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Shakespeare & Beyond

Outdoor Shakespeare: The pioneers of a summer tradition

Photograph of a woman lounging under a tree
Photograph of a woman lounging under a tree

Shakespeare by the sea, on the river, in the park or garden, on the common – in the summertime Shakespeare’s plays are everywhere outdoors! High-profile shows in New York’s Central Park or at Ashland’s Oregon Shakespeare Festival may come to mind for active theatergoers today, but the inspiration for this kind of outdoor performance actually came from semi-amateur theatricals, often led by women, in England and America in the late 19th century.

Comments

The Genesius Guild in Rock Island is one of the organizations keeping this tradition alive! Performances of Shakespeare shows (The Tempest and Hamlet this year) under 100+ year old oak trees in a park nestled in the middle of the city.

Andy Shearouse — July 12, 2019

Hi!
Greetings from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival! Just a slight correction at the end… although Richard Hay had major influence over the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and their theatre spaces, it was Angus Bowmer, the founder, who’s vision it was for outdoor theatre in Ashland, OR in 1935. Love this article!

Jonathan Stevens — July 14, 2019

[…] Outdoor Shakespeare: The pioneers of a summer tradition […]

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