Batavia place for Shakespeare Old West-style

If you have been biking around Batavia, and have crossed over Clark Island, you may have seen the small western town facade and bales of straw resting in small groupings.

They’re part of the staging for this summer’s Shakespeare on Clark western themed “The Merry Wives of Windsor.”

The production continues weekend through Aug. 14, with show times at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 6 p.m. on Sundays.

The scenery was developed for the show by Charles Palia of Lisle, and painted to look like the Old West by members of the cast.

“The western facade serves a dual purpose: to create a backdrop statement that we are in an old Western town called Windsor, Texas, and to have a storage building to secure the many props and pieces of set dressing for the show,” Palia said.

The production is performed outdoors on Clark Island, and all scenery, set dressing, the lighting and sound equipment must be set up and taken down every night. The ability to store it on the island makes this task easier. The scenery pieces include a well, a trough for panning for gold, a longhorn steer skeleton, barrels, hitching posts, a bar, chairs, screens, tents for changing, and a variety of stage props.

“The Merry Wives of Windsor” tells a story of a con man, Sir Falstaff, who arrives in town down on his luck. He decides to woo two women in an attempt to obtain access to their husbands’ bank accounts. The tables are turned when the two women plot together to trick him.

The story is fun and amusing, and offers up lots of high jinks.

Clark Island is in the heart of downtown Batavia just south of Wilson Street, with parking on both sides of the river.

Bring lawn chairs and picnic dinners and arrive early to get the best seating. Early arrivals can enjoy the preshow entertainment provided by Batavia Dance Academy, as well as a gun show, and panning for gold for the smallest of guests.

The event is free to the public, with a pass-thethat donation requested to help offset costs of the production.

For more information, visit jesterscourtyard.com.