MT Shakespeare in the Parks brings "Twelfth Night" to Sanders Park in Worland July 19

Wyoming Shakespeare Festival Company on tour

Dave Geible as King Lear and Cassie Marple as Cordelia

July is the month for Wyomingites to catch one of the Bard’s great dramas, King Lear. The Lander-based troupe begins their tour today in Torrington, giving theater fans across the state the opportunity to follow Lear’s descent into madness.

Diane Springford, founder of the company, discusses the influence of a Parisian King Lear production in a Casper Star-Tribune article, which also provides background on the troupe.

Wyoming Shakespeare Festival Company 2012 Summer Tour Schedule
 
July 6 TORRINGTON Pioneer Park 6 p.m.

July 7 CHEYENNE Botanic Gardens 5 p.m.

July 12 GILLETTE Gillette College 6 p.m.

July 18 and 25 LANDER City Park 6 p.m.

July 19 PINEDALE American Legion Park 6 pm

July 20 ROCK SPRINGS Bunning Park 6 p.m.

July 24 RIVERTON Wyoming Honor Farm 6 p.m.

July 26 LANDER (Kids Academy Production) City Park 12 p.m.

Donations are appreciated.

Stage III looking for volunteers for Aug. 18-19 Renaissance Faire in Casper

From Stage III Community Theatre in Casper:

Mark your calendars. The Renaissance Faire is returning to Casper August 18-19 at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds Arena Building. Stage III is happy to announce the return of this family friendly event. There are many venues for Renaissance Faire fans to get involved. Stage III is looking for volunteer musicians, jugglers, mask makers, face painters, hair and headpiece designers and crafters of all kinds. Auditions for Renaissance performers will be held at Stage III May 14 & 15 at 7:00 pm. Actors of all ages are needed for Shakespeare's “Hamlet;” as well as fairies, jesters, knights, fair maids, heralds and more. Would you like to write and perform your own middle ages play, poetry, or song? Contact Stage III with your ideas and they will work with you to provide stage time. Stage III is also seeking food vendors for the two-day event. You can provide a full meal such as grilled turkey legs, burgers and hot dogs, pizza or pulled pork. Snack vendors for drinks, cotton candy, fudge sno-cones, or kettle corn, for example, are also wanted. There will be lots of activities to work up the appetites of faire participants. The Renaissance Faire Committee welcomes anyone with ideas or interested volunteers wanting to help plan and carry out this event to attend the next planning meeting 6:30 pm April 30 at Stage III 900 North Center Street. Want to know more? Email Stage III at stage3@wyoming.com or visit our http://www.stageiiitheatre.org/ or call 307-234-0946 or for details.

Riot Act., Inc.'s "The Taming of the Shrew" opens March 8 in Jackson

Carbon County Library in Rawlins begins new year with "Punking The Bard"

"Much Ado About Nothing" July 16 in Pinedale's American Legion Park

The Casper College Department of Theatre and Dance Presents Twelfth Night, or, What You Will

The Casper College Department of Theatre and Dance Presents 

Twelfth Night, or, What You Will

William Shakespeare

Directed by Richard Burk

Scenic and Lighting Design by Sean Mcinstosh

Costume Design and Makeup by Douglas Garland

February 23, 25,26, March 1-5, 2011 at 7:30 P.M.

Gertrude Krampert Theatre Complex, Mcmurry Mainstage 

Cheer yourself through the winter doldrums with Shakespeare's charming romantic comedy about a pair of twins, Viola and Sebastian. Separated in a stormy shipwreck and presuming the other lost, they make their way through into Illyria, where they meet Duke Orsino, who loves the Lady Olivia, who will have none of him, but falls for Viola (disguised as "Cesario" the servant to Orsino)..meanwhile Olivia's kinsman Sir Toby Belch and Maria, along with Feste the Fool, Sir Andrea Aguecheek, and Fabian all wreak havoc on poor puritanical Malvolio! Charming, farcical, cheerful, and fun-this is just the show for the wintertime blues!

Ticks:$12 adults and $10 children/teens (5-18)

$2/ticket discount for groups of 20 or more

Infants are inappropriate in the theatre.

Ticket sales: Patron sales February 9

General Sales: February 16

To purchase:

-Krampert Theatre Box Office (M-F, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., or at the door)

-Phone 307-268-2500, 800-442-2963, ext. 2500 (M-F, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.)

