at Short & Main, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Windhover, and Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters, with Justin’s remarkably hilarious, physical portrayal of “Truffaldino.”
We made great strides in 2024, becoming a non-profit and forming a Board. With their support and that of our new Development Committee, the Midsummer Ball was a success. Thank you to them and our volunteers for making the season possible.
Relive the joy of our 2024 casts.

Relive the Joy
2025, Our 5th Season!

Our Education Initiative kicks off our anniversary year!
We’re excited to be working with Miranda Aisling of Aisling Consulting on educational programs.
With Gloucester Educational Foundation and O'Maley 8th Grade English Teachers, Lanes Coven is teaching theater tools in-class to enhance the students' understanding of Romeo & Juliet. We’ll also host a Youth Shakespeare Program at Windhover (August 4-16) — Sign up soon! Spread the word to interested families!
Suzan-Lori Parks’ TopDog/Underdog is indoors in the Chapel (May 30 - June 15), and Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost under the tent (July 11 - 27).
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