BOSTON, MA: Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Founding Artistic Director Steven Maler today announced that the company’s 14th annual free Shakespeare on the Common production will be The Comedy of Errors, to be performed July 31—Aug. 16 outdoors at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common, in partnership with the City of Boston and Mayor Menino. The program, which has become a beloved civic institution, will draw an estimated 75,000 people over 16 performances. The detailed schedule, as well as casting, will be announced in the coming months.

This marks the company’s first Boston Common production since regaining its independence from the Citi Performing Arts Center, in a well-publicized split last fall. Commonwealth Shakespeare Company is once again a non-profit organization, as it was prior to that relationship, which started in 2004. The Company is responsible for raising the entire budget for this year’s production. “We’re about halfway there,” said Maler, “and after seeing the outpouring of support in the wake of past challenges, we’re confident we’ll reach our goal. Many people - from the Mayor, to the business community, to the 500,000 people who have seen our productions - have made it very clear that they value what we do. It’s not an easy time to be raising money, but we are reaching out to people and getting positive support.”

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company operates with a full time staff of two, including Maler. In addition to the annual Boston Common production, the company plans to continue offering Shakespeare-related programming, like the King Lear panel discussion with Ken Starr produced with the Federalist Society last May, and the Shakespeare Salon with author Anita Diamant and actor Jennifer Dundas last June.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, best known for its annual free performances on Boston Common, is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the works of William Shakespeare in vital and contemporary productions to the people of Boston. For more information, or to make a contribution to support the work of CSC, visit www.commshakes.org.