Casper College

Krampert Theatre

125 College Drive

Casper, WY 82601

Tickets go on sale Feb. 16 for Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" at Casper College

Tickets for the next Casper College Theatre production, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” or “What You Will,” will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

“Shakespeare’s charming romantic comedy about a pair of twins is just the show for the wintertime blues,” said Richard Burk, director.

The story tells the tale of twins Viola and Sebastian who become separated in a stormy shipwreck. “Presuming the other lost, they make their way through into Illyria, where they meet Duke Orsino, who loves the Lady Olivia, who will have none of him, but falls for Viola (disguised as “Cesario” the servant to Orsino). Meanwhile Olivia’s kinsman Sir Toby Belch and Maria, along with Feste the Fool, Sir Andrea Aguecheek, and Fabian all wreak havoc on poor puritanical Malvolio. This play is charming, farcical, cheerful, and fun,” said Burk.

The play will run February 23, 25, 26 and March 1 through 5 beginning each night at 7:30 p.m. on the McMurry Mainstage of the Gertrude Krampert Theatre Complex. Assisting Burk will be Sean McIntosh with scenic and lighting design and Douglas Garland with costume design and makeup.

Tickets for “Twelfth Night,” or “What You Will” are $12 for adults and $10 for children and teens, ages 5 to 18. Tickets can be purchased at the Krampert Theatre Complex box office between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, by phone at 268-2500, or one hour before each performance, for that performance only.

FMI: Lisa S. Icenogle, Information Coordinator, Casper College, 307-268-2372; 800-442-2963, ext. 2372

Date change for "Tartuffe" performance in Pinedale

DATE CHANGE!

Theater in the Park in Pinedale presents an outdoor performance of Moliere's "Tartuffe" on Friday, July 16, 6:30 p.m. , at American Legion Park. Bring a picnic and enjoy the free show by the Wyoming Shakespeare Festival Company from Lander.

FMI: http://www.pinedalefinearts.com/

"Macbeth" is next project for Shake in ChyWy

Shake in ChyWy is "a diverse group of people in the Cheyenne Wyoming area committed to an enjoyable process and a great product bringing Shakespeare experiments to the area."

"Macbeth" is the group's latest project.

Angel Katen invites

Macbeth people to meet at 6 p.m. at Carey Junior High on Monday the 30th of November. Come at 6 and bring your schedules! Also bring anyone you think might want to help at this point. We have lots to do and would love help from old and new members alike!

For more info, or to join the Shake in ChyWy Facebook group, go to http://tinyurl.com/ybpd47v

Oakley Boycott of Lander lands lead role in touring production of "Cabaret"

Congrats to Oakley Boycott of Lander, a 20-year-old actor who landed her first big acting role in the Broadway touring production of "Cabaret." Oakley has been cast in the lead role of Sally Bowles. The tour will come through Wyoming. Stay tuned for performance venues and dates.

While growing up in Lander, Oakley performed in high school productions, Wyoming Shakespeare Company summer touring shows, and plays put on by the Central Wyoming College theatre department.

Montana touring company brings ‘Romeo and Juliet’ to region’s rural schools

CODY - Thousands of Wyoming students this month will see a play that features bloody murder, drug use, forbidden teen romance and other themes that some parents have long denounced in popular culture as corrupting America's youth.
The play's author, William Shakespeare, was not available for comment. But the actors bringing "Romeo and Juliet" to 15,000 students in nearly 50 schools across Wyoming and Montana were happy to share the play on Wednesday with Cody High School students.
"Romeo and Juliet is their story. It's about crazy-in-love teens who get into fights and take drugs," said Eliza Stoughton, a Chicago-based actress who plays Lady Capulet in the Shakespeare in the Schools touring company.
The outreach program of Montana State University's Montana Shakespeare in the Parks is in its 17th season, playing this week in Park County schools with funding assistance from the Park County Arts Council.
More than two-thirds of this season's shows will be at schools in communities with fewer than 5,000 residents, ranging from Ten Sleep to Big Timber.
Actors present an abbreviated production, but with authentic period sets and costumes. They interact with students after each show in workshops that delve deeper into the play's literary and theatrical elements.
"Hearing and seeing the actors made it a lot easier to understand what was going on. They did a good job of portraying what was going on with the characters, but doing it in the way that Shakespeare wrote it," said sophomore Allyson Asay.
"For me, the exciting part of performing Shakespeare is that a lot of people say that the language makes it hard to find a way into the material. These plays were written to be heard and seen, not read," Stoughton said.
Stoughton joined Peter Johnson - a Seattle-based actor who played Juliet's father, Lord Montague - in a post-performance workshop with CHS theater students, exploring how minor characters play big roles in driving the play's story.
Actors fielded questions from students about auditioning, memorizing lines, key plot points and even special effects on stage.
The eight-member Shakespeare in the Schools touring company performs today in Meeteetse and on Friday in Bozeman, before appearances next week in Ten Sleep, Buffalo, Sheridan, Basin and Big Timber.

