Shakespeare festivals rise in popularity
Regular readers may remember that some months ago I threw down about the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
And I am delighted to report that – in an all-too-rare occurrence – I have gotten my way. After a goodly portion of strong-arm assistance from my in-laws, my husband and I will indeed be front and center for “The Merry Wives of Windsor.”
Fresh off this triumph, I received appeals from no fewer than three more Shakespeare festivals vying for our (and your) attendance. I don’t hold out much hope for myself, but you go on without me. Surely you can find a play to suit your tastes.
In the Skagit Valley, they’re reaching beyond tulips to attract visitors with the Skagit River Shakespeare Festival’s performances of “Hamlet” and “The Comedy of Errors” in Mount Vernon’s Edgewater Park. (The latter is set in the 1980s, so bring lots of hair gel.)
Evening shows for the August 2-20 festival start at 8 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m.; both will run you $12. Come a half hour before curtain time for the “sonnet slam,” a poetic game show.
You can find more information at www.shakesnw.org or (877) 754-6284.
Vancouver, B.C.’s Bard on the Beach stages “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Measure for Measure,” “The Winter’s Tale” and “Troilus and Cressida” through Sept. 24.
“We believe it’s the first time for Troilus and Cressida to be performed in Vancouver,” says Cynnamon Schreinert, Bard on the Beach’s publicist. “It’s set in the American Civil War.”
You’ll enjoy all this cultural cleverness under open-ended tents pitched in Vanier Park, with waterfront views of mountains and ocean.
Since its founding in 1990, Bard on the Beach has grown to nearly 80,000 patrons, and expanded to include a number of special events.
“Bard-B-Q & Fireworks” combines Shakespeare, a salmon barbecue buffet and the “Celebration of Lights” on July 26, July 29, Aug. 2 and Aug. 5.
The UBC Opera Ensemble and members of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra join the festival on Aug. 14, 21 and 28 for “A Merry Evening of Opera.” And on Aug. 19, “Celebrating Red & White” throws a little wine and British cheese in with your theatergoing experience.
Tuesdays feature pre-show chats and post-show “talk back” sessions.
You can purchase play tickets for $17 to $29.50 at www.bardonthebeach.org or (877) 739-0559.
Compare the Canadian take on “The Winter’s Tale” with Montana’s version at Shakespeare in the Parks, a roving band of performers mounting 67 performances in 51 communities this summer.
Since its start in 1973, the theatrical outreach program of Montana State University-Bozeman has logged nearly half a million miles taking Shakespeare to the masses. Organizers estimate that almost 25,000 people attended last summer, mostly in communities with populations of fewer than 7,000.
Besides “The Winter’s Tale,” the 2006 schedule includes “Love’s Labour’s Lost.” And in the next couple of weeks alone, the troupe will be in Absarokee, Chico, Silver Gate, West Yellowstone, Billings and on and on. It’s all free and you’ll find a complete schedule at www2.montana.edu/shakespeare. Or call (406) 994-3310.
Stroll up for the history tours
There’s more to Seattle than coffee, software and disdain for Spokane, and the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) would like to tell you all about it.
This year’s version of the museum’s annual walking tours continues July 15 with “Who’s on First? The Society Era on First Hill.” Executive director Leonard Garfield and historian Allan Seidenverg will lead you from the Frye Art Museum through the city’s first “society” neighborhood.
On July 22, “East Madison: Cable Cars and Cattle Pounds” covers the homestead of African American pioneer William Grose, the Madison Street cable car barn and the cattle pounds, where vagrant cattle found themselves incarcerated.
Tour downtown’s Pioneer Square on July 29, and on Aug. 5 take a turn around “Seattle’s Majestic Urban Forest: Interlaken Park.”
The Aug. 12 outing sounds like a relatively easy trek. “Behind the Scenes of the Photography Collection” walks you through the museum itself, then onto the National Archives of the Pacific Alaska Region for a visit to one of the region’s most impressive record-keeping facilities.
The series winds up with “The Shores of Lake Union,” a six-mile exploration of Seattle’s native, maritime, environment, engineering and industrial history on Aug. 19, and “Walking the World War II Homefront,” a survey of significant wartime sites including Victory Square, Northwest Navy headquarters and properties related to Seattle’s Japanese American population, on Aug. 26.
All tours start at 11 a.m. Tickets cost $25 for nonmembers. Learn more at www.seattlehistory.org or (206) 324-1126.
Regional events
•Bitterroot Microbrew Fest, July 29, Hamilton, Mont. Local Bitterroot and Missoula breweries toss out the samples along with food, nonalcoholic beverages and entertainment. (www.visitmt.com/ 406-363-2400)
•Sky Valley Stock and Antique Show and Threshing Bee, Aug. 11-13, Monroe, Wash. Relive the good old days with vintage farming equipment in operation, the “slowest tractor race,” hay rides, tractor pulls, a parade, pancake breakfast and more. (www.skyvalleyantiquetractor.com/360-568-1289)