Playing in the Park

It's a Buffalo summer night's dream: Shakespeare in Delaware Park is back.

From June 20 to July 14, Shakespeare in the Park will be performing the famous tragedy Hamlet: a story about a young prince's plot to exact revenge on his uncle, King Claudius. The play explores personal struggles with insanity, sexuality and morality.

From July 25 to Aug. 18, Shakespeare in the Park will be performing the dark comedy Measure for Measure: a play that deals with secret identities, manipulation and a depiction of Christianity in Shakespeare's time.

Since 1976, the Shakespeare in the Park professional theater company has been performing William Shakespeare's plays every summer to a sea of theater patrons.

Saul Elkin, a former UB theater professor, had the idea to create a Buffalo-based version of the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City.

After stage production was finished at UB its first year, the stage was taken apart and reconstructed in Delaware Park; the location is now fondly known as "Shakespeare Hill."

Each year, thousands of theater and literature lovers gather on Shakespeare Hill on blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy a night of storytelling, music and laughter.

Brittany Patterson, 25, has been going to Shakespeare in the Park every summer for 15 years. For Patterson, the event is an opportunity to spend time with her family and enjoy performances influenced by one of the world's most famous playwrights.

"I love going and seeing how they interpret different Shakespeare plays," Patterson said. "It's just something we all love to do together as a family since we all love Shakespeare."

Shakespeare in the Park is now the second-largest free outdoor Shakespeare festival in the United States and has tens of thousands of attendees every summer.

The Shakespeare in the Park company performs two plays a summer. Last summer's performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream captured audiences with its cast of highly skilled actors and a talented group of designers and stage hands.

Genevieve Lerner, 23, a UB theater department alumna, performed in last year's A Midsummer Night's Dream as Mustardseed and as a featured dancer.

"My character was one that often interacted with the audience - making eye contact with people, causing little children to laugh and getting thousands of people excited about the story," Lerner said. "That was truly special."

Lerner performed with her fellow cast members for six shows a week, four weeks in a row, through unpredictable weather conditions. Rain or shine, the Shakespeare in the Park company puts on performances each and every night.

"I think people love Shakespeare [in the Park] because it is such a communal experience," Lerner said. "You can have a picnic, drink some wine, enjoy the beautiful weather and hang out with your friends and family for the evening for free."

The event is for people of any age group. It's an opportunity to immerse oneself in the gorgeous Delaware Park atmosphere while endorsing the theater family that Buffalo is famous for.

Shakespeare in the Park has transformed over the years, not only in the number of attendees, but the size of the stage as well. What was once a single-platform stage with three standing microphones has flourished into an incredible-sized stage with updated lighting and sound equipment from donations alone.

In 1991, Shakespeare in the Park became an independent non-profit organization. Funding for the performances comes strictly from donations made primarily by audience members and the City of Buffalo.

From only working with a donation-based budget, the company surprises audiences with its specifically designed multi-platform sets and intricately created costume pieces.

For those who want to spend a night surrounded by fellow theater lovers but don't want to be stuffed into a small, dark theater, or anyone who wants to find something free to do in Buffalo, Shakespeare in the Park is an opportunity like no other.

Email: arts@ubspecrum.com