Montana Shakespeare in the Schools to begin fall tour

Montana Shakespeare in the Schools will perform "Romeo and Juliet" to approximately 15,000 students in 50 communities in Montana and Wyoming during its annual fall tour, which begins in October.The 10-week tour of the school outreach program of the Montana Shakespeare in the Parks company based at Montana State University begins in early October and ends in December.

Joel Jahnke, a professor at MSU since 1976, serves as artistic director for Montana Shakespeare in the Schools as well as Montana Shakespeare in the Parks. He said it is the 17th year for the popular school program that brings a Shakespeare production to many students who otherwise would have few opportunities to see one.
"As with the summer tour, the program places special emphasis on underserved, rural areas," Jahnke said. "Nearly 70 percent of the schools that we will perform in this year will be in communities with a population of less than 5,000.
"Jahnke said that of all of Shakespeare's plays, "Romeo and Juliet" is arguably the most popular and has been adapted into musicals and films from generation to generation. The production will be directed by William Brown, an award-winning director from Chicago.
"The stress of peer and family pressure set against the backdrop of a young couples' love is as timely now as ever," Brown has said of the play. "I feel very strongly that the play becomes more relevant for young people when they experience it in a live performance.
"Montana Shakespeare in the Schools began in 1993 with two actors who performed scenes from Shakespeare's plays with minimal costumes and scenery. It has grown to a seven-member professional company that offers a full Shakespearean production complete with ornate costumes and scenery.
Shakespeare in the School's annual Elise Event, a fundraiser named in honor of sponsor Elise Donohue, will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at MSU's Black Box Theater located at 11th and Grant St. The event will feature an after-show catered wine reception and a 75-minute performance of "Romeo and Juliet," followed by a "talk back" with the actors and workshop demonstrations with members of the Montana Shakespeare in the Schools company. Tickets are $25 per person and advance reservations are highly recommended. For more information, call (406) 994-3310.
For the six consecutive year, Montana Shakespeare in the Schools is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts "Shakespeare in American Communities: Shakespeare for a New Generation." Additional funding support comes from the MSU College of Arts and Architecture, the Montana Arts Council; Artist in the Schools program, the Homer A. and Mildred S. Scott Foundation and Target.
For more information about Shakespeare in the Schools and its performance schedule, go to http://www2.montana.edu/shakespeare/msis.html or call (406) 994-3310.

Last weekend for "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

The newly-formed Shake in ChyWy presents William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 14-15, in Cheyenne's Lions Park. The performances are free and open to the public.

Shake in ChyWy is also looking for locals interested in auditioning for its production of "MacBeth," set to open in February 2010. As director (and Carey Junior High theatre teacher) Angel Katen says: "We are looking for people over the age of 18 willing to attend rehearsals in the evening and on the weekends, excited to help build the inside of a castle in one week's time, overjoyed to create a head that looks like the lead actor, to research Shakespeare and Scotland, and to have a good, healthy, sober time of it all."

If that sounds like your cup of tea, call 307-214-3405 and leave a message.

"Richard II" on tour across Wyoming

The Wyoming Shakespeare Company presents "The Life and Death of King Richard II" at the following venues around the state this summer:

July 1 Lander City Park 6:00 pm

July 3 Pinedale American Legion Park 6:00 pm

July 8 Lander City Park 6:00 pm

July 11 Cheyenne Botanic Garden 4:30 pm

July 15 Lander City Park 6:00 pm

July 17 Rock Springs Bunning Park 6:00 pm

July 18 Green River Stratton Meyers Park 6:00 pm

July 21 Riverton Honor Farm 6:00 pm

July 23 Gillette College 6:00 pm

July 24 Casper Nicolaysen Museum 7:00 pm

July 29 Lander City Park 6:00 pm

July 30 Dubois Dennison Museum 6:00 pm

Mont. Shakespeare comes south of the border

Montana Shakespare in the Parks will be performing "The Tempest" and "Two Gentlemen of Verona" in several Wyoming communities this summer. The events are free and open to the public.

