Shakespeare In Delaware Park (SIDP) opens this evening. After a turbulent season on 2020 due to the pandemic, the curtain is set to rise on the glorious hill, kicking off with a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Walk. This season is going to be an exceptional one, as it is so highly anticipated by the orchestrators, the performers, and the audiences. There’s something very calming and settling about seeing the Delaware Park stage come back to life. It wasn’t that long ago when things were a lot different.
“One of the most experienced and levelheaded of Buffalo‘s theater community, SIDP executive Director Lisa Ludwig knows better than anyone the old adage ‘the show must go on,'” said theater reviewer Peter Hall, when asked about the importance of 2021 Shakespeare in Delaware Park performances on the heel of the pandemic. “Last summer during the first months of the shut down when things were really scary, Ludwig’s talented troupe couldn’t have hundreds of audience members at once sitting on the lawn on ‘Shakespeare Hill’ watching a stage crammed with actors, so they took the show on the road and I recall catching them performing various scenes in outdoor parks. This year it seems they are doubling down with one troup visiting various parks around Western New York (I’m calling them the ‘Love Cast’) and another troupe performing different scenes around their homebase in Delaware Park. (I’m calling them the ‘Dream Cast.’) It all fits their mission to provide Shakespeare to everyone in a free outdoor setting. I already have my tickets. This is going to be fun!”
- Venture into Delaware Park for A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S WALK, where the mischievous Puck will take you on a walking tour to experience a one-of-a-kind performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Kyle Loconti. During this 45-minute journey, our beloved Delaware Park will be transformed into Oberon and Titania’s Athenian Forest where you will view selected scenes from this beloved Shakespearean comedy. You’ll be chasing after Athenian lovers, watching Mechanical’s scramble to rehearse, and falling in love with Shakespeare’s work in a brand-new way. This production opens June 29th and will take place Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays through August 12. Tours begin at 6:30 running every half hour until 8:30. Reservations are required*.
- Next up Saul Elkin directs our touring production, SHAKESPEARE & LOVE coming to a park or venue near you, starting July 9th Friday, Saturdays and Sundays at 7pm through August 21. Join us as four Shakespearean lovers explore the triumphs, trials, and tribulations of what it means to love. From the star-crossed love in Romeo & Juliet, to love’s darker shadows in Richard III, to the humorous mistaken identity of love in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s vast collection of works remind us that love is a language that takes a lifetime to learn. Many shows are already sold out, please visit our website for a complete list of performance locations. Reservations are required*.
All performances are FREE, although donations are greatly appreciated. For more information including show dates, times, locations, and how to reserve your spot please go to www.shakespeareindelawarepark.org.
*Due to state group gathering mandates no one will be admitted without a reservation
Lead image: Production still from A Midsummer Night’s Walk, featuring Todd Benzin