Romeo & Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing will be the entertainment for a summer night in Griffith Park when Independent Shakespeare Co. opens its 2015 season of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival on June 25.
Artistic Director Melissa Chalsma says, “Without a doubt, the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival is the highlight of our year. The audience brings such amazing joy and excitement, the park is a gorgeous refuge, and our company of artists is the strongest it’s ever been. It’s an honor to bring so many Angelenos together to experience wonderful theater!”
Managing Director David Melville adds, “Our production of Romeo & Juliet had a sell-out run in our Independent Studio at Atwater Crossing last spring – it was so special that we knew we wanted to share it with a larger audience. We are very excited to be bringing an expanded version of the production to Griffith Park this summer. Much Ado About Nothing is also one of our favorites. Since the last time we tackled it our audience has grown exponentially – in 2010, our first year in Griffith Park, we were excited to close with more than 600 people in the audience, now we average 1,100 individuals at each performance!”
In addition to the performances, ISC will again offer family education workshops on select evenings. Players in the Park/Teatristas en el parque (PIP) workshops are an interactive, energetic way for families to learn about the evening’s performance. Led by ISC teaching artists, families will learn about the play, explore Shakespeare’s language, take a backstage tour, and try out how it feels on the ISC stage. All workshops are offered in both English and Spanish.
Also returning this season is the Salon Series, discussions led by experts on topics related to Shakespeare as well as Festival Arts Partners, curtain-raising performances by local musicians, dancers and eclectic performing artists. ISC will also present special, free Wednesday events at Independent Studio, an intimate performance space at Atwater Crossing. Specific dates for performances, education workshops and special events will be released this spring.
ISC is the recipient of the 2015 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theatre, and also the recipient of a 2015 National Endowment for the Arts Grant Award. To contribute to ISC’s fundraising campaign go to http://isc2015.causevox.com/.
ROMEO & JULIET and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
June 25 – August 30, 2015
The Old Zoo at Griffith Park (near 4730 Crystal Spring Dr.)
GPS Coordinates of the parking area: 34*8.034’N, 118* 17.100‘W
Information and directions: (818) 710-6306 or www.iscla.org
Shakespeare in LA 