subject: Get Your Free Shakespeare Here [print this page] Get Your Free Shakespeare Here Get Your Free Shakespeare Here
One of the most exciting events to happen every summer is the Shakespeare in the Park series. Many cities throughout the country provide free performances to the public, and Great Falls, Montana, is no exception. The productions are free to the public, and are of a professional quality. The company features ten professional actors that travel throughout Montana, Wyoming, eastern Idaho, and North Dakota, focusing especially on rural areas that would not otherwise have access to such quality performances. Montana State University in Bozeman provides Shakespeare in the Park as an outreach program for the university.
There are several sponsors that make these tours possible, with hundreds of donors ensuring that the performances remain free of charge for the general public.
You won't need tickets to the Great Falls Shakespeare in the Park performances. You are, however, encouraged to arrive well before the curtain time, so as not to disturb the actors or audience with a late arrival. You are more than welcome to bring your own chairs and blankets, as well as picnic suppers. Bring a group of family and friends, and enjoy a whole evening of entertainment.
There are two productions being offered this summer by the Shakespeare in the Park program. Audiences can enjoy a performance of Shakespeare's comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream, which probably the authors best known comedy. The play centers on two worlds, including the royal court in the real world of Athens, and a magical forest, where fairies control the strange and sometimes scary events.
You will be amazed by the set designs and costumes, for they have been created to further accentuate the differences between the real and the fantasy.
Also accentuating differences is the second offering from the Shakespeare in the Park troupe, which will present Julius Caesar. This well-known tragedy tells the story of the murderous plot to overthrow and emperor, and includes many twists and turns, with secret alliances and espionage. The goal of the actors is to make Julius Caesar as real and as accessible as possible, so that its relevance to modern day can be understood.
The performances will be presented at the University of Great Falls, with A Midsummer Night's Dream on August 9, and Julius Caesar on August 10. The curtain time is set for six o'clock in the evening on both nights; so don't forget to arrive a bit earlier than that.
