Montana Shakespeare in the Parks is set to conclude its 52nd summer tour with regional performances of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale and Hamlet.
Both productions have elements of comedy and tragedy (and in the case of Winter’s Tale, a healthy dose of magic!). All ages are welcome to attend and enjoy the performances.
Hamlet tells the story of the young prince of Denmark who returns home following the sudden death of his father. The most famous ghost story ever told, Hamlet grapples with the weight of his responsibility to avenge his father’s death, to out-maneuver his traitorous uncle, and “to be, or not to be.” With some of Shakespeare’s most memorable lines and iconic characters, audiences won’t want to miss this tale of love and loss, duty vs desire, and the power of performance.
“I do believe that all of Shakespeare’s plays are timeless, but Hamlet has a point of view that everybody can identify with. I think we are all individually a version of Hamlet and can relate to the character on some level,” says Kevin Asselin, MSIP Executive Artistic Director and director of Hamlet.
As for The Winter’s Tale, this play spans sixteen years during which a jealous king accuses his wife of infidelity and exiles his newborn daughter to Bohemia where she is raised by shepherds and, ultimately, falls in love with the Bohemian king’s son. Audiences are sure to relish this story of love, loss, and forgiveness.
“The play is one of Shakespeare’s last, and as such is blessed with a writer who really understood how to manipulate the form to achieve new heights of storytelling,” shares Eva Breneman, Director of The Winter’s Tale.
Performances of The Winter’s Tale are set for Sunday, September 1st, in Townsend’s Heritage Park and Saturday, Sept. 7th in Pony Park, both at 5pm. Hamlet comes to Livingston’s Blake Pavilion on Friday, Sept. 6th, at 6pm, and Bozeman’s Grant Chamberlain Park for a closing performance on Tuesday, Sept. 10th, at 5:30pm.
Montana Shakespeare in the Parks is an outreach program of Montana State University’s College of Arts and Architecture and was founded on the firm belief that Shakespeare belongs to everyone. The accomplished company of performers, designers and staff work tirelessly to connect communities, many of which are rural, to the arts in local parks and public spaces free of charge, providing a reach and accessibility that is unmatched by any other program of its nature in the country.
The public is invited to experience the magic of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks and their free, world-class performances under the big skies of the West. For the most up to date tour schedule, visit www.ShakespeareInTheParks.org. •
