Seattle Shakespeare Company’s Wooden O brings Othello and Much Ado About Nothing to local parks; Green Stage presents Romeo and Juliet and As You Like It; Balagan does their version of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Greetings From Styx and Theater Schmeater debuts the original work, An Inconvenient Squirrel…That’s a lot of Outdoor theater and don’t forget to pack the bug spray!
Could this be any cuter? Real life married couple playing kooky romantic lovers in Much Ado About Nothing…the always wonderful Amy Thone as Beatrice and her equally wonderful hubby, Hans Altweis as Benedick are cute enough to eat…but, please don’t eat the actors.
The city parks of Seattle are alive…with the sound of free Shakespeare (and other plays) in the park productions ALL OVER THE CITY! And, did I mention, THEY ARE FREE! What more could you ask for? (the ability to legally drink wine while watching said productions, but we live in a Puritan society…) The Kings/Queens of local Shakespearean endeavors, the folks at Seattle Shakespeare Company, are presenting two works this summer, the haunting dramatic tragedy of Othello and the romantic comedic quirkiness of Much Ado About Nothing. Figure out if you want to cry or laugh and see one of those productions, now through August 1 (or see both, for extra brownie points from your lit professor). Go to the website for a full schedule of performances that include shows in Lynnwood, Edmonds, Issaquah as well as Seattle.
Those lusty, young, ill-fated lovers, Romeo and Juliet, will be doing their non-musical version of “West Side Story” all over town this summer…check out the lovely Carolyn Marie Monroe as the Juliet and the also lovely Ryan Higgins as the Romeo at a park near you…Photo by Ken Holmes.
If you’re still not satiated in Shakespeare, then check out GreenStage’s 22nd season of the Bard’s Greatest Hits with their two offerings, As You Like It and the classic Romeo & Juliet, (again with the comedy/tragedy choice) which play local parks now through August 14…personally, I had hoped for a RISKIER interpretation of R&J, maybe Romeo and Julian with a homoerotic twist and lots of beefcakery in the park, but we don’t always get what we want, do we?
Ssshh! They’re hunting squirrels! The cast of Theater Schmeater’s “An Inconvenient Squirrel”, from left to right: Shannon O. Campbell, Aaron Allshouse and Josh Hartvigson. Photo by Regan MacStravic.
If Shakespeare makes you yawn, vomit, or both, then you have a couple other options as well…the folks at Theater Schmeater, (a company I have NOT covered enough, I’m ashamed to say, and promise to rectify soon…but, probably not in the Park since I’m allergic to Outdoor Theater) are putting on a family show called “An Inconvenient Squirrel” which is described by the Schmeaterians as:
A perfect summer diversion fit for the whole family, and presented for FREE in beautiful Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill in Seattle. The story of an odyssey of self discovery introduces our hero to the rigors of off road hiking, the Pirate Code, and the delusional self confidence of Master Thespians. Perfect for the young at heart of all ages. Caution, contains nuts.
Cute! And, it’s being performed Saturdays and Sundays at 5pm at the Amphitheater in Volunteer Park now through August 8…check it out!
Last, and not least, the Balagan apparently didn’t have enough to do this year and had plenty of free time and energy after they ended their ten play season, so they decided to tackle some classical Theatuh and create their own adaptation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses called “Greeting from Styx” which they’re describing as:
This summer Balagan Theatre presents GREETINGS FROM STYX – COLLECTION OF SHORT PLAYS BASED ON OVID’S METAMORPHOSES. Directed and conceived by Chris Bell with original adaptations written by local playwrights Jose Amador, Maggie Lee, Arlo Smith, Matt Smith and Erin Stewart, GREETINGS FROM STYX takes on Ovid’s rich text in a fantastical world set on a 1900s boardwalk along the River Styx. Minos and the Minotaur, the intertwined lovers Baucis and Philemon, and Athene protecting a beautiful young woman from the advances of Neptune are just a few of the offerings which will the ensemble of 6 actors will take on in this highly original summer production!
It’s all over town through August 1 and worth a look see.
That’s it from me; I have to go prepare for my one man show at Madison Beach, “Fat Gay Man in Rainbow Speedo”, which will open and close at a date to be determined—Michael Strangeways
About the Author: Michael Strangeways
