Now in its 50th season of bringing free Shakespeare performances to rural communities in the Rocky Mountain west, Montana Shakespeare in the Parks celebrates 20 years of their annual Elise Event – an evening benefiting their Shakespeare in the Schools program. This year’s event will take place Saturday, November 5th at 6:30pm in the Black Box Theater on MSU’s campus.
For 30 years, Shakespeare in the Schools has traveled to rural schools across Montana and Wyoming for day-long residencies in 50 schools, serving 12,000 students annually.
Named for late benefactor Elise R. Donohue, the Elise Event is a celebration of Shakespeare in the Schools honoring Elise’s remarkable dedication to the arts in our community.
The Elise Event began in 2002 when Elise bid on an auction item for a private performance of Shakespeare in the Schools’ production. Recognizing the production’s value to the community, Elise gifted the performance back to the public, allowing others to experience the marvelous production. From that initial public performance, the Elise Event was born. Now in its 20th year, the Elise Event has grown over time to become a treasured annual celebration.
Known and loved to many in the Gallatin Valley, Elise was an ardent advocate for the performing arts and a dedicated supporter of numerous institutions. Her family carries on her generous spirit and passionate advocacy of the arts by providing the community with an opportunity to learn about the Shakespeare in the Schools program and pass on the torch of Shakespeare’s masterpieces to future generations.
The 2022 Elise Event will feature a special performance of this year’s Shakespeare in the Schools show, Macbeth. Limited tickets are available at www.shakespeareintheparks.org where you can learn more about the organization.
In addition to the Elise Event, MSIP delivers a limited run of The Complete Works at MSU Black Box Theater as part of its 50th Anniversary Tour. Performances will be held Dec. 1st–4th and 8th–11th. Shows begin at 7:30pm, and 2:30pm on Sundays. Tickets are available now. •