Here's the schedule:

July 14, Powell, "The Tempest," 6:30 p.m., Washington Park
July 15, Cody, "Two Gentlemen of Verona," 6:30 p.m., Canal Park
July 16, Worland, "The Tempest," 6 p.m., Sanders Park
July 17, Greybull, "The Tempest," 6 p.m., Greybull City Park
July 19, Sheridan, "Two Gentlemen of Verona," 6:30 p.m., Kendrick Park
July 27, Alpine, "Two Gentlemen of Verona," 6:30 p.m., Nordic Inn

This summer's tour of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks to communities in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and Idaho is partially sponsored by a a $10,000 grant from the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation.

FMI: http://www.montana.edu/shakespeare

Casper College's "King Lear" set in Middle East

The Casper College Department of Theatre and Dance presents “King Lear” on Feb. 27-28 and March 3-7 at 7:30 p.m. on the McMurry Mainstage of the Gertrude Krampert Theatre in Casper.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for children/students. Two tickets may be purchased for the price of one on Tuesday and Wednesday and $2 discounts apply for groups of 20 or more.

Tickets may be purchased at the Krampert Theatre box office Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted. Tickets will be mailed for $1 per order.

For an illuminating article on the production, see the Feb. 25 story in the Casper Journal at http://www.casperjournal.com/articles/2009/02/26/arts/arts022509a.txt

Casper College's "King Lear" to be set in modern Middle East

From a Casper College press release:

The first play for 2009 on the McMurry Mainstage at Casper College will be Shakespeare’s "King Lear," replacing the originally announced "Twelfth Night."

"I decided to change the play from ‘Twelfth Night’ to ‘King Lear’ for several reasons," said Tom Empey, director. "I have always wanted to do ‘King Lear’ and since I will be directing for only one more season, it was now or never. I simply cannot escape the intrigue of this play about a world gone mad, a world in chaos."

In addition, Empey believes that the current theatre student population is more suited to "King Lear." Finally, had he chosen to do Shakespeare two years in a row, "then the rotation would have been thrown off. We continue our tradition of producing Shakespeare every other year so that every student will have the opportunity to work with the ‘Master Playwright’ during their two years at Casper College. Shakespeare has become a tradition audiences seem to enjoy as they attend in surprising numbers," he said.

Shakespeare’s powerful and famous tragedy, considered by many to be among his greatest works, will be set "in the modern Middle East. A play about the division of land within a kingdom seems to reflect the pressures and strains of that troubled region," noted Empey.

"King Lear" will be presented on the McMurry Mainstage of the Gertrude Krampert Theatre Complex on Feb. 27-28, and March 3-7 each night at 7:30. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students 5-18.

Tickets for "King Lear" will go on sale to the general public on Monday, Feb. 23. Tickets may be purchased at the box office from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, by calling 307-268-2500 or 1-800-442-2963, ext. 2500, or at the box office one hour before each show.

Editor's Note: Tom Empey is a past board member for the Wyoming Arts Council and served as its chair for two years.

If you like Shakespeare and Elvis, you'll really dig Off Square's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

The Off Square Theatre Company in Jackson presents William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from Oct. 23 through Nov. 1, 8 p.m., plus a 2 p.m. matinee on Nov. 1. Tickets are $10 for Oct. 23 previews; $55 for Oct. 24 gala. All all other performances $30 for adults, $20 for students, children and seniors.

Click Here To Get Tickets

Off Square Theatre Company’s production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" comes with a twist. Off Square sets the magical tale of love and marriage in 1958, when Elvis was King, and poodle skirts, black leather jackets, greased-back hair and up-tight adults could be found at every turn.

The language is the Bard’s but the songs are right out of "American Bandstand" – or in our case, "Athenian Bandstand" – with Theseus as Dick Clark. Oberon is the "King" (Elvis, that is), and Titania is Olivia Newton John at the end of "Grease," tight black leather and all. If you like Shakespeare and old time rock 'n' roll, you’ll love this version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in a ducktail and biker boots.

Oct. 24 gala includes pre-show dinner, performance and post-show champagne with the cast.

"King John" at Botanic Gardens Aug. 2

The Wyoming Shakespeare Company from Lander will perform "King John" on Saturday, Aug. 2, 4:30 p.m. at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens in Lions Park. The event is free and open to the public.

Here's a blurb about the play from the Botanic Gardens' web site:

As Cheyenne's political season draws near, pull up your lawn chair or blanket and see what one of the great political philosophers had to say about power- how it is gained, lost or held onto for dear life.