2017's Shakespeare in the Park 
will be presented at the Peck Pavilion at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts!!!!

Shakespeare in the Park is joining the Marcus Center's company as a new resident group. The Marcus Center has a rich history of providing top-notch free entertainment via their Live @ Peck Pavilion summer series. Inviting Shakespeare in the Park to join the fun is a natural partnership.
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​You can read the full press release here, issued today by Optimist Theatre. 

There are a LOT of reasons that we are excited about this partnership, including the opportunity to enhance the audience experience, to broaden our community outreach...to offer you Saz's catering before the show (really!). We'll keep you informed as some of the new logistics of coming to this year's show come together.

In the meanwhile, pre-production is revving up: auditions and casting are in progress. We're fundraising like mad to ensure that we are able to meet all of our new obligations.

Shayne Steliga (Lysander) told us a great anecdote that got us thinking about how youngersters may consume Shakespeare (or any good story, for that matter) differently than we do.

His young niece and nephew came to see A Midsummer Night's Dream and, just like many of the other kids in our audience, were riveted by the story. So much so that at intermission, his niece looked him in the eyes with genuine concern and asked, "will you end up with the other girl???" 

Of course, as adults, we've seen more romantic comedies than we can count. Midsummer may be one of the older examples of the genre that most of us will encounter, but even if we don't know exactly how the situation will be straightened out, we go into the story relatively assured that, as Puck tells us at the end, "all will be well; Jack will have his Jill." 

For kids, however, with less experience of how tales like this generally unfold, there can be actual peril for the character's fates. It's a refreshing perspective.

For the record, at the play's conclusion, Shayne's nephew dubbed it "the funniest show [he'd] ever seen." 

Another friend of SitP told us that her niece was literally on the edge of her seat as the play progressed -- and then proved it with the series of photos of her inching forward over the course of the show!

We'd like to hear the reflections that the kids that you brought to Shakespeare in the Park had on the play. Post them to the comments here, or drop us an e-mail or Facebook message!

We had great fun seeing the selfies that you posted during the run of A Midsummer Night's Dream -- thank you for participating! If you'd like to see more of these fun pictures, you can check out those that were tagged #ImAtSitP15 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (including possibly the sassiest picture of three ladies with moustaches that we've ever seen)!

During the show last night, I received a text from Laura, a friend who had seen THE WINTER'S TALE already. She wrote:

"I was on a flight to New York yesterday and randomly overheard the woman behind me talking about the Shakespeare in the Park production of Winter's Tale that she'd attended. She said it was the best she'd ever seen."

Wild. Thank you, Laura. That was a delight to share with the cast and crew backstage.

Great show. Standing O. That is all.

Thank you all for coming to the show tonight. You rocked. Especially you. You were my favorite. See you next Thursday.

Sharing some kind words from Mr. Dan Schley: 

Quote of the Day: June 14th production of THE WINTER'S TALE...

"I've lived in this neighborhood for 25 years, and this almost brings tears to my eyes, I've always dreamed of something like this for Kilbourn Park."

-a Shakespeare in the Park Patron

(Thank you. It's our dream too.)

THE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK AUDIENCE ROCKS!!! THE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK CAST AND CREW ROLLS!!!!

Rain? Hah! We laugh in the face of rain. It started pouring and the backstage crew started ferrying cast members to their entrances with umbrellas. The audience stayed - soaked to the skin, digging the show, and dedicated to seeing it through.

We ended up calling the show when there was no way you could hear the actors over the rain battering the stage roof.

Thank you. I'm humbled and amazed by your dedication, go-for-it attitude and stamina.