Last
week we detailed some of the places you can go to hear classical
music this summer amid mountains, canyons and other summery
destinations. Music festivals dominate the summer leisure scene,
perhaps because the emotional punch of music lends itself to
the vacation spirit. But drama and, to a lesser extent, dance,
can also be found holding their own in the western states this
summer. Here are some upcoming thespian and terpsichorean festivals.
Cedar
City, Utah, plays host to the Utah Shakespearean Festival (www.bard.org;
1‑800‑PLAYTIX) from June 22 through Sept. 2. It
starts with two bard tragedies and one comedy: “Hamlet,” “Antony
and Cleopatra,” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” Add to these
the classic tunefulness of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “H.M.S. Pinafore,”
the contemporary drama of “On Golden Pond,” and a madcap farce
called “Room Service,” and your summer in Utah is a very full
experience. This Tony Award‑winner picks up again in the
fall with an autumn festival (Sept. 22 ‑ Oct. 28) set
to include “The Merchant of Venice,” “Peg O’ My Heart,” and
“Johnny Guitar.”
No
doubt about it, Shakespeare–whoever he was–is still the man
of the hour when it comes to English‑language drama, and
especially summer festivals. Colorado boasts the Colorado Shakespeare
Festival (www.coloradoshakes .org; (303) 492‑0554)
from July 6 through Aug. 19, which this summer in a mood for
his comedies: “As You Like It,” “The Merchant of Venice,” and
“The Tempest.” A fourth offering seems to be a theatrical take
on “Whose Line is It Anyway?” “Unexpected Shaxpere!” puts actors
onstage with no preparation other than directions from the audience.
Tell the actors to dramatize American Idol in iambic pentameter
and they’ll do it–or so they say.
If
the Bay Area is your preferred summer destination, you might
try the Marin Shakespeare Summer Festival (www.marinshakespeare
.org; (415) 499‑4488). “King Lear” (July 7 ‑ Aug.
20) and “Alice in Wonderland” (July 14 ‑ Aug. 20) are
on tap, plus a late summer production of “The Comedy of Errors”
(Sept. 1‑ 24).
The
West Coast’s No. 1 drama‑lovers’ destination is arguably
Ashland, Oregon, where the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (www.orshakes.org;
(541) 482‑4331) makes a nearly year‑round statement.
The season started this year in February and will run through
the end of October. Between the three theatres that make up
the festival, the Shakespeare‑authored plays are “The
Winter’s Tale,” “King John,” “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and
“The Two Gentlemen of Verona.” Other plays include “The Importance
of Being Earnest,” “The Diary of Anne Frank,” and “Cyrano de
Bergerac.”
Summertime
dance is rarer to find than either drama or music, but present
if you look. True to its name, Aspen‑Santa Fe Ballet (www.aspensantafeballet.com;
(505) 983‑5591) maintains a two‑town presence. This
summer, the company is sponsoring a festival that will include
itself, plus modern dance troupe MOMIX, jazz specialists Hubbard
Street Dance Chicago, and Ballet West. The dates fluctuate between
Aspen and Santa Fe, mid‑July to early September. Contact
the company for details.
