The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse on Peachtree Street is home to some of Atlanta's most polished classical theater. But a few nights a year, the stage belongs to something wilder. 

Actors don't know their roles. In some cases, they don't even know what play they're performing. They find out the same way the audience does — when someone reaches into a hat. 

That's the premise of Shakespeare Out of a Hat, a recurring event at the Atlanta Shakespeare Company that blends improv with the company's deep repertory